Drug Topics back issues from July 2007:
CMS urges R.Ph.s to review NPI data
Jul 09, 2007; ... Now that more than 2.2 million healthcare providers have received a National Provider Identification (NPI) number, CMS is encouraging providers to view their records to ensure that the information they furnished is current and accurate and does not include private information. Although ...
Medicare fraud strike force convicts owner of Miami DME company
Jul 09, 2007; ... The owner of a Miami healthcare company has been convicted on charges of defrauding the Medicare program of millions of dollars. After a three-day trial in Miami, the federal jury found Gisela Valladares, owner of PRN Home Health Care Inc., guilty on five counts-from conspiracy to defraud the ...
Once-daily PAH drug OK'd
Jul 09, 2007; ... Ambrisentan (Letairis) in 5- and 10-mg tablets has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Gilead Sciences developed and tested the drug in two phase ?? clinical trials, ARIES-1 and ARCES-2, involving 393 patients. Results showed significant ...
First drug to treat fibromyalgia receives go-ahead
Jul 09, 2007; ... Pregabalin (Lyrica) from Pfizer received word from the FDA that its application to use the drug for the treatment of fibromyalgia was approved. In two double-blind clinical trials involving approximately 1,800 patients, results showed the drug decreased pain, a common complaint associated with ...
Combo HTN product gets final approval
Jul 09, 2007; ... Novartis has received final approval for its combination product, Exforge, used to treat hypertension. According to the company, it is the first medication to combine an angiotensin receptor blocker (valsarían [Diovan]) and a calcium-channel blocker (amlodipine [Norvasc]) into a tablet taken ...
Community pharmacies suffer reversals in 2006
Jul 09, 2007; ... By most accounts, 2006 was not a good year for community pharmacies. According to the National Community Pharmacists Association, the number of community pharmacies shrank last year, reversing a five-year growth trend for the industry. Falling profits and margins, NCPA officials insisted, were ...
LETTERS
Jul 09, 2007; ... Don't mandate residency program Should pharmacists be required to take a residency program by the year 2020 before they can provide direct patient care? I think that should be left up to the pharmacist, depending on what kind of job he is seeking or eventually desires and/or the amount ...
New antihistamine gets FDA green light
Jul 09, 2007; ... NEW DRUG Adults and children six years of age and older who suffer with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis will now have another option for relief of their symptoms. Levocetirizine (Xyzal), from UCB Inc. and SanofiAventis, has received regulatory approval from the Food & Drug ...
Community pharmacists gain small MTM foothold
Jul 09, 2007; ... As the Medicare Part D program reaches the halfway point of its second year, only a ifraction of the prescription drug plans are offering medication therapy management programs that are open to community pharmacists. As the new Drug Topics Community Pharmacy MTM programs chart below indicates, ...
Past visions of the future of pharmacy
Jul 09, 2007; ... 150 Years of American Pharmacy 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 contest, ...
Drug-resistant TB: Should Americans be worried?
Jul 09, 2007; ... Most Americans probably never gave tuberculosis (TB) a passing thought until a case of extensively drugresistant TB (XDR-TB) recently made national headlines. An American with XDR-TB traveled from the United States to Europe and back in May, potentially exposing hundreds of fellow travelers to ...
MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT
Jul 09, 2007; ... Chain pharmacies are finding innovative ways to combat medication errors These are undoubtedly nerve-racking times for pharmacy chain executives-what with the recent "20/20" report and numerous stories in the lay press about patients suing pharmacy chains because of prescription ...
FDA hears of problems with Med Guides
Jul 09, 2007; ... The Food & Drug Administration's Medication Guide program, set up nine years ago as a way to inform patients about the risks or special issues with certain drugs, has a host of problems, according to pharmacists and other witnesses at a recent hearing. For specific drugs with serious public ...
Stop losing sleep over insomnia
Jul 09, 2007; ... Insomnia is one of the most commonly reported medical and psychiatric conditions in the United States. For practitioners capable of dozing off during the constant advertising campaigns of agents for insomnia, several factors should serve as a wake-up call about how important treating insomnia is ...
NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE
Jul 09, 2007; ... Rx NEW DRUGS Upsher-Smith Laboratories, Maple Grove, Minn., (800) 654-2299, is marketing Divigel (estradiol gel) 0.1% for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause. Divigel is a quickdrying gel, odorless when dry, that is applied daily to a ...
Can ASHP's 2015 goals be achieved?
Jul 09, 2007; ... Will hospital pharmacists be able to advance patient care and pharmacy practice to a level envisioned by ASHP's 2015 Initiative? It's a daunting task, but we think it can be done if we lay the groundwork for it now. What is ASHP's landmark 2015 Initiative? In June 2001, the association ...
Murder-suicide linked to compounded steroids
Jul 23, 2007; ... Chris Benoît, the professional wrestler who killed his wife and child before killing himself, received medications from a compounding pharmacy at the center of a sprawling steroid probe. Investigators from DEA and the Albany County, N.Y., district attorney who have been examining the records of ...
Alzheimer's patients now have a topical option
Jul 23, 2007; ... For the first time, a transdermal system is available for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Rivastigmine (Exelon, Novartis), previously available as an oral capsule, has been approved by the FDA in a transdermal formulation in two dosages-4.6 mg/24 hours and 9.5 ...
Xolair anaphylaxis risk added to label
Jul 23, 2007; ... A boxed warning label has been added for omalizumab (Xolair, Genentech), and the Warnings, Precautions, and Adverse Reactions sections of the prescribing information have been modified to indicate the risk of anaphylaxis following administration of the asthma therapy. In all, three cases of ...
CMS creates emergency response plan
Jul 23, 2007; ... In an effort to streamline emergency response before it is needed, CMS has announced the formation of the Emergency Prescription Assistance Program (EPAP). According to CMS, its partner Argus Health Systems will begin building a network of pharmacies and the program will work similarly to ...
Calcium not to be given with Rocephin
Jul 23, 2007; ... Labeling revisions for ceftriaxone (Rocephin, Roche) for injection have been made following reports of calcium-ceftriaxone precipitates in the lungs and kidneys, leading to fatal reactions. Cases occurred in both term and premature neonates. Hyperbilirubinemic neonates, especially those who are ...
Walgreens strikes deal to buy Option Care
Jul 23, 2007; ... Walgreen Co. has reached an agreement to purchase specialty pharmacy operator Option Care Inc. for about $850 million. Option Care, based in Buffalo Grove, Ill., provides a full spectrum of specialty-pharmacy and home-infusion services from a national network of more than ...
FDA drug safety bill one step closer to reality
Jul 23, 2007; ... Like the Senate, the House has passed a bill that would give the PDA more authority to ensure drug safety by requiring manufacturers to conduct postmarketing surveillance studies; demand more user fees; and other measures. Since H.R. 2900 ...
Feds propose new rules for Medicare Part B for docs
Jul 23, 2007; ... CMS has proposed new Medicare Part B payment rates and policies for physicians for 2008. Among the provisions, physicians will have to report hemoglobin or hematocrit data on claims for antianemia drugs for cancer patients, vendors supplying physicians with drugs under the competitive ...
Walgreens to pay $24 million to settle discrimination suit
Jul 23, 2007; ... Walgreen Co. has reached a $24 million settlement with plaintiffs who brought a class-action lawsuit alleging that the chain engaged in systematic discrimination against African-American employees. Among the lead plaintiffs in the suit was Johnny Tucker, who has worked as a store manager in ...
Pharmacy groups on warpath over AMP
Jul 23, 2007; ... The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released the final version of its long-awaited average manufacturer price rule to universal condemnation from pharmacy organizations. Speaking for many in the industry, Steven C. Anderson, president and CEO of the National Association of Chain ...
ASHP sets high bar for the profession
Jul 23, 2007; ... As hospital pharmacists look back on all the ASHP meetings they've attended over the years, two things will separate the association's 2007 summer meeting from the pack. It was at this meeting, which took place last month in San Francisco, that ASHP's house of delegates drew a line in the sand ...
AUA issues new guide for prostate cancer
Jul 23, 2007; ... It's been almost 12 years since the American Urological Association (AUA) published its original guidelines on the treatment of prostate cancer. Since that time, many data have been generated, with several pivotal randomized clinical trials completed demonstrating prolongation of life and ...
