2021-12-15T11:01:00
(BPT) – It is important to understand what Medicare covers in order to make the best choice for your situation. Explore the sections below to discover more about your Medicare-related options.
2021-12-15T13:01:00
(BPT) – Sponsored and Developed by Neurocrine Biosciences
The holidays are a whirlwind of joyful chaos – traveling, cooking, gratitude, and time with those we love. For families and friends of those living with chronic and progressive diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD), the holidays may come with some additional considerations and challenges. At the same time, they provide opportunities for assistance and support from the extended family visiting this time of year.
Because immediate family likely spends a lot of time with the person in their life who has PD, it’s easy to get into a routine where they might not notice that their loved one’s symptoms have progressed or advanced. The chance to spend time with extended family and friends over the holidays offers an opportunity to get their feedback on changes in symptoms that they might notice. A sibling or niece who sees the person living with PD only a few times a year may pick up on some physical or cognitive signs that are harder to spot for those who are with the person every day.
Spotting (And Understanding) Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms
Symptoms of PD can become more noticeable during periods of time when the medications start to wear off between doses. This is called “OFF” time.1,2
There are several symptoms of PD; an increase or worsening of these could be a sign that the person is experiencing disease progression, and/or more frequent “OFF” time. These may include:
These are not all the symptoms of PD progression and/or “OFF” time, but they may be the ones family members are likely to notice during holiday visits. So, if you do see your loved one with PD struggling with these symptoms, what can you do?
Understanding “OFF” time
Discussing Parkinson’s Disease Treatment Options
A good first step is for you and your extended family to talk with the loved one with PD and discuss their symptoms, how they’ve been feeling, and what you’ve noticed. Based on what you learn, you can suggest that it may be time to speak with their doctor about treatment options that could help reduce “OFF” time, giving your loved one more symptom-free time throughout the day.
For people with PD already taking levodopa/carbidopa, it may be time to explore an adjunctive (add-on, or additional) treatment option – like COMT inhibitors – to enhance levodopa. COMT inhibitors help to block an enzyme in the body called COMT that breaks down levodopa before it can reach the brain to help raise dopamine levels.2,6
One such COMT inhibitor, called ONGENTYS (opicapone), may be an option for your loved one with PD. ONGENTYS capsules is a prescription medicine used with levodopa and carbidopa in adults with Parkinson’s disease who are having “OFF” episodes.7
By blocking the COMT enzyme from breaking down levodopa, ONGENTYS allows for more of the levodopa to be available to reach the brain. ONGENTYS is a once daily capsule that doesn’t need to be dose adjusted.7 In the ONGENTYS clinical studies, people started to see a reduction in OFF time as early as 1 week and ONGENTYS significantly reduced OFF time by about 2 hours on average vs. about 1 hour for people taking levodopa/carbidopa without ONGENTYS within 14 to 15 weeks.7,8,9
The holidays can be an excellent opportunity to reflect on how you can best help the person with PD in your life. During holiday season gatherings, if you or your family and friends happen to notice that your loved one with PD is struggling with symptoms, it may be time to talk about additional treatment options, such as ONGENTYS.
For more information on ONGENTYS please visit: ongentys.com.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Approved Use:
ONGENTYS® (opicapone) capsules is a prescription medicine used with levodopa and carbidopa in people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) who are having “OFF” episodes.
It is not known if ONGENTYS is safe and effective in children.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Do not take ONGENTYS if you:
Before taking ONGENTYS, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your healthcare provider if you take nonselective MAO inhibitors (such as phenelzine, tranylcypromine, and isocarboxazid) or catecholamine medicines (such as isoproterenol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, and dobutamine), regardless of how you take the medicine (by mouth, inhaled, or by injection).
ONGENTYS and other medicines may affect each other causing side effects. ONGENTYS may affect the way other medicines work, and other medicines may affect how ONGENTYS works.
What should I avoid while taking ONGENTYS?
Do not drive, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how ONGENTYS affects you.
What are the possible side effects of ONGENTYS?
ONGENTYS may cause serious side effects, including:
Tell your healthcare provider if you experience any of these side effects or notice changes in your behavior.
