Clinical News

A recent study challenges the conventional assumption about how Clostridium difficile infection spreads in hospitals, finding that almost three-quarters of the new cases aren?t transmitted by patients in the same ward.

There are no beneficial effects of supplementation with relatively low doses of B vitamins and/or omega-3 fatty acids on cancer outcomes in individuals with prior cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online February 13 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

No significant difference was found in treating patients experiencing clinically diagnosed uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis with antibiotic amoxicillin compared with patients who received placebo, according to a study in the February 15 issue of JAMA.

FDA announced a series of steps to increase the supply of critically needed cancer drugs, including temporarily allowing 2 drugs to be imported. The moves are building on President Barack Obama?s executive order to help prevent future drug shortages, FDA said.

FDA has approved the first medication therapy, mifepristone (Korlym, Corcept Therapeutics), for endrogenous Cushing?s syndrome, a condition that, left untreated, has a mortality rate of 50 percent after 5 years.

The Drug Enforcement Administration will hold 2 one-day regional conferences in West Palm Beach, Fla., next month in an effort to assist pharmacy personnel in identifying and responding to potential diversion activity.

California has become the first state to regulate dextromethorphan (DXM), an antitussive in Benylin, Pertussin, Robitussin, and dozens of other over-the-counter cough and cold products. A state law that went into effect Jan. 1 prohibits sales of products containing DXM to anyone under the age of 18 without a prescription.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) has formally joined 5 other national health professions to create the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC), a new national organization that will focus on improved integration and coordination of the education of pharmacists and other healthcare workers to provide more collaborative care.

What’s different on your local drug-store counters this month? You can try 2 new flavors of organic tooth powders. There’s a prenatal vitamin designed to optimize DHA levels in mother’s milk. You’ll find a cocktail of natural oils for spot relief of pain or dry skin. A new hand and body lotion promotes healthy blood flow. A multivitamin has been created to improve your vision. Five organic lip and body balms now come in easy-to-carry containers. And there are even more new over-the-counter items featured in the print edition of Drug Topics.

Community pharmacists are encouraged to express their views to lawmakers at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ 4th annual RxIMPACT Day in Washington, D.C., in March.

Retail pharmacy groups are urging Congress to reject budget proposals that would limit pharmacy choice for TRICARE beneficiaries.

A whopping 82% of 600 Georgia voters surveyed said they oppose mandatory mail-order plans.

Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) also were more likely to have had open-angle glaucoma than those without ED, according to a study published in the February 12 online issue of Opthalmology.

Uncontrolled diabetes may result in hearing loss in women much like it affects vision or kidney function, according to the results of a new study.

Some cancer patients may not get proper treatment because a counterfeit version of the drug sold as Avastin 400mg/16mi has been purchased by as many as 19 medical practices in the United States, FDA warned Wednesday.

A recent study indicates that 95% of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation received prescriptions for anticoagulants in 2010 if they were treated at hospitals participating in the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program.

FDA has approved an intravitreal injection to treat patients with wet AMD and zolpidem to treat insomnia.

FDA has approved tafluprost ophthalmic solution (Zioptan, Merck) 0.0015%, the first preservative-free prostaglandin analog ophthalmic solution for reducing elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

FDA has granted priority review to crofelemer 125-mg tablets (Salix Pharmaceuticals) for the control and symptomatic relief of diarrhea in patients with HIV/AIDS on anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

FDA approved sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride (HCl) extended-release (Janumet XR, Merck) tablets, a new treatment for type 2 diabetes that combines sitagliptin, which is the active component of Januvia (sitagliptin), with extended-release metformin.

FDA approved ivacaftor (Kalydeco, Vertex Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of a rare form of cystic fibrosis in patients aged 6 years and older who have the specific G551D mutation in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator gene.

Zanamivir and oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Roche) can help prevent and treat the symptoms of influenza, but there is not enough information to evaluate the drugs’ safety and efficacy for preventing the spread of flu or pneumonia, according to a new review published online January 18.

Indian drug giant Ranbaxy has accepted a consent decree filed by the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of FDA. The decree, which must still be accepted by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, requires Ranbaxy to fix long-standing manufacturing problems at plants in India as well as a plant in the United States.

Aspirin prophylaxis in people without prior cardiovascular disease does not appear to reduce cardiovascular death or cancer mortality, however it was associated with reductions in nonfatal myocardial infarction, according to the results of a meta-analysis published online January 9 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Welcome to the latest public health emergency: Shortages of anti-infective agents. These shortages can adversely affect clinical care and patient outcomes, according to a new study.

The Endocrine Society recently released new clinical-practice guidelines recommending that all patients have their blood-glucose levels tested upon admission to the hospital, even if they haven’t had a prior diagnosis of diabetes.

Approximately 1 in 100 patients undergoing total or partial knee replacement surgery and 1 in 200 patients undergoing total or partial hip replacement surgery will experience a venous thromboembolism event, including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, before being discharged from the hospital, according to a study reported January 18 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

William Edward Evans, PharmD, director and CEO at St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has been selected to receive pharmacy’s highest award, the Remington Honor Medal, the American Pharmacists Association announced.

Welcome to the latest public health emergency: Shortages of anti-infective agents. These shortages can adversely affect clinical care and patient outcomes according to a new study.

FDA approved the first generic version of the cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin calcium tablets).