Cancer treatment more targeted, deaths decline
Jul 23, 2007; ... Researchers at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting stressed that treatment overall is far more targeted, with fewer side effects, than before - and cancer deaths are down for the first time in 70 years. Here are some highlights from the meeting, held recently in ...
Internal program foils antibiotic overuse
Jul 23, 2007; ... Developing an internal program to prevent the overprescribing of antibiotics will increase effectiveness of the drugs and save healthcare organizations money, according to Graeme Forrest, M.D., director of the Antimicrobial Program, University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. He spoke at ...
New therapies favored over old in thyroid cancer
Jul 23, 2007; ... Tried-and-true drugs may not necessarily be the best, at least when it comes to certain types of thyroid cancer. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has updated the clinical practice guidelines for thyroid carcinoma. For thyroid cancers that have metastasized to other areas ...
Are cardiac risks of rosiglitazone legitimate?
Jul 23, 2007; ... The controversy surrounding rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) and cardiac risk prompted the addition of a special symposium devoted to this topic at the 67th Annual Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) held recently in Chicago. Standing behind a ...
Addressing escalation of pain
Jul 23, 2007; ... Earlier today, D.F., a 33-year-old man, underwent outpatient surgery at your hospital. Now, at 5:00 P.M., the nurse practitioner (NP) calls you because she is concerned that D.F. is experiencing intolerable, severe, sharp pain despite the fact he already takes tramadol 100 mg every six hours for ...
ASHP plans campaign for standard patient med list
Jul 23, 2007; ... It's time to push for much greater use of medication lists by consumers, with a standard format for those lists, participants agreed at a recent summit hosted by ASHP. That likely means many people will use a medication list on paper before they use an electronic one, and that's OK, said about ...
Ensuring drug safety in ED: Pharmacists speak out
Jul 23, 2007; ... In January 2007, the Joint Commission issued an interim action for Standard MM 4.10, Element of Performance (EP) 1 for hospitals. It was to clarify the expectations for prospective medication order reviews by pharmacists in the emergency department (ED) and introduce a requirement for ...
Health system to patients: Get a whiff of this ...
Jul 23, 2007; ... A large Indianapolis health system recently began offering aromatherapy through its two retail pharmacies. "It generates a lot of activity for us," said Charles Heitholt, R.Ph., executive director of spring Pharmacy, the division of Health Network (CHN). "Our approach is professional, and I ...
New products help curb injectable med errors
Jul 23, 2007; ... In aligning closely with the recently released 2007 Study of Injectable Medication Errors, Inviro Medical Devices has introduced an integral write-on stripe, InviroSTRIPE, to its complete line of manually retractable InviroSNAP! safety syringes. Together the products are expected to help reduce ...
This tool helps combat drug diversion in the ED
Jul 23, 2007; ... The emergency department can be a fertile target for doctor shoppers. Patients will go from one ED to another, presenting with toothaches, migraines, backaches-the really subjective complaints, according to Teri Kisselbrack, R.N., education coordinator for the ED at Columbia Memorial Hospital, ...
BLOODBATH OVER ESAs?
Jul 23, 2007; ... Citing safety, FDA panel opts for more limits on anemia drugs How should pharmacists and physicians respond to new studies suggesting that widely used anti-anemia drugs may seriously harm cancer patients? In March, the Food & Drug Administration reacted to the new data by placing ...
Experts offer smart tips for smart pumps
Jul 23, 2007; ... Switching from traditional IV (intravenous) pumps to programmable smart pumps is a smart move to improve patient safety. But smart pumps must be part of a smart system to actually boost patient safety and improve outcomes. "The reality is that you can kill a patient with a single button ...
LETTERS
Jul 23, 2007; ... Join me in fighting stroke In reference to your June 18 article, "New stroke guidelines stress speedy treatment," like pharmacist Mullarkey, I mourn the death of National Power to End Stroke Ambassador Yolanda King. As chair of the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Task Force on Power to End ...
New PAH drug improves exercise capacity
Jul 23, 2007; ... Patients improved their six-minute walk distances after taking a new once-daily oral tablet for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Ambrisentan (Letairis), from Gilead Sciences, has been approved by the Food & Drug Administration for patients with PAH (WHO Group 1) with ...
