Some antipsychotics more dangerous for elderly dementia patients
March 8th 2012Antipsychotic medication should be used on elderly dementia patients only as a last resort, authors of a recent study said, but they found that some antipsychotics are more dangerous than others after examining data from thousands of nursing-home residents aged 65 or older.
FDA panel recommends approval of aclidinium bromide for COPD
March 8th 2012An FDA advisory panel voted 12-2 to recommend approval of aclidinium bromide (Forest Laboratories and Almirall SA) 400 µg twice daily for the long-term maintenance treatment of bronchospasm associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
First synthetic, peptide-containing surfactant for prevention of RDS approved
March 8th 2012FDA has approved lucinactant (Surfaxin, Discovery Labs) for the prevention of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in premature infants at high risk for RDS. Surfaxin is the first synthetic, peptide-containing surfactant approved for use in neonatal medicine.
CVS mix-up of tamoxifen, fluoride tablets affects 13 prescriptions
March 7th 2012Between Dec. 20, 2011, and January and Feb. 20, 2012, a CVS pharmacy in Chatham, N.J., dispensed tamoxifen tablets instead of 0.5 mg chewable fluoride pills. The mix-up could have affected as many as 50 children, but only 13 prescriptions were found to definitely be affected, according to a CVS statement.
Suit by pharmacists calls impact of closed Part D networks ‘tragic’
March 6th 2012Closed pharmacy networks are back and pharmacies are fighting them. That's the gist of a suit filed by four independent pharmacies against the federal government in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina last week.
FDA warning: Co-administration of statins and protease inhibitors increases risk of muscle injury
March 2nd 2012Thursday, FDA updated its recommendations concerning drug-drug interactions between protease inhibitors and statins, warning of an increased risk of muscle injury (myopathy). The most serious form of myopathy, rhabdomyolysis, can damage kidneys and lead to kidney failure, which can be fatal.
ACIP expands recommendations for whooping cough vaccine to 65 and older
February 23rd 2012The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) wants all U.S. adults to get vaccinated against whooping cough, according to the Associated Press. The panel voted to expand its recommendation to include all those aged 65 years and older who haven?t gotten a whooping cough shot as an adult.
Supreme Court: California pharms can challenge Medicaid cuts
February 23rd 2012California pharmacists are claiming victory after the U.S. Supreme Court sent 3 cases back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in Los Angeles. The cases involved injunctions halting Medicaid reimbursement cuts to pharmacies and other providers in California.
Zinc plus antibiotics saves lives of children with pneumonia, study finds
February 23rd 2012Zinc used in addition to antibiotics significantly reduced mortality in children ages 6 months to 59 months with severe pneumonia when compared with antibiotics alone, according to the findings of a recent study done in Uganda.
Study: Most cases of CDI aren't being spread by patients in same ward
February 23rd 2012A 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.
No benefit of B vitamins or omega-3 on cancer outcomes, study finds
February 23rd 2012There 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.
Antibiotic amoxicillin no help in treating acute rhinosinusitis
February 23rd 2012No 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.
AAP joins nationwide alliance of pharmacies forming RxAlly
February 22nd 2012American Associated Pharmacies (AAP) announced today that it is partnering with RxAlly, a first-of-a-kind alliance of more than 20,000 pharmacies nationwide, creating the largest performance network of pharmacies in the United States.
FDA acts to bolster supply of critically needed cancer drugs
February 21st 2012FDA 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.
Infants' Tylenol medication recalled by McNeil after dosing-system complaints
February 21st 2012More than a half million bottles of Infants' Tylenol Oral Suspension, 1 oz. grape, have been recalled voluntarily by McNeil Consumer Healthcare because of complaints about using the dosing system, the company announced.
First medication approved by FDA for patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome
February 21st 2012FDA 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.
California regulates OTC cough and cold products to cut abuse by youths
February 21st 2012California 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.
AACP joins other healthcare professions to improve education collaboration
February 21st 2012The 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.