Judge upholds R.Ph.'s punishment for refusal to fill
February 20th 2006A Wisconsin county judge upheld the sanctions and fine imposed on Neil Noesen, R.Ph., for his refusal to dispense or transfer an emergency contraceptive prescription in 2002. The state pharmacy board had fined Noesen and ordered him to attend ethics classes and warn future employers in writing of his stance against EC, as well as pay $20,000 in costs for the investigation and hearings.
Wal-Mart ordered to stock EC in Massachusetts
February 20th 2006The Massachusetts pharmacy board unanimously voted to order Wal-Mart to stock and dispense the emergency contraceptive (EC) Plan B in all its stores in the state. The board acted in response to a complaint filed Feb. 1 by three women who had been turned away from Wal-Mart pharmacies.
Committee votes to add black box to ADHD drugs
February 20th 2006The FDA Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee voted 8 to 7 in favor of adding a black box warning to the labeling of all stimulant drugs used to treat ADHD. The group also voted unanimously (15-0) in support of requiring that FDA medication guides be distributed with each stimulant prescription, explaining the potential risks to patients and their families.
Endotoxin found in irrigation solutions
February 20th 2006The FDA has recalled all brands of Balanced Salt Solution manufactured by Cytosol Laboratories in Braintree, Mass., after product lots were found to have high levels of endotoxin. The solution is used to irrigate the eyes, ears, nose, and throat during surgical procedures.
Clinical Twisters: Resolving C. difficile infection
February 20th 2006A 76-year-old woman, D.N., is hospitalized with a severe E. coliurinary tract infection (UTI). She has taken ciprofloxacin 500 mgevery 12 hours and is responding to it. Prior to admission, becauseshe is allergic to sulfamethoxazole, D.N. was taking amoxicillinwhich has been discontinued. D.N. takes digoxin 0.125 mg andpravastatin (Pravachol, Bristol-Myers Squibb) 20 mg daily. Over thepast 24 hours, she developed severe diarrhea and a 101?Ftemperature. Her stool specimen is positive for C. difficile. D.N.is receiving replacement fluids and electrolytes, but her physicianis considering how to resolve the C. difficile infection. What doyou recommend?
Drugs for sinusitis may cut off nose to spite face
February 20th 2006The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI) recently updated their practice parameter, "The diagnosis and management of sinusitis," for the first time since it was originally released in 1998.
FDA's new Rx label rule may limit lawsuits
February 20th 2006The Food & Drug Administration has announced a new format for prescription drug labeling that will organize the most important information needed by healthcare providers in a more accessible and easy-to-read fashion, according to the agency. But what may have started as an effort to decrease the 300,000 preventable adverse drug events that occur each year, has led some groups to accuse the FDA of attempting to protect manufacturers from consumer liability suits.
Study examines violations of black box warnings
February 20th 2006Less than 1% of outpatients who received medication in 2002 were prescribed a medicine that violated a prescription drug's black box warning, according to a study in the Feb. 13 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine. Researchers examined data from 51 outpatient practices and analyzed electronic health records of 324,548 outpatients who received at least one prescription between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2002.
Supplement industry criticizes saw palmetto study
February 20th 2006A study published in the Feb. 9 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine suggesting that the popular supplement saw palmetto is ineffective in easing problems associated with an enlarged prostate has several flaws, according to the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA). NNFA cited a substantial existing body of clinical studies, some with larger patient populations, that support the efficacy of this supplement for mild to moderate symptoms associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Hispanics targeted about drug assistance programs
February 20th 2006The Partnership for Prescription Assistance (PPA) unveiled a national advertising campaign targeting the American Hispanic community to help draw attention to the free or nearly free medicines available to Americans in need. Montel Williams, syndicated talk show host, is the official national PPA spokesman.
McKesson Specialty certified to launch Revlimid
February 20th 2006McKesson Specialty, a subsidiary of McKesson Corp., has been certified by Celgene Corp. as one of a select group of RevAssist Program contract pharmacies to launch Revlimid (lenalidomide). To reduce fetal exposure to the drug, Revlimid is available only through RevAssist, a distribution network employing only certified, contracted specialty pharmacies.
Merck launches guide to drug assistance programs
February 20th 2006Merck has launched an initiative to help consumers navigate government and private programs that offer free or discount medicines to low-income patients. The company's "Guide to Affordable Medicine" includes information about public programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare, and private programs, such as prescription assistance programs offered by drugmakers.
Sanofi-Aventis recalls 30 batches of Lovenox
February 20th 2006Sanofi-Aventis has voluntarily recalled 30 batches of syringes containing the anticoagulant Lovenox (enoxaparin), because of a problem related to the syringe-filling process. The company said the recalled syringes may contain too much of the active ingredient enoxaparin.
Tampered juice bottles found at CVS
February 20th 2006Bottles of fruit juice that appeared to be tampered with were found at a CVS store near where dozens of churchgoers in Connecticut recently fell ill. The bottles contained several different brands and types of juice and were found during an inventory check, according to police.
FDA warns of benzocaine-induced methemoglobinemia
February 20th 2006Benzocaine sprays used for numbing the mouth and throat are being investigated by the FDA for their tendency to cause methemoglobinemia, a condition in which the red blood cells are unable to carry oxygen. Until recently, the FDA considered the incidence of methemoglobinemia with these products to be low; however, new reports have prompted the agency to review all available safety data.
R.Ph.s can take reins of quality improvement
February 20th 2006Delmarva, Medicare's Quality Improvement Organization for Maryland and the District of Columbia, has announced the winners of its Medicare Quality Excellence Awards. The hospital award recognizes the top 10% of institutions that improve the most in the composite of a set of 10 performance measures: five acute myocardial infarction (AMI), two congestive heart failure (CHF), and three pneumonia measures.
USP Drug Safety Review: Medication errors in radiological services
February 20th 2006Radiological services encompass a broad array of diagnostic and treatment modalities used in patient care and performed by various healthcare practitioners. The number of radiological procedures performed in the United States per year has been estimated at 300 million, of which 20% involve a radiological pharmaceutical.
R.Ph.s can oversee lab tests to monitor drugs
February 20th 2006Missed laboratory tests recommended for safety monitoring is a serious problem, according to recently published studies supported by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality. One study showed that 47%, 45%, and 44% of patients did not receive one or more recommended lab tests over three years. Another showed that 49.6% of all prescriptions that should have been accompanied by a lab test at the time the drug was prescribed were not.
Leukemia, myeloma, VTE highlight ASH meeting
February 20th 2006Research reported at the 47th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology, held recently in Atlanta, featured upbeat findings for a new multiple myeloma agent for leukemia patients and found evidence supporting much wider prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism.
Get used to new paradigm for treating breast cancer
February 20th 2006To commemorate its 50th anniversary, the Avon Foundation recently sponsored a global research symposium in New York City titled "Breast Cancer 2005: From Discovery to Delivery." There were a number of significant takeaways from the meeting.