by pharmacy on August 30, 2010
Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer has a new idea for lowering prescription medication costs for the state’s residents. Schweitzer has a plan to create a Medicaid program for all the state’s residents that will give them access to the discounts that the state is given from the drug companies. He will be asking the federal government for approval on a Medicaid plan amendment for the state that will set up the program. Residents will be allowed to voluntarily sign up for the benefit coverage, and, Schweitzer argues, it won’t cost the government anything because it will simply be passing along discounts on the drugs.
Schweitzer has also met with Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, a major producer of generic drugs, to see if there are ways that the state can increase its use of generics. Schweitzer has a history of plans to reduce drug costs to Montana residents. His previous plans included importing cheaper drugs from Canada and trying to purchase cheaper medication that was given to the government through the department of Veterans Affairs. Both previous plans were denied federal approval.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jn_rnmSGT9RFLRVrRtmBU-jnu7QwD9HRD5O81
by pharmacy on August 26, 2010
An FDA advisory committee recently suggested that the labeling for the diabetes drug Avandia be changed to reflect concern about the increased risk of heart disease associated with the medication. A recently released study compares the increased risk of heart disease for patients using Avandia and Actos, another diabetes medication.
The results indicated that the risk of heart attack, heart disease, and/or death were the same for both medications. The increased risk was marked at 4% for both prescriptions. The study involved reviewing the medical and death records of over 36,000 patients. The average patient age was 54, and each had been taking either Avandia or Actos for at least 14 months.
The authors of the study noted that the main goal was to determine whether or not a variation of risk occurs between patients taking these medications. Based on their review, the cardiovascular risks for patients taking Avandia and Actos are comparable.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/198939.php
by pharmacy on August 25, 2010
The Senate has unanimously passed S. 3397, the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act, to allow patients to return unused medications safely and legally. Prior to the bill, medications that qualified as controlled substances could only be returned to authorized DEA agents. Under the new legislation, non-DEA authorized personnel as well as long term care facilities will be granted approval to dispose of controlled substances.
The move is aimed at closely monitoring the movement of medications and controlled substances. Many medications come with warnings about appropriate disposal, but few states have mechanisms to assist with such disposal. The state of Maine is currently operating a mail back program that provides patients with envelopes to mail left over medication back to one of several pharmacy sites for proper disposal. The Maine program has come under some scrutiny by lawmakers who are concerned that the envelopes are too easily identified in the mail, and may encourage rerouting of the medications because of their obvious pharmaceutical contents.
The DEA is looking forward to drafting regulations to monitor the return of pharmaceuticals in a way that is safe and convenient for consumers.
http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/Modern+Medicine+News/Senate-passes-prescription-drug-disposal-bill/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/682999?contextCategoryId=47448
by pharmacy on August 23, 2010
A recent study suggests a significant link between heavy acetaminophen use in adolescents and an increased risk of asthma and eczema. The study questioned 13 and 14 year olds as to their use of acetaminophen and the occurrence of asthma and eczema symptoms. The responses were classified into categories of no use, moderate use (at least once per year), and heavy use (once a month or more).
The results indicated that moderate use of acetaminophen in this age group correlated with a 43% higher risk of asthma symptoms and 31% higher risk of eczema. The users in the “heavy” group were 2.51 times more likely to develop asthma symptoms and 99% more likely to report eczema symptoms.
There are several biological reasons that acetaminophen might have this impact on immune response. The explanations range from the possibility of triggering overactive immune response to suppressing immune response to rhinovirus infections, which may aggravate asthma and allergy symptoms. Since the study was based on survey data, authors are urging further trial studies to determine a specifically casual link.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197686.php
by pharmacy on August 4, 2010
Pharmacy quality control is a benefit to pharmacists, employees, and consumers. A functional quality control program is also a requirement of Medicare Part D, many state pharmacy boards, and an increasing number of third-party private payers. Pharmacies are required to show proof of quality control procedures and their impact on daily processing.
Currently on the market are different approaches to quality control that can help pharmacists check for errors before medications reach patients and provide valuable data to help evaluate possible mistakes. The Pass Rx system is able to scan and identify more than 23,000 oral medications to identify prescription errors. It can be used as a final check and is significantly more efficient than a hand check of each medication.
An available program solution is the Pharmacy Quality Commitment (PQC) program that provides the tools and materials to help catch mistakes before the reach consumers and evaluate what may have contributed to those mistakes. Both options provide data that can be used to improve pharmacy function as well as demonstrate an active quality control program.
http://drugtopics.modernmedicine.com/drugtopics/Chains+%26+Business/Web-extra-Quality-assurance-in-the-pharmacy/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/680560?contextCategoryId=47448
by pharmacy on August 3, 2010
The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the vaccines for the upcoming flu season. This year there will be one vaccine that will cover H1N1, a strain of influenza A (Perth), and a strain of influenza B (Brisbane).
The Centers for Disease Control has recently revised recommendations to suggest that everyone over the age of six months receive the vaccine. The CDC does note that there is always a possibility that the vaccine may target the wrong strains of influenza in a given year. They are quick to point out, in the case of incorrect targeting, that the vaccine will still provide some resistance and possibly reduce symptoms for those who contract the virus.
Manufacturers expect to produce around 170 million doses of the vaccine this year. In comparison, the average production per year is around 100 million, but last year the government ordered 200 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine. About 40 million of the H1N1 doses were destroyed after requests for the vaccine diminished last year.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38491809/ns/health-cold_and_flu/
