Idaho State University

Greater use of pharmacists to treat minor illnesses could potentially save millions of dollars in health care costs, according to new research. The findings also indicate a way to improve healthcare access by expanding availability of pharmacists' clinical services including prescribing medications, amid an ongoing shortage of primary care providers. The study found that care for a range of minor health issues -- including urinary tract infections, shingles, animal bites and headaches -- costs an average of about $278 less when treated in pharmacies compared to patients with similar conditions treated at 'traditional sites' of primary care, urgent care or emergency room settings. Follow-ups with pharmacy patients showed that almost all their illnesses had resolved after the initial visit with a pharmacist. Notably, if all of the illnesses in the three-year study that were treated at a traditional site of care had been treated by community pharmacists, it would have saved an estimated $23 million in health care expenses. Greater use of pharmacists to treat minor illnesses could potentially save millions of dollars in health care costs, according to new research led by Washington State University. The findings also indicate a way to improve healthcare access by expanding availability of pharmacists' clinical services including prescribing medications, amid an ongoing shortage of primary care providers. The study found that care for a range of minor health issues -- including urinary tract infections, shingles, animal bites and headaches -- costs an average of about $278 less when treated in pharmacies compared to patients with similar conditions treated at "traditional sites" of primary care, urgent care or emergency room settings. Follow-ups with pharmacy patients showed that almost all their illnesses had resolved after the initial visit with a pharmacist. Notably, if all of the illnesses in the three-year study that were treated at a traditional site of care had been treated by community pharmacists, it would have saved an estimated $23 million in health care expenses. "The findings show that pharmacists, especially in the outpatient community setting, are a viable solution to part of our patient access to care problem in our state and country," said lead author Julie Akers, a WSU pharmacy researcher. "Pharmacists are trained and qualified to do this work, and unfortunately in many settings, highly underutilized. And they could have a huge impact on how fast patients access care, which can minimize the complexity and the progression of their condition." For this study, published in the journal ClinicoEconomics and Outcomes Research, Akers' research team analyzed data of nearly 500 patients who received care from 175 pharmacists at 46 pharmacies across the state of Washington from 2016 to 2019. The team also followed up with the patients 30 days after their pharmacy visits to assess treatment effectiveness. They then compared these cases with insurance data of patients from the same time period with conditions of the same type and level who had sought care at a doctor's office, urgent care facility or emergency room. The researchers found that for almost every minor illness in the study, pharmacy care was not only effective but cost much less, sometimes dramatically so. For instance, the study found that for an uncomplicated case of urinary tract infection, normally treated with antibiotics, a first visit to an emergency room cost on average $963, a primary care physician's office, $121 -- at the pharmacy, the average was $30. The study was conducted by a team of pharmacy researchers in coordination with an advisory board of physicians. The findings highlight the advantages of expanding the physician-pharmacist collaboration that allows some pharmacists to directly prescribe medications. Washington state was the first in the nation to enact the "prescribing authority" in 1979 which enables a licensed prescriber such as a physician to delegate a pharmacist to prescribe and administer certain drugs. As part of their education, pharmacists are trained in clinical evaluation of common illnesses, and as Akers pointed out, they already regularly make recommendations for conditions that can be treated with over-the-counter medications. The prescribing authority allows them to take their current practice to the next level if over-the-counter medicines are not enough. Pharmacists also often refer patients to different providers for conditions that are complex, need further testing or cannot be resolved through medication alone. For less serious conditions, this study shows that pharmacists with prescribing authority can help fill a gap in care, especially in rural areas or at times of the day when there are few options available, Akers said. "We've seen over time, more and more patients struggle to get access to care," she said. "Over the past couple of decades, we've seen inappropriate use of urgent cares and emergency departments for things that really didn't need go to that level of service." There is more work to do to be able to expand this treatment at pharmacies, Akers added. This includes creating greater public awareness, so people expect this type of service at pharmacies as they now do with vaccinations. Pharmacies also need to address the financial sustainability of providing these expanded patient care services, and Akers hopes the team's next project will involve helping pharmacies transition to medical billing, which could greatly increase access to care for patients without the ability to pay out of pocket for care. The current study was supported by a grant from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation. Additional co-authors include Jennifer Miller, Linda MacLean, Bidisha Mandal and Clark Hogan of WSU as well as Brandy Seignemartin of Idaho State University.

