Pharmacist whacks robber with bat

From the Madison (WI) Capital Times:
A bat-wielding robber had his weapon used against himself when a Walgreens pharmacist took the bat away from the suspect and threw it at the robber, whacking him in the back while the suspect fled out of the store.

Eric Harried, 36, Madison, was arrested and tentatively charged with attempted armed robbery, battery while armed, disorderly conduct and a parole hold, following the holdup attempt Saturday afternoon.

According to Madison police, Harried tried to rob the Walgreens pharmacy at 4518 Cottage Grove Road shortly before 6 p.m. Saturday. ...more

FDA cites 62 reports of possible heparin deaths

From Reuters:
U.S. regulators have received 62 reports of deaths during the last 15 months of patients who were treated with the blood-thinner heparin and suffered allergic reactions or low blood pressure, the Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday.

Those are the problems that prompted Baxter International Inc to recall most of its heparin products in February. ...more

Database puts the squeeze on addicts who rob pharmacies

From the Seattle Post Intelligencer:
Just weeks before last Christmas, Nicholas A. Dent fed his addiction to painkillers through a relentless show of force. In 10 days, he robbed a dozen pharmacies for OxyContin pills before stepping in front a security camera that revealed his identity to police.

Dent, 28, is one of many drug addicts over the past few years behind a spike of violence against pharmacies.

Federal authorities went after the pharmaceutical company making the painkiller, Purdue Pharma, for misleading doctors about the drug's addictiveness. The company was made to pay more than $600 million in fines.

But Purdue has also joined police and crime-prevention groups to stop addicts with a heavy dose of information technology.

Early last month, police officers and pharmacists in the Seattle area were introduced to RxPatrol, a nationwide database of robberies, break-ins and forged prescriptions at pharmacies. ...more

Bush urges new rules on online sales of addictive prescription drugs

From the Los Angeles Times:
President Bush called on Congress on Saturday to pass legislation restricting online sales of powerfully addictive prescription drugs, citing a growing number of overdoses.

Bush referred to San Diego teenager Ryan Haight as he unveiled the 2008 national drug control strategy in his weekly radio address. Haight overdosed on painkillers he bought over the Internet, prompting Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) to introduce the bill that Bush championed Saturday.

The president said his national drug policy had reduced youth drug consumption by 24% since 2001. That progress has been counterbalanced by the growing problem of prescription drug abuse.

"Unfortunately, many young Americans do not understand how dangerous abusing medication can be," Bush said. "In recent years, the number of Americans who have died from prescription drug overdoses has increased." ...more

Drugstore chains rely on pharmacy technicians

From USA Today:
When Americans bring prescriptions to their neighborhood pharmacies, odds are the person in the white lab coat who greets them and enters the prescription in the computer is not a pharmacist. Neither, most likely, is the person who puts the pills in the medicine vial.

They're probably pharmacy technicians, in some cases teenagers with no more than high school diplomas. The nation's largest drugstore chains say technicians don't replace pharmacists. But the companies have come to rely on technicians because of regional shortages of pharmacists and steady increases in prescriptions.

Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain by sales and profits, employs about 39,000 technicians, compared with more than 24,000 pharmacists. CVS, the largest retail chain in terms of store count, employs about 41,000 pharmacy technicians, more than double the 20,000 pharmacists who work for the firm.

Technicians do much of the administrative work pharmacists used to perform, such as prescription data entry, counting pills, filling vials and ringing registers. Depending on your point of view, that's good news, because it frees pharmacists to do more important clinical functions — or bad, because technicians sometimes make mistakes that pharmacists don't catch, and because pharmacists often have little time to help teach the technicians. ...more

Too many prescriptions, too few pharmacies

From the Indianapolis Star:
When Tabitha Jones picked up her stepson's medicine at a Walgreens store near Nashville in 2004, she had no way to know the pharmacy was so busy that its manager had asked for more staffing months earlier to "decrease the pharmacist's stress."

