July 13 Week in Review: Medical Center Seeks to Improve Nurses' Nutrition

This weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, medical product approvals, FDA rulings, and more. The Week in Review highlights aContemporary Clinicarticle each week, and is a can't miss for the busy healthcare professional.

Nicole Grassano, Host:Hello and welcome to the Pharmacy Times News Network. I’m Nicole Grassano your host for our Pharmacy Week in Review.

In a recent study published inJAMA Internal Medicine, researchers from the National Cancer Institute examined the associations of coffee drinking with mortality,Pharmacy Timesreported. The UK Biobank population-based study took place in Britain and invited about 9.2 million individuals from across the United Kingdom to participate. More than 500,000 patients with an average age of 57 years participated in the coffee-drinking study, and baseline demographics, lifestyle, and genetic polymorphisms were analyzed over a 10-year period. The study found that coffee drinking was associated with a decreased risk of mortality compared with non-coffee drinkers, even in participants consuming at least 8 cups a day and those with genetic polymorphisms. Additionally, these effects were consistent among all coffee types, including decaffeinated coffee. This is an observational study, and a correlation was found, but further research is necessary.

A pilot program that seeks to improve the eating habits of nurses is under way at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC Health),Contemporary Clinicreported. The 60-day nutrition initiative offers MUSC Health staff members a new way to increase their daily fruit and vegetable consumption. The health of the average nurse is worse than that of the average person living in the United States, according to the American Nurses Association (ANA). Despite having vast knowledge about wellness, nurses’ diets tend to be 30% less nutritious.

In the phase 3 PALOMA-3 trial, Pfizer’s palbociclib (Ibrance) narrowly missed reaching its secondary endpoint of overall survival, according to a press release,Specialty Pharmacy Timesreported. The PALOMA-3 trial evaluated palbociclib in combination with fulvestrant in women with hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer whose disease has progressed after prior endocrine therapy. Palbociclib in combination with endocrine therapy is a standard of care for that type of metastatic breast cancer. Palbociclib is approved for use in combination with fulvestrant based on results from the primary endpoint of progression-free survival. In the trial, palbociclib plus fulvestrant demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in PFS compared with placebo plus fulvestrant.

Pharmacists may get more questions about Aleve if their patients have seen a new commercial for the OTC pain relief medication. In the spot, called “Jean Has Work to Do,” though she woke up with knee pain, Jean can still build a rocking chair for her daughter and new granddaughter after taking Aleve, which can stop pain for 12 hours with just 1 pill, whereas other pain relievers require taking more pills. Aleve was the recommended brand for oral arthritis pain relief, according toPharmacy Times’ 2018OTC Guide.

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