HEAR Program Is a Collaboration of ASHA, Bright by Text, and HATCH Lab ROCKVILLE, Md., May 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A new text messaging program announced today by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), Bright by Text, and the Helping Adults Talk to Children (HATCH) Lab at Idaho State University will put trusted information into the hands of families with children who have—or may have—hearing loss. Continue Reading In the United States, 3 out of every 1,000 babies are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears. More than 90% of deaf children are born to parents who hear, which can make the news of a hearing loss very unexpected. It is critical that all families with a child who is deaf or hard of hearing have access to clear, accurate information that explains the communication options for their child and how they can best support their child's development. A hearing loss diagnosis can be scary, overwhelming, and isolating for parents of infants and toddlers. Post this "A hearing loss diagnosis can be scary, overwhelming, and isolating for parents of infants and toddlers—particularly if hearing loss doesn't run in the family," said Tena McNamara, AuD, CCC-A/SLP, 2024 ASHA President. "But there are ways to mitigate that. Through this new program, we hope to empower parents with information; connect them to professionals and peers for services and support; and help them to feel confident about the future for their child and family." "We are so proud to partner with ASHA and HATCH Lab on this new program," said Jodie Fishman, MPH, Chief Content Officer for Bright by Text. "Our goal is to give all children the brightest possible start, and with these messages, we aim to help families feel more secure in their choices and better prepared to raise a child with hearing challenges." Hearing Loss in Young Children Hearing loss in children can result from a variety of causes, including genetics, infections during pregnancy, or atypical ear anatomy. It can range in degree from mild to profound—and can occur in one ear or both. Nearly all children in the United States receive a newborn hearing screening at birth. However, not all children who do not pass their newborn hearing screening get the needed follow-up testing and/or services. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 1 in 4 of these infants are missed due to "loss to follow-up," when an infant needs a recommended service but does not receive it, or "loss to documentation," when an infant receives services but the information is not reported to the state. Moreover, some children aren't born with hearing loss but acquire it months or years later—from infections or illnesses, exposure to loud noise, or other causes. Consequently, it is important for families to be attuned to the signs of hearing loss at all ages, even if a child passed their newborn hearing screen. Left unaddressed in infants and toddlers, hearing loss (even a mild hearing loss) can lead to delays in speech, language, and cognitive development. From birth to age 3, brain and communication development are fostered by exposure to language, including spoken and signed languages. If a child has an unknown or unaddressed hearing loss, they may miss out on some to all of that language during a critical period of development. Studies have shown that children identified at birth with hearing loss who begin receiving early intervention services before they are 6 months of age often develop language (spoken or signed) on par with peers who have typical hearing. HEAR Program Bright by Text delivers actionable information from trusted early childhood experts to more than 250,000 parents and caregivers of children, prenatally through age 8, across the United States. Bright by Text's free text messages, tailored to a child's exact age and the family's zip code, are proven to build nurturing caregiver–child relationships, strengthen families, promote a child's healthy development, and improve school readiness. The HEAR program is a specialty track within Bright by Text's larger network, specifically designed for families of children ages birth to 3 years with suspected or confirmed hearing loss. Messages are a mix of information and encouragement, delivered once per week for 6 months. The program is available in English and Spanish. "The HEAR program is special because these messages were co-created by clinical experts—representing audiology, speech-language pathology, and pediatrics—and families who have 'been there,'" noted Kristina Blaiser, PhD, CCC-SLP, Director of the HATCH Lab. "I believe families will find the messages tremendously valuable." To subscribe to the HEAR program, text HEAR to 274-448. Media Contact: Francine Pierson 301-296-8715 [email protected] SOURCE American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

