Drug Topics back issues from March 2007:
DEA proposes treating new ADHD drug as Schedule II
Mar 05, 2007; ... Should lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse, New River/Shire plc), the new molecular entity approved for ADHD, be classified under Controlled Substance Schedule II? That's what DEA proposed in a notice published in the Feb. 22 Federal Register. Lisdexamfetamine shares many pharmacological ...
NCVHS warns industry not ready for NPI
Mar 05, 2007; ... In a report on the status of the National Provider Identifier (NPI) system to HHS, Simon Cohn, M.D., MPH, chairman of the National Committee on Vital & Health Statistics (NCVHS), warned that the group is "skeptical that the industry will be able to meet the target date for NPI compliance." ...
Increased risk of fractures with rosiglitazone
Mar 05, 2007; ... GlaxoSmithKline has notified Healthcare professionals of an increased risk of fractures observed in female patients receiving one of its rosiglitazone-containing medications, such as Avandia (rosiglitazone), Avandamet (rosiglitazone/metformin), and Avandaryl (rosiglitazone/glimepiride)-all used ...
ACPE revises CE guidelines
Mar 05, 2007; ... ACPE has announced revised definitions for qualifying continuing education programs for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Beginning Aug. 1, the Universal Program ...
New warning for asthma therapy
Mar 05, 2007; ... Omalizumab (Xolair, Genentech) labeling will now include a black box warning alerting patients to the potential for anaphylaxis, according to the FDA. Cases of anaphylaxis reported both during and after clinical trials have occurred in about one out of 1,000 patients and may include chest ...
Medication guides required for ADHD meds
Mar 05, 2007; ... FDA-approved medication guides must be developed by manufacturers for all drugs approved for the treatment of ADHD, according to the agency. The guides will alert patients to the potential risk for cardiovascular and psychiatric adverse effects when using the medications. Following an FDA ...
Nursing home patients not assigned best Part D plans
Mar 05, 2007; ... According to a report issued by the Long Term Care Pharmacy Alliance (LTCPA), most dual-eligible nursing home residents are probably not enrolled in the Medicare Part D plan that best covers their medications. The study looked at nursing home patients in all 50 states and the District of ...
Genentech expands PAP
Mar 05, 2007; ... Genentech is expanding its current patient assistance program (PAP), the Genentech Access to Care Foundation, to help address the needs of financially eligible Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in Part D who are prescribed Tarceva (erlotinib). The expansion allows financially eligible patients ...
Lilly introduces insulin pen with memory
Mar 05, 2007; ... Eli Lilly has launched the first insulin pen with memory. HumaPen MEMOIR is designed to meet the needs of diabetes patients who take several shots of mealtime insulin each day. The device features a consumer-friendly "push-to-show" digital display that allows patients to record and review their ...
GSK has new site, help line for patients
Mar 05, 2007; ... GlaxoSmithKline has launched a new Web site and toll-free line to make it easier to enroll in GSK Access, the firm's new patient assistance program for low-income Part D patients. Patients can log on to www.gsk-access.com or call 1-(866) ...
MTM codes may become permanent, R.Ph.s hope
Mar 05, 2007; ... Pharmacy representatives attending an American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) editorial panel meeting recently in San Diego have asked the panel to make codes for medication therapy management (MTM) permanent. MTM refers to in-person services for patients ...
LETTERS
Mar 05, 2007; ... Don't shy away from vaccination While I respect Greg Powell's opinion about the link between mercury and Alzheimer's disease (Viewpoint, Jan. 22), I worry that his rhetoric will further feed the anti-vaccine frenzy, particularly among parents who want to blame autism on vaccines, i.e., ...
New migraine consensus focuses on prevention
Mar 05, 2007; ... Migraines are now viewed as a chronic disorder with episodic manifestations, and emphasis should be put on evaluating impairment between headache attacks. This is the gist of a new consensus statement recently released by the National Headache Foundation (NHF), an organization focusing on ...
New colon cancer guide features major changes
Mar 05, 2007; ... A major change in the treatment of advanced or metastatic colon cancer has been made in a new update from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN). The network's "Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Colon Cancer," published in January, were revised to reflect new scientific data ...
AHRQ issues two guides on osteoarthritis
Mar 05, 2007; ... The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ) recently released guides for clinicians and consumers on the use of analgesics for treating pain associated with osteoarthritis (OA). The guides draw on a report, called "Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Analgesics for ...