The most common side effects of ONGENTYS include uncontrolled sudden movements (dyskinesia), constipation, increase in an enzyme called blood creatine kinase, low blood pressure, and weight loss.
These are not all of the possible side effects of ONGENTYS. Call your healthcare provider for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see ONGENTYS full Product Information.
References:
ONGENTYS is a registered trademark of BIAL-Portela & Ca, S.A
©2021 Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
CP-OPC-US-0542 12/2021
2021-12-15T09:01:00
(BPT) – When you think about efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19, vaccinations, hand washing and masking likely come to mind. However, one important effort that must remain the first line of defense is effective testing. With the holiday season in full swing, we cannot let our guards down. Testing, combined with other defensive measures, is essential to keeping ourselves and our loved ones safe.
Since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global pandemic in March 2020, medical experts and government leaders have worked together to make different types of testing options easily accessible to the public.
You may not realize there are different types of tests, so what is available to you?
The two main types of tests authorized for detecting COVID-19 are polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and antigen tests. Here is what you need to know about both:
Antigen tests
If you have ever taken a rapid strep test or pregnancy test, antigen tests work similarly[1]. Also referred to as rapid tests or rapid antigen tests, these tests work by quickly identifying protein fragments from a virus — these are the antigens — and providing test results in about 15 minutes[2].
Despite being fast, antigen tests can be less accurate than other testing options because they are less sensitive, meaning that some people might incorrectly be told they don’t have the virus1.
Because no special equipment is needed, antigen tests may be performed in various community settings or at home. This convenience has made antigen tests, particularly at-home options, popular when quick results are needed, as when returning to an office or preparing for an event like a vacation.
However, there is more room for error when self-testing, as opposed to having a test administered by a trained professional2. Further, at-home antigen tests are most accurate if COVID-19 symptoms are present and may require the use of several tests to confirm a diagnosis[3]. It is also important to always follow the manufacturer’s directions.
Antigen test overview
When to take it: When in need of results quickly
Speed: Results usually available in 15 minutes
Chance of user error: High
Ease of use: Doesn’t require equipment or chemicals; easy to use at home or point of care
Effectiveness on variants: Low
PCR tests
PCR tests are also referred to as molecular tests, viral RNA tests or nucleic acid tests1. These require special equipment and are typically sent to a lab, with results often available within 24 hours, depending on location. Some PCR tests provide results in just 20 minutes, however, these tests are mostly available in healthcare environments, such as hospitals2.
Why would someone use a test that takes longer to get results? The answer: accuracy.
PCR tests have remained a touchstone in diagnostics due to their heightened accuracy over antigen tests1. They are highly sensitive and can detect very small amounts of virus genetic material in a sample, such as viral DNA1. These tests have a sensitivity of about 98%, much higher than comparative data for antigen tests1. This is why PCR tests can detect active infections nearly every time, and it is rare for someone uninfected to receive a positive test1.
PCR test overview
When to take it: When in need of extremely accurate results
Speed: Results usually take 24 hours; may require an appointment
Chance of error: Low
Ease of use: Requires equipment, chemicals and trained specialists; point-of-care options available but limited
Effectiveness on variants: High
The future of COVID-19 testing
With vaccination rates increasing and booster shots recently becoming available, we are seeing some normalcy return to our lives. However, as restrictions ease, people are traveling more and starting to return to routine life activities, making people more vulnerable to infection.
As the pandemic evolves and holiday gatherings commence, complementary testing options can make effectively screening for COVID-19 even easier. This may include combining antigen and PCR testing for identifying present COVID-19 infections, antibody tests for evaluating past exposure, and multiplex tests, which tests for more than one disease, such as flu and COVID-19.
To learn more information about COVID-19 testing options, visit Roche Diagnostics Corporation’s storytelling hub.
[1] https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/which-covid-test-is-accurate (Last accessed November 22 2021)
[2] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/covid-antibody-tests/faq-20484429 (Last accessed November 22 2021)
[3] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-smartest-way-to-use-rapid-at-home-covid-tests1/ (Last accessed November 22 2021)
2021-12-15T11:33:00
(BPT) – Your vision plays an important role in your everyday experiences from the moment you wake up to going to work, playing with your children and caring for loved ones. Despite this vitalness, many people delay a visit to an optometrist or rely on online screenings, which seldom provide accurate, personalized evaluations, to maintain their eye health.