SYDNEY, June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarity Pharmaceuticals (ASX: CU6) ("Clarity"), a clinical-stage radiopharmaceutical company with a mission to develop next-generation products that improve treatment outcomes for children and adults with cancer, is pleased to announce the establishment of a Center of Excellence at the Idaho Accelerator Center (IAC), a research facility operated by Idaho State University (ISU), for Targeted Copper Theranostics (TCTs). The IAC is a unique research facility operated by ISU located in southeast Idaho, US. It is the result of the Nuclear Science Application Project, providing opportunities for scientists and engineers from the University, the private sector and the national laboratories to utilise specialised nuclear facilities. Clarity is establishing the Center of Excellence at the IAC to advance research and development (R&D) of TCTs close to a source of copper-67 (Cu-67 or 67Cu) production. This investment will enable Clarity to efficiently execute several strategically important projects, support commercial readiness of products currently in clinical development and enable the expansion of TCTs as a platform uniquely positioned to take the radiopharmaceutical sector into large global markets. Clarity's Executive Chairman, Dr Alan Taylor, commented, "Clarity was founded upon strong academic research and collaboration, which has led us to becoming the global leader in TCTs and the use of the perfect pairing of copper isotopes for imaging and treatment of cancer. As we bring to market our best-in-class products, it is crucial that we maintain our competitive advantage through continual investment in R&D. The IAC's in-house production of copper-67, combined with a team of world class researchers at ISU, made the decision of establishing a Center of Excellence here a logical next step for both organisations to benefit from academic-industry collaboration. The success of Clarity to date in bringing copper-67 based therapies to patients is in no small part due to the hard work of Jon Stoner and his team at IAC and we look forward to advancing this partnership with the ultimate goal of improving treatment outcomes for children and adults with cancer." Martin Blair, Vice President for Research at ISU, commented, "We are excited to further grow our relationship with Clarity as we innovate and expand the field of nuclear medicine and theranostics together. While theranostics were born out of academic institutions and translated into the clinic, it is important to continue advancing R&D along the way as the breadth and depth of the field expands. ISU is ideally positioned to fill this gap given its unique combination of research, technology, equipment, academic potential and know-how in the space. We look forward to bringing these opportunities to ISU and to providing new and exciting career paths into the field of theranostic radiopharmaceuticals for our graduates. Our long-term collaboration with Clarity is already changing the field of theranostics, and we are excited to further explore the potential of TCTs and the important benefits it could bring to patients with cancer." Jon Stoner, Director of the IAC, commented, "It has been a pleasure to work with Clarity over the last 7 years and see copper-67 based therapeutics make their way to many patients in need. The timing for bringing TCTs to market is now as the radiopharmaceutical sector is facing enormous manufacturing and supply issues, especially the threats of isotope shortages through the reliance on a small number of ageing reactors and the use of rare earth elements to make isotopes. We are excited to be working with a truly scalable therapeutic isotope like copper-67 that allows for modular global growth through affordable electron accelerators instead of nuclear reactors, uses a widely available element, zinc, as a starting material, and can be mass produced in an environmentally sustainable fashion. I look forward to continuing to play my part in this new sector of cancer therapies at such an important time." About Clarity Pharmaceuticals Clarity is a clinical stage radiopharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious disease. The Company is a leader in innovative radiopharmaceuticals, developing targeted copper theranostics based on its SAR Technology Platform for the treatment of cancer in children and adults. About IAC and ISU The IAC was established in 1994 as an Idaho State University-based research facility that provides opportunities for scientists and engineers from the University, the private sector and the national laboratories to investigate nuclear physics applications in materials science, biology, homeland and national security. Research scientists conduct active research in isotope development, imaging and computed tomography, photon activation analysis, beam physics, and basic nuclear measurements and applications. As part of Idaho State University, a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution, the IAC supports the university's designation as Idaho's leader for healthcare training, including pharmacists through the L.S. Skaggs College of Pharmacy. For more information, please contact: This announcement has been authorised for release by the Executive Chairman. SOURCE Clarity Pharmaceuticals