She also had no idea the drug Walgreens gave her that day was a steroid never intended for children, and not the blood pressure drug prescribed to treat Trey Jones' hand tremors and hyperactivity. Walgreens refilled the prescription four times, eventually at double the adult dosage, before the error was caught. The 5-year-old not only went into premature puberty but also erupted in rages.

Trey's parents sued Walgreens, fearing the steroid could stunt the boy's growth or cause liver damage. "We don't know what could happen later on down the road," his father, Robert Jones Jr., said in a 2006 pretrial deposition.

Pharmacy chains say they've spent billions of dollars on safety technology and other improvements that have cut their prescription-error rates to a fraction of 1 percent. As aging baby boomers and other Americans increasingly rely on prescription drugs, an Auburn University pharmacy study in 2003 projected the odds of getting a prescription with a serious, health-threatening error at about 1 in 1,000. That could amount to 3.7 million such errors a year, based on 2006 national prescription volume. ...more

Doctors, patients find ease in e-prescribing

From the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette:
Looking over a prescription refill request, Dr. Jeff Gladd scans his options.

He can approve it or reject it. He can send a note with his decision to the pharmacist.

He can check it against the patient’s medical record to make sure the drug is appropriate, based on past ailments and current medications. And now – like a small but growing number of doctors around the country – Gladd is managing that part of his business work online.

Last year, 35 million prescriptions were routed electronically between health care providers and pharmacies in the U.S. That number was more than the three previous years combined, according to SureScripts, which operates the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange. The exchange facilitates electronic transmission of prescription information between physicians such as Gladd, who practices at Parkview Medical Group-Branch Court in Columbia City, and pharmacists.

“E-prescribing” is, defined by SureScripts, when a physician uses a computer or hand-held computing device to electronically generate and send a prescription to a pharmacist’s computer. ...more

US FDA: 'Bio-identical' hormone claims unsupported

This warning has to be considered a negative for compounding pharmacists in general, even if they aren't involved in the "bio-identical" hormone debate.

From Reuters:
U.S. health officials warned seven pharmacy operators on Wednesday that their claims about the safety and effectiveness of "bio-identical" hormones were false, misleading and not supported by medical evidence.

The pharmacies claimed their hormone products were superior to approved menopause therapies and could be used to prevent and treat serious conditions such as Alzheimer's, strokes and cancer, the Food and Drug Administration said.

"FDA is concerned that the claims for safety, effectiveness, and superiority that these pharmacy operations are making mislead patients, as well as doctors and other health care professionals," an agency statement said.

Drugmaker Wyeth, which sells FDA-approved hormone replacement therapy, had petitioned the agency to take action against makers of bio-identical hormones. ...more

FDA eyes 'behind the counter' drug category with greater clinical role for pharmacists

From the American Medical News:
The Food and Drug Administration is contemplating the establishment of a class of medications that would be available only after counseling from a pharmacist but without a physician's prescription. Physicians widely oppose the development, arguing that it could disrupt continuity of care and put patients at risk.

"We're concerned about patient safety," said Rebecca J. Patchin, MD, an American Medical Association trustee. "If a medication requires oversight, it should be available by prescription, and a physician should be involved in prescribing it and monitoring the patient." The AMA testified in opposition to this action at the FDA's Nov. 14 hearing on the subject.

Known as "behind the counter," this category exists in many other countries in various forms. The FDA is considering the possibility for the fourth time since the 1970s because agency officials feel the emergence of the Internet means that consumers are more informed than ever and the time may be right to make this change in the United States. ...more

Prescription for shortage?

There's no sign that the pharmacist shortage will end anytime soon. Perhaps one of the highest demand locales for pharmacists in the world is Indiana, where three huge mail order pharmacies will soon open and need to hire hundreds of pharmacists.

