Pharmacy groups, representing more than 100,000 pharmacists in different pharmacy practice settings, have written to CMS Administrator Marilyn B. Tavenner to express their support for the expansion of medication therapy management (MTM) services to Medicare Part D Beneficiaries in the CMS proposal released in early January.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has issued a policy statement updating its recommendations for off-label drug use in the pediatric population.
FDA drug approvals for the week ending March 7
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries launched loxapine inhalation powder, 10 mg (Adasuve) March 3, for the acute treatment of agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar 1 disorder in adults.
Poor antibiotic prescribing practices are putting patients at risk for allergic reactions, super-resistant infections, and deadly diarrhea cause by Clostridium difficile, according to new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
FDA is allowing generic sales of emergency contraceptives to be sold over the counter, without age restrictions, NPR reported.
Liraglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that received FDA approval for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in 2010. The mechanism of action includes slowing gastric emptying, increasing glucose-dependent insulin secretion, decreasing inappropriate glucagon release, and instilling a feeling of satiety. Liraglutide is administered once daily by subcutaneous injection. Common adverse effects of liraglutide include nausea (28%), diarrhea (17%), vomiting (11%), and constipation (10%).
Patients more than 80 years old are being “over-treated” for stroke prevention and doctors need to actively rethink their priorities and beliefs about stroke prevention, according to a new study published in Evidence Based Medicine.
Stethoscopes can become contaminated with microorganisms following a physical examination and have similar levels of contamination as a physician’s dominant hand, according to a study conducted at a Swiss university teaching hospital in 2009 and published in the March issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
FDA advisors decided against recommending over-the-counter (OTC) marketing approval of Primatene HFA inhaler (Armstrong Pharmaceuticals) for the temporary relief of mild symptoms of intermittent asthma in patients 12 years and older, at last week’s joint meeting of the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee.
FDA has approved hyaluronic acid (HA) injection (Monovisc, Anika Therapeutics), a single-injection supplement to synovial fluid of the osteoarthritic joint, for the treatment of pain and the improvement of joint mobility in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee.
FDA actions in brief, breakthrough therapy designations, priority review, fast-track designations, orphan drug designations
Researchers at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center are one of 18 clinical research centers taking part in a national study to establish guidelines for safely stepping down treatment in patients whose asthma is well controlled.
This season's flu vaccine has reduced the risk of influenza-associated medical visits by 61% across all age groups, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Thus far it appears to be outperforming its predecessor from 2012-2013, which had an effectiveness rate of 51%.
Forest Laboratories plans to discontinue the sale of memantine HCl (Namenda) 5-mg and 10-mg tablets effective August 15, 2014. Forest has notified FDA of this decision.
A coalition of doctors, addiction experts, and law enforcement officials are urging FDA to revoke approval of the powerful opioid Zohydro ER (hydrocodone bitartrate) extended-release capsules, which reportedly will contain 10 times more hydrocodone than Vicodin
Blood pressure medications used by many older adults can increase the risk of serious fall injuries by 30% to 40%-injuries that have a similar effect on mortality and functional loss as the strokes and heart attacks the antihypertensive drugs are meant to prevent-according to a study in the Feb. 24 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine.
In an attempt to determine which patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at high risk for serious adverse events upon presentation to the emergency department, Canadian researchers identified 10 clinical characteristics and developed a preliminary risk scale to help standardize the admission practices of these patients.
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 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.
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.
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.
Medicare is considering discontinuing coverage of circulating tumor cell (CTC) assays for beneficiaries across West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
FDA plans to work closely with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to ensure the safety of medicines, according to a Feb. 19 announcement.
FDA approved droxidopa (Northera, Chelsea Therapeutics) capsules for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH).
