Gen. Stanley McChrystal to deliver keynote at NACDS Foundation dinner
October 19th 2010The former commander of U.S. and international forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, will be the keynote speaker for the 12th Annual National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation Dinner on November 30, 2010, in New York City.
October is American Pharmacists Month
October 19th 2010"Know Your Medicine, Know Your Pharmacist" is the theme of American Pharmacists Month (APhM). Sponsored by the American Pharmacists Association, APhM is a time to recognize the significant contributions to healthcare made by pharmacists around the country.
NIH chooses ScriptPro for pharmacy automation
October 19th 2010The National Institutes of Health awarded ScriptPro a contract to provide pharmacy automation systems to assist in the internal control and identification of drugs and to enhance the safety and efficiency of medication dispensing as well as use by patients.
Four hospitals choose McKesson solution to automate prescription delivery
October 19th 2010Four acute-care hospitals have chosen ROBOT-Rx, an automated medication-dispensing and pharmacy-integration system manufactured by McKesson Corp., as part of a total bar-code-based pharmacy system for medication safety and operational efficiency.
AHRQ's new bilingual guide helps patients after hospital discharge
October 19th 2010Taking Care of Myself: A Guide for when I Leave the Hospital/Como cuidarme: Guia para cuando salga del hospital, is a new, bilingual guide produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to help hospitals reduce their rates of readmission by better preparing patients before they leave the hospital.
Two organizations get joint accreditation as continuing education providers for healthcare teams
October 19th 2010The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center have jointly awarded accreditation to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and VHA Inc.
C.A.R.E.S. launches tools to prevent misuse and abuse of pain medication
October 19th 2010The C.A.R.E.S. Alliance, a new patient-safety organization sponsored by Covidien, recently launched a range of online tools designed to help solve the growing problem of misuse and abuse of opioids by identifying the risks associated with these medications.
Sampling restrictions modestly alter prescribing behavior
October 19th 2010Implementation of a policy restricting drug sampling and pharmaceutical industry detailing in a small rural clinic resulted in modest reductions in the prescription of branded and promoted drugs, according to research published in the September/October issue of the "Annals of Family Medicine."
Researchers identify risk factors for ER visits in chronic opioid users
October 19th 2010Use of Schedule II opioids, back pain, headache, and pre-existing substance use disorders are all associated with alcohol- or drug-related encounters and emergency department visits in adults who have taken prescribed opioids for at least 90 days, according to a study published in the Sept. 13 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, HealthDay News reports.
Maryland researchers get grant to develop drug to treat cocaine addiction
October 19th 2010The National Institutes of Health?s National Institute on Drug Abuse awarded a 5-year, $3.7 million research grant to Jia Bei Wang, PhD, a professor of pharmaceutical sciences at The University of Maryland School of Pharmacy to develop a drug to treat cocaine addiction.
Lower BP goals set for blacks to manage hypertension
October 19th 2010The updated International Society on Hypertension in Blacks consensus statement on the management of hypertension in this population places a major emphasis on comprehensive assessment and appropriate risk stratification of individual patients with hypertension, according to a report published online Oct. 4 in Hypertension and reported by HealthDay News.
Prophylactic antivirals reduce corneal disease recurrences
October 19th 2010Individuals with ocular herpes simplex virus treated with prophylactic oral antibiotics appear to be at a lower risk of recurrence of epithelial keratitis, stromal keratitis, conjunctivitis, and blepharitis, according to research published in the September issue of the Archives of Ophthalmology, HealthDay News reported.
No benefit to early chemo for ovarian cancer relapse based on raised C125 concentration alone
October 19th 2010For women whose ovarian cancer has been in remission, restarting chemotherapy early on the basis of heightened serum CA125 concentration does not improve survival compared with postponing treatment until symptoms of relapse appear, according to a study published in the Oct. 2, cancer-themed issue of The Lancet.
FDA warns 3 companies over unproven claims on mouth rinses
October 19th 2010FDA has issued warning letters to three companies that manufacture mouth-rinse products and market them with claims that they remove plaque above the gum line or promote healthy gums. These claims suggest the products are effective in preventing gum disease when no such benefit has been demonstrated.
FDA warns about increased risk of thigh-bone fracture with bisphosphonates
October 19th 2010FDA is requiring a labeling change and Medication Guide to warn patients and healthcare providers about the possible risk of atypical thigh-bone (femoral) fracture in patients who take bisphosphonates for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.
FDA committee recommends approval of dabigatran for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation
October 19th 2010FDA's Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs Advisory Committee voted 9 to 0 on Sept. 20 in favor of approving dabigatran etexilate (Pradaxa) for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation.
FDA orders halt to production and marketing of unapproved single-ingredient oral colchicine
October 19th 2010FDA has requested that all companies that manufacture, distribute, and/or market unapproved single-ingredient oral colchicine, a medication commonly used for the daily prevention of gout, to treat acute gout flare-ups, and for the treatment of Familial Mediterranean Fever, stop manufacturing this drug.
FDA approves first oral MS drug, Novartis' fingolimod
October 19th 2010FDA has approved the oral multiple sclerosis treatment fingolimod 0.5 mg, as a first-line treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. The approval makes fingolimod the first oral treatment indicated for relapsing forms of MS available in the United States.
How useful is consumer medication information for prescription drugs?
October 15th 2010Problems with the content and format of consumer medical information distributed with prescription drugs at retail pharmacies are the primary barriers to providing appropriate information to patients, a recent evaluation suggests. The reading level and length of CMI were also cited as shortcomings.