Health System

Roche Diagnostics has announced a resolution to a problem with its CoaguChek PT test strips, which were the subject of an Urgent Medical Device Correction issued last October after the strips showed random falsely high INR test results.

CMS proposes paying for darbepoetin (Aranesp, Amgen) and epoetin alfa (Epogen, Amgen; Procrit, Ortho Biotech) only to treat anemia in certain cancer patients. Still to be considered is the use of the antianemia drugs among patients with kidney failure.

The number of deaths from medical errors is higher than that from motor vehicle crashes, breast cancer, or AIDS.

ISMP has reported that New Jersey's Department of Health & Senior Services recently received a report of a premature infant in a neonatal ICU receiving a bag of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) that contained insulin instead of heparin.

Link between IV pumps and medication errors prompt hospitals, health systems to reevaluate IV infusion

The ability of bedside bar-code administration and electronic MARs to catch adverse events and medication errors before they reach patients and then to generate reports and track emerging trends is revolutionizing the way that pharmacists, nurses, and physicians are managing patient safety concerns

The much-anticipated results of recently completed studies on new drugs to treat heart failure (HF) have somewhat dampened the prospects of extending patients' lives

The use of intravenous (IV) syringes for non-IV applications such as enteral feedings poses many risks, especially for the pediatric and neonatal population which has a majority of their oral and enteral doses provided through a gastric tube.

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Health-system pharmacists could raise quality and safety in hospitals. Yet they are underutilized in areas of discharge counseling and drug-abbreviation confusion. Medication errors result.

Pharmacists can help control drug-resistant infections

Three trials at this year's ACC meeting in New Orleans focused on pharmacotherapy effects on cardiovascular disease, one with a strong showing for medical therapy alone versus mechanical intervention.

Hospitals should hold manufacturers accountable for their drug claims in their contracts

Pennsylvania is considering not licensing hospitals that fail to lower their hospital-acquired infection rates. This is a move that worries some pharmacists.

New drugs pending for prostate cancer: sipuleucel-T; DCVax-Prostate; satraplatin

Michigan ranks among top states in teen abuse of Rx drugs The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and local Detroit experts urged parents to take action against the alarmingly high rate of teen prescription drug abuse in Michigan.

The FDA and manufacturer Acorda Therapeutics have made changes to the Contraindications and Warnings sections of the prescribing information for tizanidine (Zanaflex), regarding coadministration with CYP1A2 inhibitors.

DEA plans to make N-phenethyl-4-piperidone (NPP) a List I chemical in an effort to control the illicit manufacture of fentanyl, a schedule II controlled substance.

Beginning on April 30, participating members have been able to more effectively manage the performance programs from seven more drug- companies, including ReoPro (abciximab) from Eli Lilly and Integrilin (eptifibatide) from Schering.

Patients with von Willebrand disease (vWD) undergoing surgery may now benefit from the use of Humate-P (Antihemophilic Factor/von Willebrand Factor Complex) to prevent excessive bleeding during and after surgery.

Data from a new report reveals that competition from authorized generics during the 180-day exclusivity period leads to lower prices and does not reduce or slow the introduction of new generic pharmaceuticals.

The Patient Safety Solutions address the issues of: look-alike, sound-alike medication names; correct patient identification; handover communications; correct procedure at the correct body site; control of concentrated electrolyte solutions; medication accuracy; catheter and tubing misconnections; needle reuse and injection device safety; and hand hygiene.

From coughs and colds to analgesics, pharmacists give their top two OTC brand recommendations in this exclusive Drug Topics survey.

Drug Topics' exclusive OTC Recommendation Survey 2007 finds that R.Ph.s are providing more OTC recommendations and counseling than ever.