R.Ph.s can facilitate switch to HFA inhalers
Mar 05, 2007; ... As part of the 1987 international Montreal Protocol treaty to reduce/eliminate substances depleting the ozone layer, CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) propellents in albuterol metered-dose inhalers (MDIs) are gradually being replaced by HFAs (hydrofluoroalkanes). The transition need not be complete until ...
Medicaid switch to AMP carries consequences
Mar 05, 2007; ... The National Community Pharmacists Association is warning that implementation of a proposed rule for reimbursement for generic drugs through Medicaid may result in many pharmacies pulling out of the program or going out of business. Citing the results of a recent Government Accountability Office ...
Pharmacists seek greater role in MTM
Mar 05, 2007; ... As many pharmacists are aware, all Medicare Part D plans must offer medication therapy management (MTM) to assist beneficiaries who (1) have multiple chronic diseases, (2) take multiple medications, and (3) are likely to spend more than $4,000 on medications annually. MTM services are intended ...
Dealing with a problem R.Ph.
Mar 05, 2007; ... Q The district manager of your chain pharmacy searched for a new pharmacist for months, and finally hired someone you know casually. You are assigned to train the new pharmacist before he joins the float pool. During his first few weeks, your lead technician has caught several errors made by ...
'The diabetic patient's reliance on the pharmacist'
Mar 05, 2007; ... 150 Years of American Pharmacy By Reid Paul Editor's note: Throughout 2007, this column, which takes a look at some of the most important moments in the history of pharmacy, will appear in each issue as part of our sesquicentennial celebration. Tied with this column is a pharmacy history ...
Ambulatory care specialty certification under study
Mar 05, 2007; ... Anew specialty certification may be on the horizon. The Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) could offer ambulatory care certification as early as 2008. "BPS got the ball rolling, but we have not committed to the development of this specialty," said BPS executive director Richard Bertin ....
Pharmacists can aid in stroke treatment
Mar 05, 2007; ... Can pharmacist involvement boost the level of inpatient stroke care? Absolutely, said Hong Kao, pharmacist at Canada's Trillium Health Centre in Mississauga, Ontario. Before a clinical pharmacist joined the stroke care team at the 700-bed regional stroke center in 2004, about half of ...
R.Ph.s speak out about OTC version of orlistat
Mar 05, 2007; ... Pharmacists appear pleased with the Food & Drug Administration's recent decision to allow orlistat 60-mg capsules to go over the counter (OTC) in the United States. (See Late-breakers, Feb. 19.) The OTC version, to be marketed by GlaxoSmithKline beginning this summer under the brand name ...
Ready for the new daylight saving time?
Mar 05, 2007; ... It may not be exactly the next Y2K, but analysts warn that few IT systems are prepared for the new Daylight Saving Time that will begin March 11, 2007, and end on Nov. 4. In 2005 Congress passed the Energy Policy Act, which changed the national dates for Daylight Saving Time. If system calendars ...
PAY DIRT
Mar 05, 2007; ... Pharmacist salaries are still climbing, but at a slower rate. Our exclusive survey shows who gets top dollar. Pharmacists aren't in any danger of sliding out of their cushy berth on the middle-class express, as their income keeps heading in the right direction. But the latest biennial ...
A matter of degree: Let's get it right
Mar 05, 2007; ... In the "B.S. vs. Pharm.D." exchanges that have been featured in these pages over recent months, one facet of the issue has been overlooked. A sine qua non of pharmacy is attention to detail, yet these exchanges have, as is so often the case, fallen into using the abbreviation "B.S." to refer ...
LATEBREAKERS
Mar 19, 2007; ... Will 2007 usher in biogenerics? Generic drug industry movers and shakers believe 2007 will be the year affordable generic biopharmaceuticals will reach consumers. "We are on the verge of a new revolution in our industry, and that's the creation of a clear and effective abbreviated ...
Long live us all!
Mar 19, 2007; ... You heard about it last December, when I announced that we would be coming out with a commemorative issue to celebrate our 150th anniversary. So, drumroll please! Ta-da-here it is! A departure from our usual format, this issue takes a look at not only Drug Topics' storied history but also the ...
