FDA Updates

AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Del., (800) 842-9920, has received FDA approval for Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol. The new inhaler is indicated for long-term maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.

The exhibit floor at the ASHP summer meeting in Orlando was sizzling with the latest wares on display for hospital pharmacy in categories ranging from automation solutions to dispensing equipment, computer hardware and software, drug administration devices, packaging equipment, and pharmacy management services.

AstraZeneca, Wilmington, Del., (800) 842-9920, has received FDA approval for Symbicort (budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate) Inhalation Aerosol. The new inhaler is indicated for long-term maintenance treatment of asthma in patients 12 years of age and older.

In time for back to school, manufacturers have introduced many lice busters, from products that contain natural ingredients to mechanical combs to remove nits and eggs. Here's a preview of this season's lice exterminators

GlaxoSmithKline, Research Triangle Park, N.C., (919) 483-2100, has received approval for Advair HFA (fluticasone propionate and salmeterol xinafoate inhalation aerosol).

Like an ever-changing emporium, drugstores are showcasing many new OTCs. Here's a peek at the new merchandise.

Armed with a plethora of OTC test kits, consumers are taking do-it-yourself screenings to new heights

Armed with a plethora of OTC test kits, consumers are taking do-it-yourself screenings to new heights

Two new medications have been FDA-approved for Endo Pharmaceuticals, Chadds Ford, Pa., (800) 462-3636. Opana (oxymorphone hydrochloride) Extended-Release Tablets, available in 5-, 10-, 20-, and 40-mg strengths, are indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain in patients requiring continuous, round-the-clock opioid treatment for an extended period of time. Opana Tablets are used for the relief of moderate to severe acute pain where the use of an opioid is appropriate. The drug is available in strengths of 5 and 10 mg.

New Product Newswire

Home care providers should be prepared to make changes in the way they do business now that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has published a proposed regulation that would implement competitive bidding programs for certain covered items of durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS). The proposed rule appeared in the May 1 Federal Register.

A consensus panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has come down hard on the lack of science behind the use of multivitamin and mineral supplements for chronic disease prevention. Experts from across the country said that except in a few circumstances, there is not enough evidence to advise the public to take or not take them.

A synthetic cannabinoid agonist has received approval for marketing in the United States for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with cancer chemotherapy.

Battling the effects of aging is getting easier-sort of-thanks to manufacturers who are launching antiaging products for women and men.

When it comes to teenagers and drug abuse, there's good news and bad news. The bad news comes from a recent Partnership for a Drug-Free America Attitude Tracking study of parents and teens. The study reveals that nearly 20%-or more than 4.5 million-of teens report that they have intentionally abused prescription pain medications. One in 10 teens has abused nonprescription cough medicines with the ingredient dextromethorphan (DXM). The good news is that parents and pharmacists can have a major impact on significantly reducing this abusive behavior.

New product newswire

It can be the best time of the year, but poison ivy, muscle aches,insect bites, and scrapes can dampen summertime fun. New productscan ensure that the season is painless, and here's a sampling:

Hot flashes, depression, insomnia, and vaginal dryness are the onlysymptoms of menopause, right? Wrong. For many women, dry eye, too,is related to the changing hormone levels of menopause.

A product of Farmacon-IL LLC, Westport, Conn., (203) 222-8801,NeoProfen (ibuprofen lysine) Injection is indicated to close a"clinically significant" patent ductus arteriosus in prematureinfants weighing 500-1500 grams and who are no more than 32 weeksof gestational age, after fluid restriction, diuretics, andrespiratory support have proven ineffective.

Hot flashes, depression, insomnia, and vaginal dryness are the onlysymptoms of menopause, right? Wrong. For many women, dry eye, too,is related to the changing hormone levels of menopause.

The FDA has approved OsmoPrep Tablets (sodium phosphate monobasicmonohydrate/sodium phosphate dibasic anhydrous) from SalixPharmaceuticals, Raleigh, N.C., (919) 862-1000. The product isindicated for bowel preparation for colonoscopy in adults age 18and older.

Pharmacy is a key player in skin care. From rosacea to common skin infections and psoriasis, pharmacists are playing a growing role in the successful treatment of dermatological problems.

Mission Pharmacal Co. is introducing prescription Citracal Prenatal+ DHA to its line of calcium citrate supplements and prenatalvitamins.

Vitamins that are personalized by patients' genetic makeup. Home tests to identify vaginal infections. Refreshers for underarms. If you think these are ideas for products way off in the future, you're wrong, since they're here already.

RX

Picture this. A respiratory therapist uses a spirometer to determine a patient's lung age. Then a pharmacist provides information about the different types of smoking cessation products and how to use them. The patient also receives free nicotine replacement patches.

Keeping up with new health and beauty care (HBC) product introductions is no easy task, let alone evaluating each item for its profit potential and orientation for the drugstore class of trade. Studying the store's product assortment is not always a realistic goal for busy pharmacists and pharmacy managers.