“It’s important to prioritize eye health by seeing a doctor of optometry in person annually,” said American Optometric Association (AOA) President Dr. Robert Layman. “These professionals are uniquely positioned and qualified to serve as frontline providers in primary eye care for the vast majority of Americans and help ensure they can best experience the world around them through their sight and overall well-being.”
Consider the Mitchell family, who met Dr. Cynthia Baker to get their son Emory’s eyes checked while he was an infant. At first glance, Mitchell’s eyes appeared normal until Dr. Baker was able to conduct a comprehensive eye exam where she discovered a serious issue.
Mitchell had congenital cataracts, a condition in which you’re missing the lens of one or both of your eyes. Due to the severity of Mitchell’s vision issue, he had his first cataract surgery just days after his initial diagnosis from Dr. Baker. He then relied on high-powered contact lenses and glasses to help him see.
When he got older, Mitchell and his parents decided to explore implant surgery. In October 2018, Mitchell was able to have intraocular lens surgeries that were successful. This type of implant uses a tiny, artificial lens that replaces the eye’s natural lens during cataract surgery. Today, Mitchell sees 20/40 without glasses. If left undiagnosed, Mitchell’s condition could have led to other eye problems such as nystagmus, strabismus and inability to fix a gaze upon objects which can profoundly impact learning abilities and personality.
An in-person, comprehensive eye exam with a doctor of optometry is the medically recognized standard to assure precise and healthy vision, and to identify and treat diseases, such as glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness. In addition, eye exams safeguard overall health by enabling the doctor to detect more than 270 serious health conditions including diabetes, high blood pressure, autoimmune diseases and cancers.
“The number of times that I’ve caught a pituitary tumor or found out that one of my patients probably had a stroke before they knew they had a stroke — it just happens all the time. And an online eye exam misses that,” said Dr. Mathew Jones about the potentially lifesaving benefits of regularly seeing an optometrist.
Dr. Jones builds trust with his patients and prides himself on being connected to the communities he serves in Arkansas. That trust helped him stay connected to long-time patient Don Harris, who after having a debilitating stroke, could no longer walk to the clinic or get to the pharmacy for eye drops to manage his eye pressure condition. Dr. Jones decided to take action and picked Harris up to ensure he attended his appointment.
After considering his unique situation, Dr. Jones recommended a selective laser trabeculoplasty procedure that’s used to lower eye pressure in glaucoma patients. The procedure would only take a few minutes, could permanently relieve the pressure on his eyes and would be covered by insurance. Dr. Jones again drove Harris to the clinic for the procedure, which ultimately was a success.
“We picked him up over the past two years for every appointment he’s ever come to. And that’s not completely uncommon. I guess that’s kind of shocking to a lot of folks, but we’re in such a rural kind of close-knit area that it’s not a far stretch for us to take our patients home or pick them up.” As Dr. Jones summarizes, “That’s just what optometrists do. I’m certainly not alone in that.”
Currently, two-thirds of primary eye care is provided by doctors of optometry. As of February 2018, doctors of optometry practiced in more than 10,176 communities and counties that account for 99% of the U.S. population. Access to quality eye health and vision care by a licensed and clinically trained optometrist is readily available and within reach for the majority of Americans.
Mitchell and Harris’s experiences are just two of millions of stories that demonstrate how essential quality eye care is to maintaining overall health — and can be life-changing. Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent, student, nurse, teacher, delivery driver, someone who spends all day at a computer or outside, it’s critical to see a doctor of optometry in person. Visit AOA’s Doctor Locator at AOA.org to find one near you.
2021-12-15T08:01:00
(BPT) – With health and wellness top of mind for so many people, interest in spas is increasing. A trip to the spa is truly an exercise in self-care. Many spas are evolving their offerings to incorporate treatments focused on healing and rejuvenation to help people look and feel their best.
Whether it’s your first visit or you’re an avid spa-goer, explore the top 2022 trends in spa treatments and indulge in luxurious self-care:
Thalassotherapy
Have you ever noticed how you look and feel better when you spend time by the ocean? The healing powers of the sea are the focus of thalassotherapy, the use of mineral-rich water and moisturizing marine extracts to therapeutically relax the body. Thalassotherapy is commonly incorporated into spa bathing experiences, providing deep relaxation. These baths are wonderfully soothing by themselves, but benefits can be maximized when combined with massage, body scrubs or seaweed wraps.