From the Indianapolis Star:
Bre Taylor has two more years before she graduates from Butler University with a doctorate in pharmacy, but job recruiters around the country are already deluging her with pitches. Starting salaries range from $75,000 to $100,000, sweetened by signing bonuses and tuition reimbursements.

"There's all kinds of job expos, e-mails, drugstores offering us free gifts, companies offering internships," said Taylor, 22, of Vincennes, dressed in a crisp white coat as she mixed an ointment for an assignment in a Butler lab. "I can pretty much go anywhere in the country and have a job."

The reason: A national shortage of pharmacists, fueled by a surge of retirements, a flurry of hospital and drugstore expansions, an aging population and an increased number of prescriptions written. ...more

Medicine man wanted Munday officials work to lure pharmacist

Here's an older article that I wanted to post because I don't think I've ever heard of a town be so aggressive in the pursuit of an independent pharmacist.

From the Wichita Falls (Tex.) Times Record:
It was more than a drug store.

It was the center of life in Munday.

For decades, locals drifted into Smith Drug on Main Street for a cup of coffee, a gift for a friend's birthday and - almost as an afterthought - their prescriptions.

But in March 2006, the out-of-town owners of the store closed the business, creating a huge void that city leaders are working hard to fill, said Munday City Manager Dwayne Bearden.

"People need a pharmacy," he said. "We have one 12 miles away (in Knox City), but it's not as good as having one here. Somebody would be a hero if they could get one here."

The city, along with the Development Corporation of Munday, have been actively trying to lure a pharmacist to town by offering incentives for anyone willing to relocate and reopen the business. ...more

FDA Hears Pros, Cons of Pharmacist-to-Patient Drug Sales

From Forbes:
During a day-long public hearing Wednesday on whether to allow certain drugs to be sold by pharmacists without a prescription, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials listened to arguments for and against the proposal by representatives of various medical and public interest groups.

But at the day's end, the FDA officials said they weren't ready to make a decision on whether to create a new class of drugs that pharmacists could sell "behind-the-counter." And, they wouldn't speculate on a timetable for such a decision. ...more

Federal drug approvals plunge

The American and Canadian drug approval systems often share information and make similar decisions. I suspect the decrease in approvals of new products in the States has likely resulted in some of these products not being approved in Canada. Quite often, these drugs have received approval in other Western countries. Examples would include rimonabant and Arcoxia.

The pendulum has swung regarding North American drug approvals. In the wake of the Vioxx scandal, I suppose it was inevitable. But I wonder how many benficial new medications won't be approved because of the now exceedingly cautious regulatory bodies?

From CNN Money:
Federal drug approvals have plummeted by nearly a third in 2007, according to a report issued Thursday that is likely to fuel complaints that regulators are stymieing efforts to get new treatments on the market.

The Food and Drug Administration approved 59 new drugs through October, down 29 percent from the same period last year, according to a report from James Kumpel, an industry analyst at Friedman, Billings, Ramsey Group.

Significantly, the report says that the problem is not in the industry pipeline.

Kumpel said that the ratio of applications to approvals in 2007 is shaping up to hit a 13-year low. The FDA is on track to approve 60 percent of applications for new drugs this year, compared to 76 percent in 2006.

"While some pundits have argued that the pipeline [of applications] submitted to the FDA by the pharmaceutical industry has been weak in recent years, the facts dispute such claims," said Kumpel, in his report, released on Thursday.

Kumpel found an 18 percent decline in approvals of a key category of drugs - those that are in a brand-new molecular class. The FDA approved only 14 of these new drugs, which represent the most significant medical advances because they do not piggyback onto existing treatments. ...more

FDA Weighs Behind-the-Counter Drugs

I've already posted a few articles regarding the "behind the counter" issue in the States. I thought I'd add this one as well as it has some information I haven't seen elsewhere.

From WebMD:
For at least the fourth time, federal regulators are considering whether pharmacists should be allowed to regularly dispense medications without a doctor's prescription.