Hospital pharmacists: Pioneers in clinical pharmacy
Mar 19, 2007; ... Today's hospital pharmacists have evolved to such a point that many pioneering pharmacists like Charles Rice and Harvey A. K. Whitney might not recognize their own profession. Hospital pharmacists are no longer relegated to the basement with their mortar and pestle. They are now ...
A personal journey through hospital pharmacy
Mar 19, 2007; ... Though modest at its inception, the are of growth of hospital pharmacy as a specialty area of practice has been virtually unprecedented in its impact and scope. Since August of 1942, when 162 stalwarts formed the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists in Denver, the role and scope of pharmacy ...
Will warfarin alter regimen?
Mar 19, 2007; ... A frail 75-year-old man, T.W., has been admitted to your hospital. He has a fever of 102°F, along with bloody diarrhea and abdominal pain. Prior to his admission, T.W.'s medications included the following: valsartan (Diovan, Novartis) 80 mg daily, metoprolol 25 mg daily, aspirin 81 mg daily, ...
The Health-System Edition: From its genesis to the present
Mar 19, 2007; ... Serving the informational needs of hospital pharmacists has always been a high priority for Drug Topics. While every issue of the magazine has some articles of interest to hospital R.Ph.s, a concerted effort to reach them is made in every second issue of the month with our Health-System Edition ...
How these luminaries helped shape pharmacy
Mar 19, 2007; ... In recognition of the many shining stars who have guided the profession over the years, Drug Topics caught up with four leaders who have helped shape the practice of health-system pharmacy. These luminaries discussed some of the pressing issues they faced during their tenure at the helm of ASHP ...
How pharmacy technology has evolved: What is and what could be
Mar 19, 2007; ... During the past 50 years, advances in technology have enabled pharmacists to become more efficient and more accurate during the typical day while simultaneously giving pharmacy personnel more time to interact one-on-one with patients. Most of today's hospital pharmacists are probably too ...
Growing standards boost pharmacy practice
Mar 19, 2007; ... Practice standards and innovation are the chicken and egg of health-system pharmacy practice. For regulators, more demanding standards of practice are the impetus behind innovations that improve patient care and outcomes. Joint Commission standards, for example, are designed to improve patient ...
Hospital pharmacies to go high-tech and decentralized
Mar 19, 2007; ... Hospitals and other Healthcare facilities of the future will look more like hotels or office buildings and less like the institutional and often inconveniently designed buildings that many think of today, said Greg Lasker, an assistant professor of building construction management at Purdue ...
LETTERS
Mar 19, 2007; ... Your impact is vast I was desperate to start my own pharmacy after graduating in 1975. My father was a small business entrepreneur and I could not keep a job with the chains; I always wanted more success. I read an article in Drug Topics in 1982 about the Bechtel Building pharmacy in San ...
The times of our life: Highlights in Drug Topics history
Mar 19, 2007; ... When Editor-in-Chief Judy Chi asked me whether I'd like to do a timeline of the major events in the life of Drug Topics, I jumped at the opportunity. It was like revisiting an old friend. My 21-year tenure at the editorial helm of the magazine, which ended in 2001 when I retired far a turn at ...
Pharmacist helped shape U.S. history as Tuskegee Airman
Mar 19, 2007; ... Pumping adrenaline as German planes roared in from behind his squadron in the skies above Anzio, Italy, the rookie pilot jettisoned his P-40 Warhawk's empty external fuel tank to gain speed. Bracing for his first dogfight, he failed to switch on the main fuel tank. A hand-me-down from the Flying ...
Drug development: Which advances had the most impact?
Mar 19, 2007; ... Pharmacists could argue for days over what has been the most significant therapeutic advancement in the past 150 years. Some might consider antibiotics to have had the biggest impact in preventing the spread of bacterial infections, while others could argue that vaccines have had a similar ...
Pharms in arms: Pharmacy responds to the call to duty
Mar 19, 2007; ... Any combat veteran will acknowledge that the two most important members of his squad are the radioman and the field medic, the two prized targets for any enemy sniper. Pharmacists have played an indispensable role in all too many wars and are an important part of the field medical ...
A 'sugar coated' magazine for druggists
Mar 19, 2007; ... 150 Years of American Pharmacy In 1920, Drug Topics' readers were greeted by a new and somewhat different magazine. After 35 years of ownership by drug wholesaler VlcKesson & Robbins (now McKesson), the monthly magazine for druggists and their salesmen was now run by the independent ...