Hydrotherapy
The healing power of water is the focus of hydrotherapy. Expert therapists strategically use warm and cool water to soothe the body and also invigorate the senses, providing myriad health benefits. A menu of signature hydrotherapy treatments is available at Kohler Waters Spa in Burr Ridge, Illinois, located 20 miles west of downtown Chicago. This newly redesigned spa features the custom Vichy Shower, which for the first time will be suspended from the ceiling, allowing the therapist more flexibility to move around the massage table during treatments.
Chromotherapy
Often referred to as color therapy, chromotherapy is being added to spa treatments to enhance the overall wellness experience. For example, the Kohler Vichy Shower now includes chromotherapy with the introduction of red LED light therapy which improves the skin’s health and aids with cell repair. Chromotherapy is a complementing element of the hydrotherapy shower that can provide a constant shower of warm water in varying sequences that include drenching rain, intense massage and soft silk spray.
Thai massage
If you’re a fan of yoga, you’ll likely be a fan of Thai massage treatments. Originating from Thailand, Thai massage has ancient origins that focus on flowing and rhythmic massage sequences. Acupressure and yoga-like stretching are important parts of these treatments and set them apart from other styles of massage. In addition to deep relaxation and stress relief, Thai massage can also be beneficial for joint and muscle health, helping to increase range of motion and improve agility.
Treatments for men
As more men are realizing the benefits of wellness treatments, spas are now frequented by males of many different ages. To meet this growing demand, spas are developing services to meet their unique needs. From gentlemen’s facials and massages to male-focused treatments for hands and feet, there’s something for everyone. These treatments can be customized based on need and preference, so men can get exactly what they want to feel their best.
2021-12-15T10:07:00
(BPT) – The holiday season is full of fun, festivities and food — and unfortunately, occasional heartburn flareups, too. Overindulgence in over-the-top meals coupled with the stress that can accompany this busy time of year, can lead to uncomfortable heartburn. So, what exactly is heartburn, and how can you keep it at bay so you can enjoy your holidays?
Heartburn can feel like a burning sensation in your chest, but it actually has nothing to do with your heart. It happens when acid flows backward from your stomach into your esophagus, the muscular tube that connects your mouth to your stomach. But what causes it?
“While everyone may have unique heartburn triggers, some are pretty common,” says Dr. Samantha Nazareth*. “It helps if you can identify yours, so you can avoid having heartburn spoil your celebrations.”
Dr. Nazareth shares insights to get you through this holiday season including how to identify common heartburn triggers and tips for feeling more comfortable when confronted with painful heartburn symptoms.
Stress
Stress can be a factor in causing heartburn symptoms, and it may make the feeling of heartburn more noticeable.
To help lower your stress levels, Dr. Nazareth recommends trying stress management tactics that make you feel calmer and more relaxed, such as:
Medications
In addition, certain medications can also cause heartburn. If you are taking any prescription medications, review their list of side effects and talk to your healthcare provider about your symptoms.
Overeating
It’s easy to overdo it during the holidays, when there are so many tasty temptations to choose from. However, eating too much can cause occasional heartburn, especially if you lie down to go to sleep before you’ve had a chance to digest.
Try these strategies to help you avoid discomfort from overeating:
“It also helps to slow down when you eat,” adds Dr. Nazareth. “Signaling that digestion is about to start by chewing slowly gives enough time for your body to do its job.”
You can also relieve any discomfort after a large meal by taking PEPCID® Complete, the number-one doctor-recommended brand in acid relief. It starts to work in seconds, and controls acid all day or all night*, allowing you to enjoy your favorite holiday foods without the interruption of painful heartburn.
“PEPCID® works by lowering acid levels in the stomach. Sometimes we’re in a situation where we cannot control food ingredients (eating out, guests in someone’s home especially during the holidays) and heartburn can be an unexpected outcome,” says Dr. Nazareth.
