Individualized oncology therapy: R.Ph.s are key
August 21st 2006Pharmacists will continue to assume a gatekeeper role in individualized oncologic therapy, according to experts participating in an American Medical Association-sponsored media briefing, "Revolutionary Cancer Treatments," held in New York City recently. The event addressed the issue of unmet needs in cancer therapy. Carolyn D. Runowicz, president of the American Cancer Society, was the moderator for the meeting.
Shire selects two groups for orphan drug distribution
August 21st 2006Specialty pharmacy Caremark was been chosen by Shire Human Genetics Therapies to participate in a limited distribution network for idursulfase (Elaprase), the orphan drug recently approved to treat Hunter Syndrome, or mucopolysaccharidosis II.
Cost and docs barriers to e-prescribing
August 21st 2006The cost of training providers and physicians who are reluctant to give up their old ways continue to be major obstacles to the adoption of e-prescribing. Andrew Morgan, an insurance specialist at CMS' Office of E-Health Standards & Services (OESS), said that some doctors don't want to spend a lot of time being trained.
CCPA: Give military families a choice when filling Rxs
August 21st 2006The newly formed Coalition for Community Pharmacy Action (CCPA), a group representing 55,000 community pharmacies, is urging the House-Senate Conferees of the National Defense Authorization Act (H.R. 5122/S. 2766) to give military families enrolled in TRICARE a choice when filling Rxs. Catherine Polley, co-president of CCPA, said, "Congress is considering legislation that raises co-pays at community pharmacies and could force millions of military families to fill their maintenance medications through mail order."
GPhA challenges authorized generics study
August 21st 2006GPhA has announced the results of an independent study that disputes a recent PhRMA report endorsing the use of authorized generics. The new study, An Assessment of Authorized Generics: Consumer Effects and Policy Issues, by Aidan Hollis, M.D., and Bryan A. Liang, M.D., concluded that the practice of authorizing generics significantly reduces incentives for independent generic firms to challenge invalid brand-name patents and develop non-infringing processes.
Two pharmacy co-ops expand cooperation
August 21st 2006Independent pharmacy cooperatives United Drugs and Partners in Pharmacy Cooperative (PIPCo) recently announced a new agreement to expand cooperation between the two organizations. "This new relationship lets us continue to preserve and strengthen our members' independence but allows them to do business on a chain level," explained Gene Brah, executive director of PIPCo.
PhRMA finds more than 400 biotech products in pipeline
August 21st 2006A new PhRMA report finds that more than 400 biotechnology drugs are currently in clinical trials or awaiting approval from the FDA. Of the total, 210 are to treat cancer, 50 are for fighting infectious diseases, 44 for autoimmune disorders, and 22 for both HIV infection and cardiovascular disease.
Major shift in operations forecast for distributors
August 21st 2006Market research firm Health Industry Insights is predicting that a major shift will occur in the way pharmaceutical distributors operate over the next few years. In a recently published report, the firm predicted the shift will be from an inventory focus to an information focus.
OIG: NDC directory is replete with flaws
August 21st 2006OIG has found that the FDA's National Drug Code Directory, which lists prescription drugs by their NDC number, is neither complete nor accurate. More than 9,000 products are missing, and more than 34,000 are either listed in error or no longer on the market.
Lane Labs ordered to refund money
August 21st 2006The FDA has ordered a refund program be established, following a federal district court ruling that Lane Labs USA marketed three products as treatments for cancer, HIV, and skin cancer without FDA approval. Consumers who purchased BeneFin, MGN-3, and SkinAnswer between Sept. 22, 1999, and July 12, 2004, are eligible for a partial refund of the purchase price and any shipping and handling costs.
New products turn up the heat at ASHP show
August 21st 2006The 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.
Dosing calculator for Xigris is available on the Web
August 21st 2006In August 2005, Woodland Heights Medical Center (Lufkin, Texas) pharmacy technician Fred Poage, CPhT, was taking a computer programming course while pursuing a mathematics degree at nearby Stephen F. Austin State University. Staff pharmacist Eddie Purifoy, R.Ph., challenged Poage to put the course to good use. "Why don't you do something really useful-tackle this Xigris problem?"
Will transparency in hospital pricing affect you?
August 21st 2006The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has joined a growing list of payers that are giving hospital patients and other medical consumers detailed price and quality information. In June, CMS posted its negotiated rates for 30 common hospital procedures at www.cms.hhs.gov/healthcareconinit/01_overview.asp. Other hospital data are at www.HospitalCompare.hhs.gov.
Congress addressing IVIG reimbursement
August 21st 2006The formula being used by Medicare to determine the reimbursement rates for intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) is creating serious problems for patients, physicians, hospitals, and pharmacists. The formulas used were changed for physicians' offices and homecare settings in 2005 and for hospital-based settings at the beginning of 2006. Reimbursement rates for almost all approved IVIG products are now below the costs of the products and this, combined with periodic supply shortages, has had patients and hospitals scrambling.
ASCO issues guidelines on use of antiemetics
August 21st 2006The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) recently issued updated evidence-based practice guidelines for the use of antiemetics in patients who are receiving chemotherapy or radiation. Chemotherapy-induced emesis can negatively affect a patient's quality of life and may have an impact on compliance with future treatments. Approximately 70% to 80% of all cancer patients receiving chemotherapy experience emesis.
Tenfold errors can lead to tragedy
August 21st 2006Tenfold drug administration errors are common and pernicious in healthcare systems, but they could be almost entirely eliminated. They occur when a decimal placement is written incorrectly or misread. Decimal errors can result in a 10-fold, 100-fold, or even 1,000-fold overdose or underdose. But experts say providers rarely need to use decimals, and, when they are necessary, many steps can be taken to limit errors.
Reducing drug errors: IOM issues call to action
August 21st 2006The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released Preventing Medication Errors, a 544-page report that is the fourth in its Quality Chasm series. The authors concluded that medication errors harm at least 1.5 million people per year in the United States. In addition, the cost of treating drug-related injuries that occur in hospitals alone conservatively amounts to $3.5 billion per year, according to the Committee on Identifying and Preventing Medication Errors, which wrote the report. The report was funded by the Department of Health & Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Secondary wholesaler charges illegal boycott
August 21st 2006RxUSA Wholesale has filed a $1.8 billion lawsuit against 16 drug manufacturers, five drug wholesalers, and the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA). The New York-based distributor charged a conspiracy to boycott secondary wholesalers, eliminate competition, and maintain artificially high prices.
New London Pharmacy carves a niche in Chelsea
August 21st 2006If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have customers fly in from another state to buy products from your pharmacy and to seek your advice, just ask Abby Fazio, R.Ph. Fazio, who co-owns New London Pharmacy with her husband, has been catering to customers from out of state as well as to neighborhood folks in New York City's trendy Chelsea neighborhood since 1995.
Supermarket pharmacies are holding their own
August 21st 2006Supermarket pharmacies remained stable last year in the face of several challenges, according to the latest findings of the Food Marketing Institute's "2006 Supermarket Pharmacy Trends Survey." Here are some of the highlights of the FMI survey
Associations to community pharmacies: We hear you
August 21st 2006Make no mistake about it. Community pharmacies are in peril, thanks largely to low and slow reimbursement from Medicare Part D and aggressive efforts by pharmacy benefit managers to pressure beneficiaries to switch to mail order. What are pharmacy associations doing to rescue pharmacies from the plight they are in?