Antique collection turns into poster series
Mar 19, 2007; ... What started as an innocent hobby has become a full-time and expanding art business for Philip McCarthy. The founder of Apothecary Images, McCarthy began collecting antique and historic pharmacy items nearly 20 years ago. "Pharmacists invited me into their basements to see their antique and ...
Pharmacy leaders toast Drug Topics
Mar 19, 2007; ... Many R.Ph.s see Drug Topics as a trusted friend No anniversary celebration would be complete without a few toasts and brief speeches. So Drug Topics asked a sampling of pharmacy leaders to reminisce about what the magazine has meant to them throughout the years and what they like most ...
The evolution of the R.Ph.: No longer 'seen but not heard'
Mar 19, 2007; ... When you start looking, "you find pharmacists at every level of every endeavor and every industry that touches on health care," said pharmacy consultant Marsha K. Millonig, MBA, R.Ph., president of Catalyst Enterprises in Minneapolis. "Pharmacists have gone from making drugs to managing the use ...
Pharmacy education: Change is the only constant
Mar 19, 2007; ... Pharmacy education has been in an almost constant state of change for the past 150 years, since the era when a pharmacist learned by being an apprentice. That era was followed by a combination of apprenticeships and courses at local apothecary schools, and then by matriculating in schools of ...
Generation Next: Pharmacy runs in these families
Mar 19, 2007; ... For 171 years a Thompson has been behind the counter at Thompson Drugs. Six generations of Heimstreets have counseled patients. The fourth generation of Seiferts recently began practice as a pharmacist, while Rupal Patel, a professor of pharmacy, is following the trail her grandfather blazed ... ...
America's oldest pharmacy: Carl's Drug keeps on ticking
Mar 19, 2007; ... John Quincy Adams had been earning his annual $25,000 salary as the sixth U.S. President less than two months when Dr. Adam Carl opened his drugstore in the small south central Pennsylvania town of Greencastle. Despite six relocations, Carl's Drug Store is still firmly woven into the ...
This R.Ph. is 90 years young and still going strong
Mar 19, 2007; ... When Carl Dew was in the seventh grade, his teacher asked the class to practice filling out a job application. "I wrote the application to Lane Drug Co. in Knoxville," said Dew, owner of Corner Drug Store in Lake City, Tenn. Dew, who is 90 years old and has no plans for taking early ...
Exclusive survey: PHARMACY: 2032
Mar 19, 2007; ... The next 25 years hold promise of more clinical involvement and collaboration -and more respect for pharmacists Would you believe it? Automated machines, robots, and kiosks will assume most, if not all, of the prescription dispensing duties over the next 25 years. Well, that's what ...
New technology changing R.Ph.s, not just workplace
Mar 19, 2007; ... Advances in retail pharmacy technology herald a permanent change in the professional focus of community pharmacists. "The division of the role of the community pharmacist into a patientcentered profession and a technical field does represent the future," said Betsy Sleath, Ph.D., R.Ph., ...
The drugstore of the future: Form to follow function
Mar 19, 2007; ... Wonder what the drugstore of the future will look like? Look no further than the business plan of the future. If compounding is key, look for a compounding area front and center. If profits flow from professional services, think individual cubicles, conversation centers, and consulting rooms. If ...
What the crystal ball holds: Experts give their take
Mar 19, 2007; ... At a recent gathering in New York City, members of Drug Topics' Editorial Advisory Board got together to discuss, among other topics, the future of pharmacy. Board members were asked to share their views on what the profession might look like 25 years from now and what the hot issues and ...
Drugs of abuse: A pharmacist's guide
Mar 19, 2007; ... A staggering 10% of the U.S. adult population admits to drug abuse in the past 12 months. Although the majority use controlled substances such as cocaine, opiates, and marijuana illicitly, approximately 15 million per annum abuse prescription medications. Children as young as 10 years of age ...
Is the growth in our drug tab sustainable?
Mar 19, 2007; ... The levels of drug use and expenditures have changed dramatically in the past 150 years. From 1857 to 1929, information on these trends was largely anecdotal in nature. It was only in 1929 that the Department of Commerce reported its first annual census of prescription drug distribution. This ...