Specific foods and drinks
If you experience heartburn, it can be helpful to keep a heartburn diary to figure out your specific triggers. Does your heartburn always occur at night, or after you enjoy certain foods or drinks? Common heartburn culprits include:
If you identify a pattern in your heartburn episodes, it may help you feel better if you can cut down on or eliminate those foods/ingredients or beverages that trigger your symptoms.
For those days that occasional heartburn just can’t be avoided, an over-the-counter acid reducer can help. PEPCID® Complete starts to work in seconds and controls acid all day or all night.**
*Dr. Samantha Nazareth is a compensated endorser of PEPCID®
**Based on 9-hour acid control studies during the day and 12-hour acid control studies during the night. Acid control does not imply symptom relief.
2021-12-15T08:59:00
(BPT) – Making New Year’s resolutions is not only a great way to ring in 2022, it’s also the perfect opportunity to spark lasting positive changes in your life. To help you set clear-cut goals and come up with a new action plan, here are some proven methods for getting more out of life in 2022 — including adopting greener lifestyles, learning new hobbies, and taking a more active approach to health and fitness.
Go Green for a More Sustainable Planet.
Make it a Green New Year with environmentally conscious lifestyle changes that help us grow as individuals and make the world a better place to live for everyone.
Start Using Reusables. Embark on your zero-waste journey by committing to reusables. But don’t try and replace all your items at once, because breaking down your ambitious goals into smaller steps is the rule of thumb for turning an action into a habit. Replacing paper and plastic grocery bags with a ‘bag for life’ is as good a place to start as any. Keep a reliable stash of such reusable bags within reach and sight — by the doorstep or in the trunk of your car — so that remembering to take them with you for every shopping trip is a breeze.
Save on Energy. Reducing your household energy usage is the simplest and yet most effective way of reducing your eco footprint — not to mention you’ll be slicing your electricity bills in half. Before you start setting any goals to cut back, take some time to monitor how often you and your family are using household appliances. Why not consider bringing in some help in the form of smart home partners like LG ThinQ? Because with such innovation working by your side you’ll gain access to monthly usage insights on the easy-to-use LG ThinQ app. Once you know which gadgets you’re using most, optimize the energy efficiency of each appliance by activating an energy-saving mode that’s available for the latest household products from providers like LG. With an intelligent solution that takes care of all the bumps and snags in your conservation plan, going green is as easy and cost-effective as it’s ever been.
Take Up a New Hobby.
Not only for the sake of fun and entertainment but an opportunity to learn new skills and feel more fulfilled, try dedicating yourself to a new leisure activity this new year.
Choose Carefully. We’ve all been guilty of taking on something new but then quitting as soon as our enthusiasm begins to fade. To ensure your next hobby isn’t just a one-time thing, take a more deliberative approach: try understanding who you are and what you’re looking for with your next activity. For the creatively inclined, for instance, starting a journal, blog, or even trying your hand at vlogging (video logging) may be perfect for channeling that creative energy. For those looking for something more on the physical side of things, yoga, Pilates or jogging are not only enjoyable and social, they’re also easily accessed and incorporated into everyday life.
Follow Through. Fitting a new hobby into one’s busy schedule may seem daunting. That is why, when starting out, you should set realistic and achievable goals (SMART goals). Taking up cooking? Don’t expect to be as skilled as Gordon Ramsay after just a day, week or month of practice. Avoid difficult gourmet recipes at first; build up your culinary skills by learning to make the simplest dishes — even a meal kit will do. LG’s InstaView® Oven Ranges bring all the joys of cooking to aspiring chefs, minus the puzzling guesswork that’s a real put off. Just scan the Scan-to-Cook meal barcode with the LG ThinQ app, and the recommended settings will be sent over to the connected oven. Once the cooking is done, an alert will be sent to you via the app, with a beautifully prepared dish ready to be enjoyed fresh out of the oven.
Put Your Health First.
This year, with all its unprecedented changes, was a time to redirect our attention to well-being. Follow up on these changes for the better by establishing healthy habits that will benefit you for a lifetime.
Sit Less, Move More. If you haven’t the time or energy for regular exercise, rest assured — even a moderate level of physical activity can benefit your health and, in some cases, turn your life around. Plus, the resolution can be easily tailored to your very own daily routine without an intricate plan-ahead. If you take a ten-minute commute by car every morning, for instance, turn it into a thirty-minute walk.
