Clinical News

FDA has approved generic versions of clopidogrel tablets USP (Plavix, Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb), 75 mg and 300 mg.

Warfarin fared no better than aspirin at reducing the combined risk of brain hemorrhage, stroke, or death for heart-failure patients in normal rhythm, according to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Patients with schizophrenia who switched from haloperidol decanoate or fluphenazine decanoate to risperidone microspheres discontinued their treatment more frequently, according to a new study published in the March issue of the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

A unique study designed to gauge the impacts of polypharmacy on schizophrenia mortality produced some surprising results: The use of antidepressants or 2 or more antipsychotics was not associated with increased deaths, but the use of benzodiazepine was.

Researchers from the University of Washington have identified a threshold concentration of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25-(OH)D] that is associated with increased risk for major medical events and they say that season-specific targets may be more appropriate than static targets when evaluating health risk.

There are many forces in play that can and should "converge to support better medication management and improved adherence," according to Tom Hubbard of the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), but coordination and leadership will be crucial.

FDA approves Ivacaftor and Exenatide extended-release injection.

Part 2 of this article discusses assistive devices that help impaired diabetes patients self-administer medication.

New CAD/ACS antiplatelet agents a mixed bag.

The readmission rate for congestive heart failure patients was reduced by more than 50% after Morris Hospital in Morris, Ill., implemented a pilot medication reconciliation program.

Bariatric surgery plus medical therapy may be a useful strategy for managing uncontrolled diabetes, according to the results of a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis were at twice the risk of infection compared with children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to a study published May 1 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.

Phthalate metabolites, chemicals commonly used in plastics, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals, were linked to an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes in the elderly, a recent study found.

The supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids has no benefit in treating multiple sclerosis, according to a clinical trial that appeared in the JAMA's Archives of Neurology. However, researchers acknowledged the randomized controlled trial was underpowered.

A set of 11 evidence-based recommendations for managing pain with pharmacotherapy in patients suffering inflammatory arthritis were reported by an international panel online March 24 in Rheumatology.

Current use of warfarin as a stroke prevention therapy in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation is associated with a lower rate of residual stroke or systemic embolism compared with previous data, according to a recent study.

Teenagers with high levels of uric acid have an increased risk for high blood pressure, according to a new study published in the April 2012 issue of the journal Hypertension.

Doctors debate whether men with elevated cholesterol who are otherwise healthy should still take statins, in a new series in JAMA, Dueling Viewpoints.

Twice-daily dabigatran etexilate mesylate (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingleheim) was shown to be associated with lower rates of fatal and traumatic intracranial hemorrhage compared with warfarin, according to a retrospective subanalysis published online, April 5, in Stroke, the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Novartis has agreed with FDA to update US prescribing information on fingolimod (Gilenya) to include updated patient selection parameters based on certain cardiovascular considerations to aid in the identification of candidates for Gilenya.

Guidelines for managing elevated blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, developed jointly by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), are being published concurrently in the ADA?s journal, April 19 online edition of Diabetes Care and in EASD?s journal, Diabetologia.

Fibromyalgia patients taking pregabalin had significant improvements in sleep and decreased daily pain, according to a new study published in the April 2012 issue of Arthritis Care & Research.

FDA has approved insulin detemir [rDNA origin] injection (Levemir, Novo Nordisk) pregnancy Category B classification, indicating that when used in pregnant women with diabetes, the injection did not increase the risk of harm to the unborn baby.

Patients using periprocedural dabigatran had a significantly higher major bleeding rate than those using warfarin, according to a study published online first February 1, 2012, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The new guidelines are based on data from 2 trials that focused specifically on treating elderly patients for hypertension, which hadn't been done before.

Prescribing errors in primary care offices were significantly reduced with pharmacist intervention, according to a recent study.

The safety of dabigatran is being called into question again. Concern has arisen about an increased risk of myocardial infarction in patients who are treated with the drug.

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea now accounts for about 14,000 deaths per year in the United States. CDC is calling on hospitals to exercise better antibiotic stewardship to help stem the tide.

Chalk up a first for hospital pharmacists in Kansas. Video conferencing was used to supervise a pharmacy tech working in a hospital 200 miles across the state.

An effective CPOE system needs clinical decision support to help prescribers, pharmacists, nurses, and others use the system effectively.