Cardinal gets temporary restraining order to halt DEA’s suspension of Florida distribution center
February 7th 2012Cardinal Health has requested a temporary restraining order to block a Drug Enforcement Administration suspension halting controlled-substance shipments from its Lakeland, Fla., distribution center. DEA suspended Cardinal’s distribution license for the Lakeland facility last Friday.
FDA approves extended-release tablets for type 2 diabetes
February 3rd 2012FDA approved sitagliptin and metformin hydrochloride (HCl) extended-release (Janumet XR, Merck) tablets, a new treatment for type 2 diabetes that combines sitagliptin, which is the active component of Januvia (sitagliptin), with extended-release metformin.
Hospitals, healthcare facilities urged to require staffs to get flu shots
February 3rd 2012Hospitals and healthcare facilities should require all employees to get an annual flu shot, a group representing many of the nation?s largest employers emphasized again at a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Study: Emergency visits increase risk of infections for long-term care residents
February 2nd 2012There was an increased risk of acute infection among long-term care residents who visited hospital emergency departments, according to a study published online January 23 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
FDA approves tablets for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes
February 2nd 2012FDA has approved linagliptin/metformin hydrochloride (Jentadueto, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly) tablets, a new tablet that provides a single-tablet treatment option, taken twice-daily, for adult patients who need to control their blood sugar.
Ivacaftor approved by FDA to treat rare form of cystic fibrosis
February 2nd 2012FDA approved ivacaftor (Kalydeco, Vertex Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of a rare form of cystic fibrosis in patients aged 6 years and older who have the specific G551D mutation in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator gene.
SSRIs increase risk of falls, injuries for elderly patients with dementia
February 2nd 2012Nursing home residents with dementia who use average doses of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are 3 times more likely to have a fall resulting in injury compared with those who don?t use SSRIs, according a study published online January 18 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
FDA approves ivacaftor to treat rare form of cystic fibrosis
February 1st 2012FDA approved ivacaftor (Kalydeco, Vertex Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of a rare form of cystic fibrosis in patients aged 6 years and older who have the specific G551D mutation in the Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Regulator gene.
Review raises questions about why government stockpiling zanamivir, oseltamivir
January 31st 2012Zanamivir and oseltamivir (Tamiflu, Roche) can help prevent and treat the symptoms of influenza, but there is not enough information to evaluate the drugs’ safety and efficacy for preventing the spread of flu or pneumonia, according to a new review published online January 18.
Retail groups object to proposed federal limits on generic reimbursement
January 31st 2012Two key retail pharmacy groups, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association, have renewed their opposition to proposed federal upper limits for generic drug reimbursement under Medicaid.