All News

The New Jersey budget impasse that shut down non-essential government services has hit pharmacies. All claims for Medicaid and PAAD scripts filled up to and including June 30 will be paid, but claims after that date will not be reimbursed until a new budget is adopted.

Purdue Pharma has filled the first orders for its electronic customer ordering system for controlled substances. The system provides secure, paperless real-time access to information about the movement of controlled substances in the supply chain in accordance with DEA requirements, according to the drug company based in Stamford, Conn.

More than seven out of 10 people who responded to a Drug Topics Instant Poll in June are in favor of a New Hampshire law that would ban pharmacies and data-mining companies from selling their prescription data for commercial purposes. They feel the law has merit since it would stop drug reps from getting access to data on what drugs physicians prescribe and using the information to influence prescribing.

PhRMA has revamped its Spanish-language Web site. The new site, found at www.phrma.org/espanol or www.nuestraphrma.org, includes patient-friendly information on health topics and issues of concern to Hispanic audiences.

The FDA announced that Baxter Healthcare Corp. and two of its top corporate executives have signed a consent decree of condemnation and permanent injunction for certain infusion pumps made by the firm. They agreed to stop manufacturing and distributing within the United States all models of the Colleague Volumetric Infusion Pump (Colleague) and the Syndeo Patient Controlled Analgesic Syringe Pump (Syndeo) until they correct manufacturing deficiencies and until the devices are made in compliance with the FDA's current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) requirements and the Quality System (QS) regulation for devices.

To better serve the prescription drug needs of chronic-disease outpatient populations, one of the largest disease management companies is aligning its services with a pharmacy benefit manager in a 10-year collaboration. Medco Health Solutions, a PBM based in Franklin Lakes, N.J., and Nashville-based Healthways recently announced details of a newly formed alliance. The key advantage for patient members will be intervention by pharmacists and other clinical educators armed with more pertinent information earlier in the patient's plan of care. The companies project that the long-term results will be better compliance with clinical practice guidelines, a decreased risk of hospitalization, and ultimately a healthier lifestyle for each patient served by the program.

Caution and vigilance can help pharmacists make the right choice when hiring technicians

Prior to the implementation of Medicare Part D, many senior citizens depended on prescription assistance programs (PAPs) offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers. These programs provide free or low-cost prescription medicine to low-income people who meet the eligibility guidelines.

After almost three years, the Food & Drug Administration has approved Omnitrope (somatropin, Sandoz) as a follow-on version of Pfizer's Genotropin. "Its approval is beneficial for everyone. It also increases competition in the growth hormone market, which will hopefully reduce the price of growth hormones," stated Anita Siu, Pharm.D. and clinical neonatal/ pediatric pharmacotherapy specialist and assistant clinical professor at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers, the state university of New Jersey.

Pharmacists can soon offer to women an extended-use oral contraceptive (OC) regimen that contains low-dose ethinyl estradiol tablets in place of placebo pills. The Food & Drug Administration recently approved levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol and ethinyl estradiol (Seasonique, Barr Laboratories) 0.15 mg/0.03 mg and 0.01 mg tablets for the prevention of pregnancy. Seasonique will be available through retail pharmacies and physicians' offices before the end of the summer.

Recently, the Food & Drug Administration gave the green light to Biogen Idec and Elan's natalizumab (Tysabri) to return to the market through a restricted distribution program. It's been a long and bumpy road for the multiple sclerosis therapy that was withdrawn from the market only three months after its introduction due to a serious side effect that affected three patients and killed two of those three.

The pharmacy community appears to be solidly behind the Food & Drug Administration's recent announcement that it is planning to enforce its long-dormant Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) regulations related to drug pedigrees.

Walgreens to stop filling Rxs for Midwest Health

The Guild for Professional Pharmacists, based in Woodland Hills, Calif., averted a strike by its members after negotiating a tentative agreement with Kaiser Permanente.

Until now, Lumigan (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03% was used as a second-line treatment for glaucoma. Now the Allergan once-daily prescription eyedrop has been approved for first-line treatment of elevated intraocular pressure associated with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

A new combination therapy for late-stage cervical cancer has been approved by the FDA. Topotecan (Hycamtin, GlaxoSmithKline) and cisplatin together can now be used for women in stage IV-B with incurable, recurrent, or persistent cancer of the cervix that has spread to other organs and is not likely to respond to surgery or radiation.

Bevacizumab (Avastin, Genentech) has been approved by the FDA in combination with a 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy regimen as a second-line treatment for metastatic colorectal cancer. The phase III trial that led to the approval of the therapy evaluated 829 patients who received either bevacizumab plus FOLFOX4 (oxaliplatin, 5-FU, leucovorin) or FOLFOX4 alone and who were previously treated with irinotecan (Camptosar, Pfizer) and 5-FU as their initial therapy for metastatic disease or as adjuvant therapy. Results showed a 33% improvement in survival for the combination regimen. Median survival was 13 months versus 10.8 months.

A total of 46,527 students were enrolled in pharmacy schools last fall, compared with 43,908 in 2004, according to the 2005 Profile of Pharmacy Students compiled by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. A total of 8,268 degrees were awarded, up from 8,158 in 2004.

Humira (adalimumab, Abbott) now comes in a pen form for easier one-touch administration by patients. Until now, patients with rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis had to administer Humira as a subcutaneous injection via a prefilled syringe.

Pfizer to sell consumer healthcare businesses to J&J

Arcadia Resources, a provider of home care and staffing services and respiratory and durable medical equipment, has formed a partnership with Physicians' Organization of Western Michigan, a 570-member independent physicians' coalition based in the state. Through POWM's partnership with Meijer, plans are moving forward to open walk-in medical clinics inside select Meijer stores in Indiana.

Dispensing Solutions Inc. (DSI), a Santa Ana, Calif.-based leader in repackaged pharmaceuticals, has launched a drug pedigree program. The program will be implemented nationally for all DSI product lines.

Until now, Novartis Corp.'s Exelon (rivastigmine tartrate) was approved to treat mild to moderate dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease. Now the drug has gained a new indication-to treat mild to moderate dementia related to Parkinson's disease.

The Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA) is partnering with RxPatrol to combat the theft and illegal trafficking of prescription medications and further enhance supply chain security. RxPatrol is an information clearinghouse designed to collect, analyze, and share information on pharmacy robberies, burglaries, and theft of controlled substances.

After being shot down by the state commission on higher education last year, the University of South Alabama (USA) is reworking plans for a new pharmacy school. USA is in talks with Auburn University officials about some type of satellite collaboration on its campus in Mobile.

OK, now it's official. Providing annual vaccination against the flu for staff in hospitals and nursing homes will be a JCAHO standard as of Jan. 1, 2007.

Saddle River Marketing Concepts has earned the Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors accreditation offered by NABP to secure the integrity of the nation's drug supply. The New Jersey-based firm fulfills Rx samples to physicians and trade pack orders for patient assistance programs.

ASHP and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation unveiled plans to establish a center for health-system pharmacy leadership by the end of this year. The center will be a division of the ASHP Research and Educational Foundation and will be located in the organizations headquarters in Bethesda, MD.