Formulary Watch |
All News - Page 110
Azithromycin falls out of favor for common infections
February 25, 2014
The tide has turned against the use of azithromycin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic for common infections since the early 1990s, because of the risk of antimicrobial resistance.
FDA approves Myalept for rare metabolic disease
February 25, 2014
FDA approved metreleptin for injection (Myalept, Amylin Pharmaceuticals) as replacement therapy to treat the complications of leptin deficiency, in addition to diet, in patients with congenital generalized or acquired generalized lipodystrophy.
Health insurance status may determine trauma center care
February 25, 2014
Patients with severe injuries initially evaluated at non-trauma center emergency departments are less likely to be transferred to a trauma center if they have insurance, according to study published online ahead of print in JAMA Surgery.
Opioid prescribing by multiple providers drives up patient hospitalization rate
February 24, 2014
More than 30% of Medicare Part D beneficiaries who receive opioid prescriptions are prescribed them from multiple providers, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. This practice, which goes against recommended guidelines of a single provider prescribing opioids for a patient, was found to be associated with higher rates of opioid-related hospitalization.
Upcoming Medicare decision threatens coverage of cancer test
February 21, 2014
Medicare is considering discontinuing coverage of circulating tumor cell (CTC) assays for beneficiaries across West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
FDA, EMA to work together on pharmacovigilance
February 20, 2014
FDA plans to work closely with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to ensure the safety of medicines, according to a Feb. 19 announcement.
FDA approves treatment for neurogenic orthostatic hypotension
February 20, 2014
FDA approved droxidopa (Northera, Chelsea Therapeutics) capsules for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH).
Actavis plans to buy Forest Labs for $25 billion
February 20, 2014
Actavis plans to purchase Forest Laboratories for approximately $25 billion in a cash and equity deal, creating a combination of “two of the world’s fastest growing specialty pharmaceutical companies, with combined annual revenues of more than $15 billion in 2015,” according to a Feb. 18 announcement.
Pharmacy as a profession drops: U.S. News rankings
February 19, 2014
Pharmacy as a profession dropped a few notches to fifth place in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings for all jobs and placed third on the list of best healthcare jobs, behind nurse practitioner and dentist. It had placed third as the best profession overall last year.
Lawsuits mount over bleeding risks of dabigatran
February 17, 2014
Boehringer Ingelheim is facing lawsuits in the United States over claims that dabigatran etexilate mesylate (Pradaxa) capsules, a blood-thinner used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, causes severe and fatal bleeding.
Opioid use among pregnant women: Surprising rate
February 17, 2014
More than 14% of pregnant women were prescribed opioids for pain at some time during their pregnancy, according to a study published online in Anesthesiology.
New standards for compounding kids’ liquid medicine created by statewide initiative
February 17, 2014
Michigan will be the first state to standardize concentrations for children’s liquid prescriptions, due to a statewide initiative to reduce pediatric medication errors.
30-day hospital readmission rates vary after inpatient rehab
February 17, 2014
Nearly 12% of Medicare patients who receive inpatient rehabilitation following discharge from acute-care hospitalization are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after discharge from the rehabilitation facility, according to a study in the Feb. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
House bill aims to curb teen abuse of cough medicine
February 14, 2014
A bipartisan bill, recently introduced in the House of Representatives, would help to combat the abuse of over-the-counter cough medicine among teenagers.
Lower-intensity statins plus bile acid sequestrant considered good option for some heart patients, study finds
February 12, 2014
Combination therapy with a lower-intensity statin and bile acid sequestrant or ezetimibe lowered LDL cholesterol similar to or better than higher-intensity statin monotherapy among patients with high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), according to a study published February 11 online in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Ovarian cancer risk cut by taking low-dose aspirin
February 12, 2014
Taking low-dose aspirin regularly can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute. However, more research is needed before any recommendations are instituted.
FDA approves single-agent treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia
February 12, 2014
FDA expanded the approved use of ibrutinib (Imbruvica, Pharmacyclics and Janssen Biotech) as a single-agent, oral kinase inhibitor for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who have received at least 1 previous therapy.
Pharma, government, and nonprofit organizations unite in search for new therapies
February 11, 2014
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), FDA, 10 biopharmaceutical companies, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and several nonprofit organizations have launched an unprecedented public/private partnership to “transform the current model for developing new diagnostics and treatments by jointly identifying and validating promising biological targets of disease,” announced a recent statement from the NIH.
First drug of new class available for PAH
February 11, 2014
Riociguat (Adempas, Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals Inc.) was approved by FDA on October 8, 2013 for two patient groups. It is intended for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) World Health Organization (WHO) group 1 to improve exercise capacity, improve WHO functional class, and delay clinical worsening. It is also approved for patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) WHO Group IV who have inoperable or persistent/recurrent postoperative chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), with the intent of improving exercise capacity and WHO functional class.
Naproxen CV safety evidence not conclusive enough to warrant label change, FDA says
February 11, 2014
After examining the latest research on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-specifically whether naproxen carries lower cardiovascular (CV) risks than ibuprofen-an FDA panel has voted down the CV safety claim for naproxen.
AHA issues stroke guidelines for women
February 8, 2014
For the first time, guidelines have been developed for preventing stroke in women.
Engaging pharmacists in health IT key to medication adherence
February 6, 2014
Engaging pharmacists in healthcare information technology is crucial to increasing overall medication adherence in healthcare, panelists on the “Connected Health, Better Adherence” roundtable at the Pew Conference Center in Washington, DC, told attendees last week.
February FDA drug approvals
February 6, 2014
FDA actions in brief, complete response, breakthrough therapy designation, fast-track designation
Will other chain pharmacies follow CVS in banning the sale of cigarettes?
February 6, 2014
An interdisciplinary group of pharmacists, pharmacy school and medical school faculty, pharmacy students, nurses, physicians, attorneys, and health advocates have called on Walgreens and Rite Aid to join CVS Caremark and stop the sale of tobacco products in their stores.
CVS Caremark will drop tobacco products in October
February 5, 2014
CVS Caremark is recognizing that cigarettes and pharmacies don't mix and will stop selling cigarettes and other tobacco products at its more than 7,600 CVS/pharmacy stores across the United States by October 1, 2014. This move makes CVS/pharmacy the first national pharmacy chain to take this step in support of the health and well-being of its patients and customers.
Safety of testosterone products being investigated by FDA
February 4, 2014
FDA said it is investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in men taking FDA-approved testosterone products.
Holes in the drug market place: How do we overcome these obstacles?
February 3, 2014
Complex diseases present complex challenges for researchers, clinicians, drug manufacturers, and FDA for a variety of reasons. The impact, however, is felt at the patient level, particularly when there are no FDA-approved treatments. In some cases, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis, commonly known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), the devastating effects of the disease are exacerbated by the huge deficit in the drug application and approval pipeline. This leaves the patient population with little hope.
The high cost of acute otitis media
February 3, 2014
Researchers recently determined that acute otitis media is associated with an incremental increase in outpatient health care costs of $314 per child per year in the United States, which translates into approximately $2.88 billion in added health care expense annually.
