October 24th 2024
Nina Vadiei, PharmD, BCPP, a clinical associate professor at UT Austin and a clinical pharmacy specialist in psychiatry at San Antonio State Hospital, discusses her career as a psychiatric pharmacist.
FDA continues scrutiny of DTC genetic tests
September 15th 2010Underlying a recent FDA-hosted public meeting and workshop was the question of how FDA as a regulatory agency should increase its current oversight of clinical laboratories, specifically those developing genetic tests that may be offered at their own facilities or made available through direct-to-consumer channels.
Monitoring controlled substances
September 15th 2010Thirty-nine states now have a tool to help pharmacists identify at least some questionable prescriptions and suggest when a patient may be doctor-shopping or pharmacy-shopping in order to obtain controlled substances. That tool is the state prescription monitoring program.
FDA panel rejects REMS proposal for long-acting opioids
September 15th 2010FDA advisory committee members voted 25 to 10 to reject a proposed plan to establish a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics during the joint meeting on July 23 of the Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee in Adelphi, Md.
Local pharmacists: Serving their communities
September 15th 2010Patients often bring their own set of challenges with them to the pharmacy counter and community pharmacists have taken notice. Many have responded by creating programs that not only help patients secure the medication they need, but also offer them ways to make the most of their treatment plans.
Plavix biomarker test can improve patient outcomes
September 15th 2010In a novel collaboration with PBM giant CVS Caremark and its specialty pharmacy Generation Health, PGXL Laboratories will use its expertise in anticoagulants to improve the quality of patient care through pharmacogenetic testing, physician education, and drug-specific software programs.
State deals setback in drive to end pharmacy ownership restrictions in North Dakota
August 17th 2010The North Dakota secretary of state rejected thousands of signatures from a petition that would have put a measure on the November ballot to end the state?s restrictions on pharmacy ownership, the Associated Press reported.
FDA approves longer Valcyte therapy for CMV disease in adult kidney-transplant patients
August 17th 2010FDA approved increasing the length of therapy with Valcyte (valganciclovir hydrochloride) in adult kidney-transplant patients at high risk for cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease, according to an Aug. 10 statement made by Genentech Inc.
Hospital-acquired MRSA infections decline between 2005 and 2008
August 17th 2010Infections with the deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria contracted in hospitals and other healthcare settings have declined 28% over a 4-year period, according to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study of about 15 million people.
Novartis Vaccines begins shipment of seasonal influenza vaccine
August 17th 2010Novartis Vaccines has started shipping the FDA-approved seasonal influenza vaccine Fluvirin to U.S. customers ahead of the 2010&endash;2011 season, allowing healthcare practitioners to initiate protection of their patients well in advance.
FDA issues warning on stolen Advair Diskus inhalers
August 17th 2010Certain lots of Advair Diskus (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol inhalation powder) inhalers that were stolen from a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) distribution warehouse near Richmond, Va., in August 2009 have recently been found in some pharmacies, according to FDA.
FDA approves 3-in-1 combination drug for high blood pressure
August 17th 2010FDA has approved Tribenzor (olmesartan medoxomil, amlodipine, hydrochlorothiazide), a new three-in-one combination product taken once daily for the treatment of hypertension in patients who are not adequately controlled on any 2 of the following antihypertensive drug classes: angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers, and diuretics, according to Daiichi Sankyo Inc.