Evolving pharm tech roles call for expanded training, certification
May 15th 2011With the expansion of pharmacist roles come the burdens of managing the existing obligations embedded in professional pharmacy practice. Technicians, when appropriately trained and certified, can help fulfill many delegated functions in the pharmacy.
Depression screening: A natural role for pharmacists
May 15th 2011Depression is a disease like any other. The pharmacist's task is to keep depression patients educated about their disease and their medications, and to stress the importance of adherence to medication. But before that, depression screening may be Job 1.
Johnson & Johnson finds traces of fungicide in HIV drug Prezista
May 13th 2011BANGALORE (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen said it was in discussions with regulatory authorities in Europe and Canada to address trace amounts of a fungicide found in certain lots of its HIV drug Prezista (darunavir).
AHA updates CVD prevention guidelines for women
May 12th 2011The American Heart Association recently released its updated cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines for women. The guidelines emphasize practical medical advice that works in the ?real world? rather than on findings primarily observed in clinical research.
Johnson & Johnson finds traces of fungicide in HIV drug Prezista
May 11th 2011BANGALORE (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson unit Janssen said it was in discussions with regulatory authorities in Europe and Canada to address trace amounts of a fungicide found in certain lots of its HIV drug Prezista (darunavir).
FDA approves first meningococcal vaccine for infants and toddlers
May 10th 2011FDA approved the use of meningococcal (A, C, Y, W-135) polysaccharide diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine (Menactra, Sanofi Pasteur) in children aged as young as 9 months for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135.
Opioid-related mortality associated with daily dose for nonmalignant pain
May 10th 2011A daily dose of opioids for nonmalignant pain is strongly associated with opioid-related mortality, and doses of 200 mg or more of morphine or equivalent are associated with a particularly high risk, according to a recent study published in the April issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
Late-breaking news: FDA approves new treatment for rare type of pancreatic cancer
May 6th 2011FDA has approved everolimus (Afinitor, Novartis) tablets to treat patients with progressive neuroendocrine tumors of pancreatic origin that cannot be removed by surgery or that have spread to other parts of the body (metastatic).
HHS partnership seeks better healthcare, lower costs
May 3rd 2011The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and other organizations are partnering with the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on a program that seeks to improve patient health and lower healthcare costs.
FDA approves Zytiga for late-stage prostate cancer
April 29th 2011FDA has approved abiraterone acetate (Zytiga, Centocor Ortho Biotech), an oral, once-daily medication for use in combination with prednisone for the treatment of men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer who have received prior chemotherapy containing docetaxel.
Decrease in breast cancer risk persists in estrogen trial follow-up
April 28th 2011Postmenopausal women who were evaluated after taking conjugated equine estrogen had neither an increased nor decreased risk of coronary heart disease, and a decrease in breast cancer risk persisted, according to a post-intervention follow-up of the Women?s Health Initiative Estrogen-Alone Trial, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.