Journal of general internal medicine
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Given the reduced immune response to vaccines in older populations, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccinations and its impact on breakthrough infection, hospital admission, and mortality in the elderly. ⋯ Our pooled results showed that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines administered to the elderly is effective in preventing prevent breakthrough infection, hospitalization, severity, and death. What's more, increasing number of vaccine doses is becoming increasingly effective.
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Prescription opioids were a major initial driver of the opioid crisis. States have attempted to reduce overprescribing by enacting policies that limit opioid prescriptions, but the impacts of such policies on new prescribing and subsequent transitions to long-term use are not fully understood. ⋯ The New Jersey policy was associated with a reduction in initial prescriptions with >5 days' supply, but not with an overall decline in new opioid prescriptions or in the rate at which initial prescriptions led to long-term use. Given their only modest benefits, policymakers and clinicians should carefully weigh potential unintended consequences of strict prescribing limits.
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Observational Study
Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Versus Urban Veterans Health Administration Facilities.
For patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), medications for OUD (MOUD) reduce morbidity, mortality, and return to use. Nevertheless, a minority of patients receive MOUD, and underutilization is pronounced among rural patients. ⋯ Strategies utilized by VHA could inform other health care systems seeking to ensure that, regardless of geographic location, all patients are able to access MOUD.