Substance use disorders and disparities in hispanic and non-hispanic older adults.

Background: The global longevity revolution increased the older adult population, posing unique health and economic challenges with implications for healthcare, especially substance use disorders (SUD).

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of United States older adults, Hispanic and non-Hispanic, who got at least one mental and/or behavioral disorder diagnosis between 2017 and 2021 at age 65 or older. SUD prevalence, prescription frequency changes over time, and comorbidities associated with each medication were compared.

Physicochemical Evaluation of Compounded Oral Preparations for Respiratory Illnesses, also known as Mezclitas.

Objective: Compounded oral solutions for respiratory illnesses such as the common cold and cough are commonly prepared and dispensed by licensed pharmacists in the United States and Puerto Rico (PR). Standard protocols for their preparation and quality assessment and for patient counseling are available for most of the prescribed compounded solutions. However, in PR there is a common prescription approach colloquially referred to as "mezclitas": mixtures of antitussives, expectorants, decongestants, and other active ingredients available in commercial solutions for which there are no science-driven compounding guidelines for local pharmacists.