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JCAHO tightens screws on its infection control standards

Senate and House must reach compromise before Medicare drug benefit passes.

Public Citizen urges feds to regulate patient package inserts, while pharmacy groups argue that they should be left up to industry to take care of.

The American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education launched a campaign to help recruit more pharmacists to teaching using grants totaling $12 million to fund fellowships for pharmacy faculty positions.

The frustration of waiting for callbacks

The amber vial is contributing to patient noncompliance with their drug regimen.

Columbia Laboratories' Striant for men with testosterone deficiency is delivered buccally.

Pharmacists in Maine agree with concept of a drug discount program, but are suspicious of the program's details.

Many states are applying for a waiver under the Pharmacy Plus program in order to obtain funds for a non-Medicaid seniors' drug program, but there is a long-term risk involved.

Striant - testosterone buccal system

Clinicians can now offer their patients with non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma (NHL) therapy that combines targeted radiation with patient-specific dosing. The FDA recently approved tositumomab and iodine I-131 tositumomab (Bexxar, Corixa Corporation/GlaxoSmithKline) for the treatment of patients with CD20-positive, follicular NHL, with and without transformation, whose disease is refractory to rituxamab (Rituxan, Genentech) and has relapsed following chemotherapy. Training can be requested and orders placed by calling (877) 423-9927. Corixa recently began supplying Bexxar to cancer treatment centers.

The amber vial is contributing to patient noncompliance with their drug regimen.

Columbia Laboratories' Striant for men with testosterone deficiency is delivered buccally.

Provisions under House and Senate versions of prescription drug benefits legislation and their impact on FDA final rules regarding generic drug approvals under the Waxman-Hatch Act.

Pharmacy benefit managers are pushing incentive programs.

Interview with Kathleen Jaeger, President of GPhA.

Provisions under House and Senate versions of prescription drug benefits legislation and their impact on FDA final rules regarding generic drug approvals under the Waxman-Hatch Act.

Generic drug use playing larger role in contract negotiations for health benefits with unions.

Generic biologics

2003 is turning out to be a positive year for generic drug approvals.

CMS proposes to eliminate Medicare funding for pharmacy residencies, drawing opposition from pharmacy.

JCAHO offers an alternative way for hospitals to protect patient safety.

FDA advisory committee reevaluates OTC status of ipecac syrup, an OTC since 1965.

A protease inhibitor (PI) that circumvents the problems of earlier PIs such as certain adverse events, a complex dosing regimen, and toxicities such as lipid disturbances and glucose metabolism will soon be available to those infected with HIV. The FDA recently approved atazanavir (Reyataz, Bristol-Myers Squibb) for use in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV infection. Atazanavir will be available in pharmacies sometime this month.

Just in time for the 2003/2004 flu season, clinicians will be able to offer their "needle phobic" patients the first cold-adaptive, live-attenuated influenza vaccine (CAIV) that is administered as a nasal spray. The FDA recently approved influenza virus vaccine live, intranasal (FluMist, MedImmune Vaccines/Wyeth Vaccines) for active immunization for the prevention of disease caused by influenza A and B viruses in healthy children and adolescents, 5 to 17 years old, and healthy adults, 18 to 49 years old. The vaccine will be available in pharmacies beginning in the late summer to early fall.

Philadelphia-based U.S. Attorney Jim Sheehan intervened in two whistleblower lawsuits alleging that Medco Health Solutions violated terms of an Rx benefits contract covering federal employees.

If you are subpoenaed, can you release protected health information under the HIPAA act?

Clinicians who treat persons with Parkinson&s disease will soon be able to offer them the first drug to be approved for the treatment of Parkinson&s in 3 years. The FDA recently approved carbidopa, levodopa, and entacapone (Stalevo, Novartis/Orion Pharma) for the treatment of persons with idiopathic Parkinson&s disease. This new product is indicated as a substitute for immediate-release carbidopa/levodopa and entacapone previously administered as individual drugs, and as a replacement for immediate-release carbidopa/levodopa therapy (without entacapone) when patients experience end-of-dose "wearing-off." Stalevo will be available during the third quarter of 2003.