Prepare Your Own Food. Good nutrition is the foundation of healthy living, and the best way to make sure your meals contain all the daily nutrients and vitamins you need is to cook them yourself. Therefore, make sure you’ve got all the basic, most-used ingredients stocked up in your pantry and refrigerator. But with so much fresh food in your home, you’re going to have to keep stock of them all, especially those perishables. Butter, egg substitutes, fresh and ground meats, and soft cheeses are all key ingredients that must be consumed within their expiration dates. With LG ThinQ compatible refrigerators, smart notifications on those foods closing in on their expiration are sent straight to your phone — just remember to set the expiration dates for your food items, so that the app can monitor accordingly. Now that that’s sorted and all your food is fresh and full of flavor, what’s left for you to do is simply putting together tasty and balanced meals that will do wonders for your tastebuds and your body.
A New Year’s resolution doesn’t always lead to a dramatic transformation in your life. However, it does always signal your drive toward personal development and positive growth. So, best of luck to you and Happy New Year.
2021-12-15T08:01:00
(BPT) – Sponsored by Office Depot
If you’re a small business owner, then you’re well aware that the end of the year is an extremely busy time for customers, employees, vendors and of course, yourself. And while there is much to do to keep business going, it’s critical to schedule some extra time to thoroughly review the past 12 months to evaluate performance, review company resources, and plan for what is needed to start the new year on the right foot.
Here are three steps you can take to help your business thrive in 2022.
1. Look back to take stock
An end of year wrap-up review is ideal for all areas of your business. This can help you learn from successes and missteps before moving forward with new year plans.
2. Where are you now? What’s working and what isn’t?
How are current processes and programming working for your business? Where do you need to adjust? Do you need to implement a technology upgrade, or invest in better organizational tools? Do you need to declutter certain storage areas or workstations? The end of year is an ideal time to purchase business solutions, as you can deduct business expenses on your 2021 tax return for eligible purchases made by December 31.
Essentials to help your business stay more organized and run smoothly include:
With efficiency and speed needed to close out the year strong, consider getting last-minute items your business needs fast from Office Depot. The company recently introduced a “20-Minute Pickup Promise,” offering customers the ability to pick up qualifying online and mobile orders in-store or curbside in just 20 minutes or get $20 off their next qualifying purchase.*
Plus, select Print and Copy Services are available for same-day pickup if the order is placed before 2:00 PM. Same-Day Print Services are excluded from 20-minute pickup.
3. Set smart goals and create action plans with the right tools
Plan concrete, achievable goals for your business for 2022, both short-term (monthly or quarterly) and long-term. Can you break larger goals into smaller steps, so you’ll be able to see measurable progress throughout the year? Involve your staff in brainstorming goals for your business. Consider purchasing organizational tools to help stay on track, like calendars and planners.
Even in the midst of busy times, the time you take to review the past year, modify and set goals for the next 12 months can help to open up new opportunities for a successful future.
*Curbside pickup is available in most stores, subject to state and local regulations. Orders must be placed 1 hour before store closing. If your order is not ready in 20 minutes, you will receive an email, within 48 hours of placing your order, with a coupon for $20 off your next qualifying purchase. Certain exclusions apply. Excludes tax. No cash back. See email for coupon terms and conditions. Office Depot reserves the right to modify or cancel the offer at any time.
2021-12-15T04:01:00
(BPT) – The new year invites us to recognize what’s really important. As many families gather for the first holiday season back together, the value of health takes precedence over the packages under the tree. And as we make our resolutions, health is the one to keep.
And prescription drugs keep Americans healthy and productive. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, about six in 10 adults take at least one prescription drug, and a quarter take four or more.
These medicines are the critical first line of defense to treat chronic illness and stave off more intensive and expensive interventions.
The doctors ordering these prescriptions and the pharmacists filling them recognize that FDA-approved generics and biosimilars are just as safe and effective as their brand-name counterparts.
Just as important, generic and biosimilar prescription medicines are accessible. The annual U.S. Generic & Biosimilars Savings Report finds that generics represent more than 90% of all prescriptions. But these medicines — which are used in the treatment of asthma, anxiety, high blood pressure and much more — account for only 18% of all prescription drug spending.
