Authors


Valerie DeBenedette

Latest:

FDA Finalizes Guidance on Interchangeability for Biologics

Biosimilar guidance provides “clarity” for drug developers.


Susan J. Bliss, RPh, MBA

Latest:

Eye on ethics: Whose prescription is it anyway?

Pharmacists must observe HIPAA regulations and also have a clear duty to warn patients.


Walter Alexander, PhD

Latest:

New data support combo therapy at outset of hypertension treatment

New studies support the use of fixed dose antihypertensive combination therapy at the outset of hypertension treatment.




Bob Spera, RPh

Latest:

How long is the wait?

Okay, pharmacists. All together now. What's the one question you hear all day long?


Paul Wynn

Latest:

Adherence program improves health of elderly

Pharmacists at one of the nation's largest military medical centers found that elderly patients are likelier to comply with drug regimens following a program of patient education, pharmacy counseling, and specially packaged drug blisterpacks. Jeannie Lee, Pharm.D., and Karen Grace, Pharm.D., clinical pharmacists at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, led the research. "The Federal Study of Adherence to Medications in the Elderly" (FAME) was published in the Dec. 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.


Tina Stacy, PharmD, BCOP

Latest:

Clinical advancements in treating breast cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women, second only to lung cancer, and the most common malignancy diagnosed in women. The American Cancer Society (ACS) estimates approximately 215,990 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. It is estimated that 40,110 women will die from breast cancer in the United States this year alone.


David Frabotta

Latest:

FDA Approves New COPD Maintenance Treatment

DUAKLIR PRESSAIR (aclidinium bromide and formoterol fumarate) provides LAMA/LABA therapy.


Robert S. Jenco

Latest:

Are transdermal patches the way of the future?

This past April, methylphenidate (Daytrana, Shire) was approved as a transdermal drug delivery system (TD-DDS) for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. And many more patches are on the horizon. Novartis is seeking Food & Drug Administration approval for its rivastigmine (Exelon) patch to aid in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Researchers in the United Kingdom are working on a TD-DDS to deliver synthetic cannabinoids for use as antiemetics and appetite stimulants in patients with AIDS and cancer.


Tina Zerilli, PharmD

Latest:

Clinical Q & A: What's the latest in vaccine therapy

The focus of medicine lies not only in searching for viable treatments and cures for existing ailments but also in the prevention of disease. Vaccination induces immunity after an antigen is introduced to the body. This antigen usually consists of a live attenuated organism, an inactivated organism, a toxoid, or parts of an organism (acellular and subunit). The antigen is incapable of resulting in the full-blown manifestation of the disease, but it is potent enough to generate the formation of antibodies to protect against future illness. Traditionally, vaccination has been used to combat the spread of infectious diseases, such as cholera, rabies, polio, measles, and hepatitis. And this is still the case.


Maria Czarina Agojo, PharmD Candidate

Latest:

Clinical Q & A: What's the latest in vaccine therapy

The focus of medicine lies not only in searching for viable treatments and cures for existing ailments but also in the prevention of disease. Vaccination induces immunity after an antigen is introduced to the body. This antigen usually consists of a live attenuated organism, an inactivated organism, a toxoid, or parts of an organism (acellular and subunit). The antigen is incapable of resulting in the full-blown manifestation of the disease, but it is potent enough to generate the formation of antibodies to protect against future illness. Traditionally, vaccination has been used to combat the spread of infectious diseases, such as cholera, rabies, polio, measles, and hepatitis. And this is still the case.


Roger W. Anderson, Dr, PH

Latest:

Viewpoint: Many drug errors can be prevented

Medication safety has always been an important issue, but the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) recent report showing that preventable medication errors injure at least 1.5 million Americans annually illustrates the seriousness of this predicament. The authors of the IOM report, Preventing Medication Errors: The Quality Chasm Series, even acknowledge that this is likely a conservative assessment of drug safety gaps. The report noted that each year 530,000 preventable adverse drug events-injuries due to medication-affect outpatient Medicare patients, 380,000 to 450,000 occur in hospitals, and another 800,000 in long-term care facilities.


Carol Holquist, RPh, USPHS

Latest:

FDA Safety Page: Helping patients understand OTC labeling

The FDA recommends that you counsel patients on the importance of reading product labels carefully to determine the active ingredients and dosing instructions of each product and to discourage them from making assumptions about use based on product names or appearance. The use of similar trade names (so-called "brand-name families") is common practice for OTC products. The products with the trade names "Sudafed" and "Sudafed PE" illustrate specific concerns.



Daniel Breeman

Latest:

What the crystal ball holds: Experts give their take

Q Will there be a pharmacy shortage 25 years from now? How will the role of the pharmacist change?


Howard Mirsky, PharmB

Latest:

FDA's standstill on N-9 endangering women's lives

This hasn't been a banner year for the Food & Drug Administration as guardian of our health and safety, for a storm of controversy has been following the agency like the black cloud that hovered over the head of cartoon character Mr. Mxyzptlk.



Fred Gebhart

Latest:

How to Manage Medication Risks

Managing the overall risk of medication therapy is more effective than simply managing drug-drug interactions.


Christine Blank

Latest:

Antibiotics Linked to Higher IBD Risk in Older Adults

Seniors prescribed multiple courses of antibiotics were at greater risk for IBD.


James Rawlings, RPh

Latest:

C’mon, folks, give them the chair!

Popular contributor "Goose" Rawlings offers a simple solution to a universal problem.


Julia Talsma, Content Channel Director

Latest:

ASHP offers quality improvement strategies in new resource center

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) is providing quality improvement strategies for pharmacy practice settings across the continuum of care.


Julianne Stein, Content Channel Manager

Latest:

Milenkovich joins Roetzel & Andress

Drug Topics’ legal compliance columnist named partner in Roetzel's Chicago office and head of the firm’s Drug and Pharmacy practice.


Miranda Hester

Latest:

Looking to the Future of Independent Pharmacy

Don Arthur, RPh, discusses what lays ahead in independent pharmacy, from clinical care to success stories.


Mark Lowery, Editor

Latest:

Sandoz to offer generic Solaraze

Sandoz has announced the U.S. launch of an authorized generic version of PharmaDerm’s Solaraze Gel (diclofenac 3% gel), which generated $92 million in 2012.


Kevin W. Chamberlin, PharmD

Latest:

FDA Approves Voquezna for Helicobacter pylori Infection in Adults

This new treatment option copackages 3 drugs for optimal treatment.


Donna Marbury

Latest:

Six Healthcare Technologies Coming in the Next Five Years

Healthcare execs need to lay the cultural foundation today for upcoming technology changes



Tracey Walker, Contributing Editor

Latest:

FDA lifts some restrictions on diabetes drug Avandia

Reevaluation of RECORD trial data fails to uncover elevated cardiovascular risk.


Larry LaBenne, PharmD, CDE

Latest:

Teachable moments: Take your best shot

When it comes to knowledge of medications and their actions, pharmacists have it way over most physicians. For the sake of the patient, you have to speak up, whether the doc likes it or not.

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