FDA Updates

Traditional over-the-counter and health and beauty care items as we know them are going the way of the automat. Here's a look at some of the unique items that are taking their place

Picture this. A man walks into a pharmacy to buy condoms. He hopes he can quickly whisk them from the shelf and pay for them without attracting attention. But ... they are locked up in a case along with the razor blade cartridge replacements. A note on the cabinet states, "Please ask attendant for assistance for items in this case."

Cyanokit (hydroxocobalamin for injection), for intravenous infusion, has been FDA-approved for the treatment of known or suspected cyanide poisoning. The product is manufactured by EMD Pharmaceuticals, Durham, N.C., (919) 401-7100.

It is that time of the year when consumers flock to their local drugstores seeking the "long-trusted" remedies for the common cold and its associated symptoms-particularly cough. In response, pharmacists will be called upon to make therapy recommendations that suit the needs of each individual patient.

Congress just passed and President Bush signed the Dietary Supplement and Nonprescription Drug Consumer Protection Act (S. 3546), also known as the Adverse Event Reports (AER) bill. The legislation will amend the federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act to require manufacturers to report "serious" adverse events for OTC drugs and dietary supplements to the Food & Drug Administration. The law becomes effective one year after its passage on Dec. 26.

Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, N.J., (862) 778-8300, has received tentative approval for a new treatment option for patients with high blood pressure, although not for initial therapy. Exforge (valsartan and amlodipine besylate) will provide combination therapy in a single tablet made up of Novartis' Diovan and Pfizer's Norvasc.

Retailers may want to make room for a variety of OTCs that feature unique formulations. Here's a preview of the over-the-counter items manufacturers are releasing:

Verdeso (desonide) Foam, 0.05%, has been FDA-approved for the treatment of mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (eczema) in adults and children as young as three months of age. The low-potency topical steroid is the product of Connetics Corp., Palo Alto, Calif., (650) 843-2800.

The Transportation Security Administration's recently revised ban on certain health and beauty care and over-the-counter items has baffled, frustrated, and inconvenienced many air travelers. But not Jodi Nass.

Manufacturers are busy churning out a slew of over-the-counter and health and beauty care items infused with flavors, botanicals, nutraceuticals, and other natural ingredients.

An expert panel convened by the Alzheimer?s Drug Discovery Foundation recently released consensus recommendations on the treatment of Alzheimer?s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in managed care. The guidelines were published as a supplement to the American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy.

New product newswire

An expert panel convened by the Alzheimer?s Drug Discovery Foundation recently released consensus recommendations on the treatment of Alzheimer?s disease and related dementias (ADRD) in managed care. The guidelines were published as a supplement to the American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy.

In time for the upcoming 2006-07 flu season, a new influenza immunization is available from GlaxoSmithKline. FluLaval (Influenza Virus Vaccine) has been approved for the active immunization of adults 18 years of age and older against influenza types A and B. FluLaval, already marketed in Canada under the name Fluviral, will be available in 10-dose multi-dose vials.

Manufacturers are churning out yet another barrage of OTCs. Here's a peek.

Cephalon Inc., Frazer, Pa., (610) 344-0200, has approval from the FDA to market Fentora (fentanyl buccal tablet) C-II. The opioid agonist, available in strengths of 100, 200, 400, 600, and 800 mcg, is indicated for the management of breakthrough pain in cancer patients who are already receiving and who are tolerant to opioid therapy for underlying, persistent cancer pain. Cephalon's OraVescent drug delivery system allows much of the medication to be absorbed directly across the lining of the upper cheek and into the bloodstream.

Make room for yet another deluge of over-the-counter products. Here's a glimpse.

As the pharmacy community complies with the Drug Enforcement Administration's interim final rule on retail sales of pseudoephedrine-related products, pharmacy and retail associations are preparing to send their comments to the agency outlining their members' concerns.

Squeezed by low and slow reimbursement from Medicare Part D, independent pharmacists have certainly taken their lumps this past year. But they still managed to eke out some victories, according to leaders of the National Community Pharmacists Association, which held its annual meeting in Las Vegas last month.

Glumetza (metformin hydrochloride extended-release tablet) is now available from King Pharmaceuticals, Bristol, Tenn., (423) 989-2000, and Depomed Inc., Menlo Park, Calif., (650) 462-5900. It offers once-daily oral dosing for adults with Type 2 diabetes. The tablets, manufactured by King, utilize Depomed's AcuForm drug delivery technology to provide controlled and prolonged release of metformin. The drug is indicated for use alone or in combination with sulfonylurea or insulin as an adjunct to diet and exercise for improved glycemic control.

From pills to patches, from implants to Plan B going OTC, women have more contraceptives to choose from today than ever before.

According to the company, this is the first FDA-approved orally disintegrating tablet form of prednisolone. The drug is used primarily for acute exacerbations of asthma in children and is also indicated for the control of severe, persistent asthma and to reduce the inflammation associated with various medical conditions, including arthritis and cancer. The drug will be marketed by Atlanta-based Alliant Pharmaceuticals.

The Sanovi-Aventis Group, with U.S. headquarters in Bridgewater, N.J., (908) 243-6000, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, N.J., (609) 252-4000, now have FDA approval for a new indication for Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate). The antiplatelet agent can now be used with aspirin in patients with the most severe type of heart attack-acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who are not going to have coronary artery repair, or angioplasty. It was previously approved for helping reduce the risk of death, recurrent heart attacks, or strokes in patients with unstable angina or less severe heart attacks.

It looks like pharmacies will have to make room for yet another slew of new over-the-counter items. Take a peek at these cutting-edge products

After 11 years in business on Main Street in Aspen, Colo., Rodney Diffendaffer, R.Ph., knows too well that the struggle between community pharmacists and the mail-order industry is heating up, with generics fueling the fire. "They get to sell three months of drugs at what comes close to my one-month price," he said. "I'm not allowed to sell a three-month supply. It's not a level playing field. Never has been."

New product newswire

Picture this: A patient with a chronic disease answers questions about his condition via a countertop appliance at home. The answers are sent to a center staffed by nurses and other health professionals who monitor the patient's symptoms, vital signs, and medication use. If a problem is brewing, the professional informs the patient, his or her family caregiver, doctor, and/or pharmacist.

Searching for over-the-counter items on pharmacy shelves is going to get even more challenging with the battery of dental, analgesic, and other products manufacturers have just introduced. Take a look at these new entries:

AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Del., (800) 842-9920, has received FDA approval for Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol. The new inhaler is indicated for long-term maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.

The exhibit floor at the ASHP summer meeting in Orlando was sizzling with the latest wares on display for hospital pharmacy in categories ranging from automation solutions to dispensing equipment, computer hardware and software, drug administration devices, packaging equipment, and pharmacy management services.