Walgreens offers advice on hurricane preparedness
May 15th 2006Walgreens is offering the following suggestions to help pharmacypatients in the event of a hurricane evacuation: evacuate to a safelocation and refill your medication at a pharmacy there; take awaterproof bag with your current medication, even if the bottle isempty-the information on the label will help the pharmacistrefill your medicine once you arrive at your destination; keep awritten record of your current prescriptions, dosage, and doctor'scontact information in your valuable papers file, especially if youare taking several Rx drugs. Walgreens patients can register atWalgreens.com and print out this information directly from theirpatient profile.
Roche targets consumers in anticounterfeiting initiative
May 15th 2006The maker of influenza drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir) has releasedconsumer guidelines to help protect patients from purchasingcounterfeit products. Among other things, Roche recommends patientsuse caution when buying the drug on-line, be wary of offers to sellmedications without a valid prescription, and only purchase from alicensed pharmacy.
Warning of kidney failure issued for bowel cleansers
May 15th 2006The FDA has issued an alert to both healthcare workers andconsumers following 21 reports of a type of renal failure known asacute phosphate nephropathy. The problems occurred following use ofthese oral sodium phosphate (OSP) products for bowel cleansingprior to a colonoscopy: Fleet Phospho-soda, Fleet Accu-Prep, andVisicol.
Unique dosing for new minocycline
May 15th 2006The FDA has given the nod to Solodyn, the first minocycline productapproved for once-daily dosing in the treatment of inflammatorylesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris.Manufacturer Medicis claims that Solodyn is not bioequivalent toany other minocycline product and is the only extended-releaseminocycline in tablet form.
SAMHSA data on drug-related ER visits released
May 15th 2006The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA) unveiled findings from its new Drug Abuse Warning Network(DAWN) showing almost two million drug-related emergency departmentvisits in 2004. Of these, nearly 1.3 million ER visits wereassociated with drug misuse or abuse.
Lilly extends assistance plan for Medicare-eligible
May 15th 2006Patients eligible for but not yet enrolled in Medicare Part D cancontinue to receive medications through Eli Lilly's LillyAnswerspatient assistance program through the end of the year. To continueto receive the drugs, patients must have been enrolled inLillyAnswers as of last December.
Patients with low drug spend can benefit from Part D
May 15th 2006Medicare beneficiaries who spend little on drugs would benefit fromPart D, according to a study conducted on behalf of Medicare Today,a partnership of 400 organizations representing seniors, healthcaregroups, and employers. Seniors who spend just $381 per year ondrugs would break even under Part D and out of 1,000 beneficiarieswho spend $381 or less, half can expect to see their costs increaseto an average of $730 this year.
H.D. Smith pays fine, charges dismissed
May 15th 2006H.D. Smith has paid a $2 million civil forfeiture, agreed to modifyits purchasing policies, and implemented a compliance program inreturn for federal authorities dropping all charges against theIllinois wholesaler. The indictment stemmed from a counterfeitLipitor scheme, which led to the conviction of a formernonmanagement Smith employee.
Corticosteroids lack disease-modifying effect
May 15th 2006Inhaled corticosteroids used by preschool-aged children at risk ofasthma will not prevent the disease from developing, according toNHLBI. The findings of a multicenter clinical trial from thePrevention of Early Asthma in Kids (PEAK) study, supported byNHLBI, answered the question as to whether treatment of airwayinflammation early enough could prevent the development of asthma.
USC joins Diabetes 10 City Challenge
May 8th 2006The University of Southern California, the largest employer in LosAngeles, has become the sixth participant in the Diabetes 10 CityChallenge, the APhA Foundation's employer-based initiative tofoster diabetes patient self-management with support from diabeteseducators and physicians
MTM: Can supermarket pharmacists deliver?
May 8th 2006Medication therapy management (MTM), an integral part of MedicarePart D, is likely to evolve into a "medication checkup," andsupermarket pharmacies are the perfect places to offer theseservices. So claims Anne Burns, R.Ph., group director of practicedevelopment and research, American Pharmacists Association.
Unraveling Medicare: The learning curve under Part D
May 8th 2006Everyone has learned a lot since Medicare Part D was started on Jan. 1. Pharmacists learned new processes, people on Medicare learned new terms and options. Insurers and the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services learned to respond quickly to misunderstandings, technical glitches, and personnel shortages.
Future allergy shots show promise
May 8th 2006To prepare for the seasonal onslaught of pollen, mostallergy-stricken patients will try to find relief throughnonsedating antihistamines and nasal inhalers. Many others willundergo allergen immunotherapy as a next step, receiving theestimated 60 to 90 injections necessary for each treatment period.Although allergy shots can be effective, treatment is often atime-consuming and costly process. Preliminary results for newtherapies show promise and may soon offer allergy sufferers moreoptions with fewer injections.