Throughout the COVID pandemic, generics and biosimilars continued to demonstrate their value, saving patients and the U.S. health care system $338 billion in 2020 alone.
The reason tens of millions of Americans entrust their health to generics is simple. These medicines contain the same active ingredients at the same strength and purity as their brand-name counterparts, but come at a fraction of the cost. Likewise, biosimilars are lower-cost versions of costly biologic medicines and are approved by FDA as highly similar to and with no clinically meaningful differences from an existing FDA-approved reference product. The introduction of oncology biosimilar medicines has cut the growth rate of oncology spending roughly in half since 2019. This reduction in growth, along with continued use of generic cancer medicines, contributed to a total of $18 billion saved on oncology medicines in 2020.
American voters prioritize lowering prescription drug prices and other health care costs above all other issues, and generic utilization is one of the more effective mechanisms to control drug costs. Generics and biosimilars are particularly valuable to Medicare. Nationally, the Medicare program saved $109.6 billion in 2020 by using generics. Total generic drugs savings for Americans over age 65 came to $120 billion.
Nonetheless, many seniors are paying too much for their generics as a result of increasing copays, even when the generic price has declined. Recent analysis by Avalere found that nearly half of all Medicare patients paid the full cost of their generic because the plan-imposed copay was higher than the cost of the medicine.
At the holiday season and all year long, health is a gift, and with more than 92% of generic prescriptions having a final out-of-pocket cost below $20, it’s a gift Americans can afford.
You can download the 2021 U.S. Generic & Biosimilars Savings Report at accessiblemeds.org.
2021-12-15T05:01:00
(BPT) – The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed the work lives of many, especially those working in offices. New challenges and opportunities are arising for both employees and employers in almost every industry. Many workers want to return to the workplace, but they also want to keep the benefits and flexibility of remote work.
But getting a hybrid work environment to function correctly is a complex and difficult task. For leadership beginning to take on this challenge, here are some tips and approaches to consider for hybrid workplace success.
Rethink the open plan
For many years, office environments trended toward a more open plan with individual workstations as well as collaboration areas. But as people return to the office today, these spaces need to shift. Collaboration spaces need to be open and flexible for quick meetings and connections. Meanwhile, individual workstations need more enclosed spaces to accommodate the privacy that people have become accustomed to while working from home.
Connect digital and physical experiences
IT infrastructure and security are a crucial part of getting the hybrid-remote experience right for your employees both today and as configurations continue to evolve. Using a cloud technology, such as JumpCloud, allows your company to maintain order and security across all work environments.
For more strategies for creating a secure, future-proof IT structure, JumpCloud offers a free book for IT professionals and administrators — “IT Necessities for a Distributed World: Building a Modern IT Infrastructure for Hybrid-Remote Work” by experts Ryan Bacon, Kim Crawley and Kate Lake.
Adopt a ‘remote-first’ attitude
In a hybrid work environment, inequalities can quickly creep in. It can be easy for remote workers to feel left out or almost completely ignored. To solve this issue, keep your remote employees top of mind. For example, you might need to schedule more check-in meetings with remote employees since you are not bumping into them throughout the day. And when you plan meetings and events, always be thinking about the remote experience.
Balance focus and collaboration time
As employees shifted to working from home full time, workplaces saw an average drop of 37% collaboration time, according to a 2020 report from Gensler Research Institute. As leaders attempt to re-boost collaboration, it’s important to remember that effective teamwork happens when there is balance in group work and individual focus time. People need time to process their ideas and execute on their assigned tasks. As a solution, talk to your employees about what works for them and be open to a fluctuation in working styles.
Adapt to remote recruiting and onboarding
Recruiting and onboarding practices shifted to virtual during the pandemic and many HR decision-makers believe they continue this approach for its numerous benefits. Companies can now interview candidates from anywhere, which opens a wider pool of talent to pull from. It also provides the opportunity to create a more consistent onboarding experience.
Follow these tips to ensure your organization implements a thriving hybrid work experience. The best policies are well thought out and consider every employee’s needs. To learn more about tools for a hybrid workplace, visit JumpCloud.com.