Early drug treatment can benefit AD patients
Jul 23, 2007; ... Drug therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD), particularly early on, have the ability to reduce functional and cognitive decline but don't necessarily work for all patients. This is what pharmacists heard from a leading expert on the issue at the recent American Society of Consultant Pharmacists ...
Pseudoephedrine control moving on-line
Jul 23, 2007; ... Less than a year after pharmacies were required to maintain logbooks of pseudoephedrine sales, law enforcement officials have a simple message for pharmacists: Thank you for your hard work, and get ready for the next stage. "The logbook was a great first step and [on-line tracking] is the ...
Health plans restricting compounded drug payment
Jul 23, 2007; ... The reimbursement opportunities for compounded medications are shrinking. In February,the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that it considers compounded inhaled medications not medically necessary. In addition, Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) have each taken recent ...
Formulary changes and transition policies
Jul 23, 2007; ... Changes to plan formularies continue to be among the most frustrating aspects of the Medicare prescription drug benefit for pharmacists and physicians, and most confusing to beneficiaries. Part D plans must submit a formulary for CMS review as part of the annual review process. A formulary that ...
Are you ready to reconcile medications?
Jul 23, 2007; ... Q Pharmacists at your long-term care pharmacy triage all patients' orders as they are admitted to care facilities. Despite the "medication reconciliation" process now used in most hospitals, some hospital discharge orders are not reviewed by pharmacists before they are sent, based on the type of ...
Pharmacy reacts to the 'dread disease'
Jul 23, 2007; ... 150 Years of American Pharmacy In the early 1980s, a new healthcare crisis slowly burst onto the scene. In 1981, CDC released a little noticed warning about a relatively rare form of pneumonia among a small group of gay men. It would be another year before the disease would have a ...
SUNNY-SIDE DOWN
Jul 23, 2007; ... More than one million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the U.S. this year, but only a handful of late-stage agents remain in development What would you say if you heard that the most commonly diagnosed cancer may not even exist if proper methods of prevention were exercised? ...
These treatments are not so nice to lice
Jul 23, 2007; ... With fall right around the corner, parents must once again brace for possible head lice infestations. Manufacturers have introduced many new lice treatments to lessen parents' anxiety. Here's a sampling of products that make a lousy job easier. On the market * Del Pharmaceuticals ...
FDA considers making changes to RiskMAPs
Jul 23, 2007; ... In February 2005, the monoclonal antibody Tysabri (natalizumab, Elan/Biogen Idee) was withdrawn from the market because three patients taking it developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML). But the medication apparently helps some patients with relapsing forms of multiple ...
A look at delayed- vs. extended-release Rxs
Jul 23, 2007; ... Pharmaceutical manufacturers often create new dosage formulations of the same active ingredient. Are you aware of the implications of these sometimes subtle differences? How many times have you used the terms delayed-release and extended-release interchangeably? Many Food & Drug ...
It's time to build the front end: NACDS
Jul 23, 2007; ... Chain drugstores should concentrate on building a relationship with customers in the front end of the store. So said David W. Bernauer, chairman of Walgreen Co. and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores. Speaking to a packed room at a town hall meeting at the NACDS Marketplace, ...
Anemia: Focus on common types and treatment
Jul 23, 2007; ... Anemia is defined as a reduction in the circulating number of red blood cells or reduction in one or more of the major red blood cell (BPC) measurements, such as hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), or RBC count. Overall, anemia is a symptom of disease that requires further investigation to ...
NEW PRODUCT NEWSWIRE
Jul 23, 2007; ... Rx NEW DRUGS Xyzal (levocetirizine dihydrochloride) is a once-daily antihistamine from UCB Pharma, Smyrna, Ga., (800) 477-7877, and Sanofi-Aventis, Bridgewater, N.J., (908) 243-6000. It is indicated for rapid, long-lasting symptomatic relief of seasonal and perennial allergic ...
Medicare Part B: To stay or go?
Jul 23, 2007; ... The preeminent role that community pharmacies play in home care is being directly challenged today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' DMEPOS (durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies) competitive bidding program and requirement for mandatory ...