The second coming of valrubicin
April 10th 2006Previously approved in 1998 to treat bladder cancer and discontinued in 2002 by then-manufacturer Anthra Pharmaceuticals, valrubicin (Valstar) may make another debut, this time from Valera Pharmaceuticals. Valera has just completed its acquisition of the NDA for the drug, and the company said it hopes to have the product available by the end of 2006.
CDC issues new guide for tick-borne rickettsial diseases
April 10th 2006A new guide has been published by the CDC in part to aid clinicians with the difficult task of diagnosing tick-borne rickettsial diseases (TBRDs). According to the agency, the incidence of these diseases has risen in the past 10 years, causing severe illness and death in adults and children in the United States despite the fact that the conditions are easily treated with antibiotics in the early stages.
New guidelines for VTE in cancer patients
April 10th 2006The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has announced new guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of venous thromboembolic (VTE) disease. According to the organization, cancer patients are at high risk for VTE, which could lead to a deadly pulmonary embolism if not recognized and treated appropriately.
Recall of Accu-Chek Ultraflex infusion sets
April 10th 2006Disetronic Medical Systems has announced a voluntary nationwide recall of faulty Accu-Chek Ultraflex insulin infusion sets following a recent increase in complaints of fully or partially separated luer lock tubing connections. The company is advising customers to examine their infusion sets at the luer lock tubing connection every three hours and before bedtime for possible insulin leakage.
Independents still in dire straits over Part D
April 10th 2006A new survey that NCPA faxed to 5,000 pharmacies found that even though some Medicare Part D problems have moderated since the drug benefit started in January, many problems remain. Out of 525 pharmacies that responded to the survey, more than nine out of 10 respondents said their cash flow is worse than before the drug benefit started.
Wholesaler sheds pharmacy staffing business
April 10th 2006Cardinal Health has sold its pharmacy staffing business to Soliant Health. The wholesaler's pharmacy staffing unit provides temps and direct hires for retail and hospital pharmacies and other practice settings out of four locations?Boston; West Palm Beach, Fla.; Houston, Texas; and Irvine, Calif.
CMS seeks changes to Part D co-branding
April 3rd 2006With an ear out for pharmacy owners hollering that allowing logos on Part D Rx cards tilts the playing field toward their big chain rivals, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has proposed tightening the rules for co-branding Medicare drug plans. And the agency also wants to hear whether co-branding should be outlawed altogether.
Part D hits patient assistance programs
April 3rd 2006Pharmacists, patient advocacy groups, and drugmakers are trying to revive the latest unintended victim of Medicare Part D?patient assistance programs, or PAPs. Most manufacturers are cutting back on free or discounted pharmaceuticals distributed under PAPs because of potential conflicts with antikickback laws.
CCRx tops one million Part D enrollees
April 3rd 2006Community Care Rx, the Part D plan created by NCPA, has enrolled more than one million Medicare beneficiaries in its three plan offerings. CCRx will roll out its medication therapy management (MTM) component in June, using pharmacists for face-to-face patient consultation.
Bartell Drugs acquires Renton-area pharmacy
April 3rd 2006Seattle-based Bartell Drugs announced the purchase of Fairwood Pharmacy, a family-owned drugstore serving the Renton, Wash., area since 1970. With the acquisition, Bartell Drugs will own and operate 53 stores in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. The store will operate under the Bartell Drugs banner.
Kroger sues drug firms over Plavix patent pact
April 3rd 2006Kroger Co. has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Sanofi-Aventis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Apotex Inc., alleging the three drugmakers have entered into an illegal settlement of a patent lawsuit involving the blood thinner, Plavix (clopidogrel). In documents filed in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, Kroger said the three drug firms, in settling a dispute over the patent for Plavix, agreed to keep the patent protection for the drug in place until 2011.
Part D enrollees in two plans must make a choice
April 3rd 2006CMS began notifying 500,000 Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in two Part D plans that they must indicate which plan they wish to use for their drug benefit. Beneficiaries who want to remain in their original plan must contact the insurer, while beneficiaries who do nothing will be dropped from their original plan and remain covered by the second plan.
Class action suit filed against Pfizer
April 3rd 2006A group of seven drug plans has filed a class action lawsuit against Pfizer Inc., claiming the company used off-label promotion of atorvastatin (Lipitor) to boost sales. According to New York-based Grant & Eisenhofer, P.A., the securities litigation firm representing the group, the plaintiffs contend that Pfizer's physician and hospital marketing materials have misrepresented treatment protocols established by the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III), and that the drug was approved by the FDA only for use in accordance with ATP III.
Viewpoint: Don't forget to give out MedGuides
April 3rd 2006Since 1998, the Food & Drug Administration has had theregulatory authority to require pharmacies to distribute MedicationGuides to patients getting certain high-risk drugs. MedGuides,which provide written information to patients on their Rxs, areprepared by drug manufacturers and approved by the FDA. To date,the FDA lists more than 75 drugs on its Web site that require thedistribution of a MedGuide from a community pharmacy or uponhospital discharge. They include antidepressants, nonsteroidalanti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and others. Manufacturers ofthese high-risk drugs are responsible for ensuring that asufficient number of MedGuides are available in pharmacies.
Is this prescription for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease or insomnia?
April 3rd 2006The Food & Drug Administration would like to alert healthcare practitioners to three cases of medication dispensing errors in which the Alzheimer's medication Razadyne (galantamine, Janssen Pharmaceutica) was dispensed instead of the insomnia agent Rozerem (ramelteon, Takeda Pharmaceuticals) to geriatric patients. In two cases the wrong drug was actually administered to the patient but with no reported adverse outcomes, while the third error was caught prior to patient administration. Errors between these products could result in unnecessary adverse events or lack of efficacy.
New antifungal offers another option
April 3rd 2006The third echinocandin to hit the market in five years, anidulafungin (Eraxis, Pfizer) received Food & Drug Administration approval in February and joins both caspofungin (Cancidas, Merck) and micafungin (Mycamine, Astellas Pharma) in the fight against fungal infections in seriously ill patients. Anidulafungin is indicated to treat candidemia, other forms of Candida infections (intra-abdominal infections and peritonitis), and esophageal candidiasis.
CVS reaches agreement on tobacco sales
March 27th 2006CVS Corp. has reached an agreement with 42 states and the District of Columbia by promising to strengthen practices that keep minors from buying tobacco products. Under the voluntary settlement, the pharmacy chain agreed to check the identities of customers who attempt to purchase tobacco products if they look younger than 27.
FMI: Supermarkets offering specialty services
March 27th 2006Food retailers are differentiating their businesses from competition by launching target market-focused stores and expanding specialty services, according to the 2005 edition of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) study, "Facts About Store Development." In-store pharmacies (55.7% of companies) continue to be a popular feature.
Seniors vulnerable to medication poisonings
March 27th 2006Seniors who take multiple medications are at increased risk for accidental poisonings, according to ASHP. Older patients have complex medication regimens, often involving multiple medications prescribed by several physicians, which make them vulnerable to accidental poisonings.
Longs Drugs announces new supplier contract
March 27th 2006Longs Drug Stores announced a new long-term supply contract with AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp. for the supply of prescription pharmaceutical products. The agreement will become effective July 1, 2006, and will run for a term of at least three and as long as seven years, with the actual duration depending on the time when the company's total purchases of branded prescription pharmaceuticals under the agreement reach a certain amount.