Three times since the 1970s, the FDA has rejected the idea of adding a new "behind the counter" class of drugs to existing prescription-only and over-the-counter medication, which can be bought with no professional supervision.

But the new class is once again on the FDA's docket, spurred in part by big drug companies looking for a new way to sell prescription products that the agency has rejected for nonprescription sales. ...more

FDA Mulls Direct Pharmacist-to-Patient Drug Sales

From the Washington Post:
Experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are meeting Wednesday to hear arguments on whether or not pharmacists might someday bypass doctors and directly provide consumers with certain drugs that now require a prescription.

If this plan were to go ahead, it would create a new class of drugs that could be sold by pharmacists "behind-the-counter." Such drugs might include birth control pills, cholesterol drugs and migraine medicine, experts said. Their sales would require that patients discuss these purchases with the pharmacist first.

"We believe having certain drugs behind the counter, but available only after a consultation with a pharmacist, could significantly increase patient access," Ilisa Bernstein, the FDA's director of pharmacy affairs, told theLos Angeles Times.

Wednesday's hearing marks another chapter in the behind-the-counter saga. In 2005, the agency rejected a proposal to allow the cholesterol-lowering drug Mevacor to be sold without a prescription. At the time, however, some of the FDA's scientific advisers said it might be possible for pharmacists to sell the drug if they could help select which customers bought the pills. ...more

Leftover medicine? Pilot project in U.S. advises mixing it with cat litter

This is a new concept. Frankly, I like how our pharmacies accept medications back for disposal better.

From CBC News:
It's time to pooper-scoop your leftover medicine.

Mixing cough syrup, Vicodin or Lipitor with cat litter is the new advice in the United States on getting rid of unused medications. Preferably used cat litter.

It's a compromise, better for the environment than flushing - and one that renders dangerous medicines too yucky to try if children, pets or drug abusers stumble through the trash.

In Canada, the advice might differ as Health Canada tells people not to throw medications into the garbage or toilet, and individual municipalities have their own rules about what can and can't go into landfill sites. Usually, people are urged to take unused medicines back to pharmacies for proper disposal. ...more

How Safe Is Your Prescription?

This is an American article, but I thought I'd include it because I like the part which tells patients what they should do to help pharmacist avoid errors.

From Consumer Affairs:
As an expectant mom, Kendra of Brooklyn, New York wanted the best for herself and her baby. Part of that care was a prenatal vitamin.

“My doctor gave me a prescription for the prenatal vitamin, Primacare One,” wrote Kendra. “I dropped off my prescription at the CVS pharmacy and when I returned to pick up the prescription, I was instead given Prednisone.”

The problem Kendra encountered is one of the most common prescription errors -- the kind that occurs when a pharmacist can’t read the prescription properly. Instead of contacting the authorizing physician to confirm the prescription, the pharmacist plays Russian roulette with someone else’s life. ...more

Prescription power from the pharmacist

Look for a lot more news regarding "behind the counter" status in the United States next week as the FDA starts hearings on November 14. I noticed that the same concerns that physicians have voiced re: pharmacist prescribing in Canada are mentioned in this American debate.

From the Wilmington (DE) News Journal:
Someday soon, you may be able to walk into your local pharmacy and walk out with prescription-strength drugs without ever having seen a doctor.

The Food and Drug Administration is considering creating a new category of drugs that would no longer require a doctor's prescription. The category -- midway between prescription and non-prescription drugs -- would be accessible only after consulting with a pharmacist.

It's far from clear how the FDA's proposed "behind-the-counter" classification would work, but even the idea is stirring up controversy in the health care field. While no drugs have been identified as candidates, experts think drugs such as birth-control pills and migraine pain relievers -- those that patients already take with little physician supervision -- could be among the first to be considered.

Some consumer groups and pharmacists say not having to go through a physician would make it more convenient for patients to get needed drugs. Physicians' groups, on the other hand, have raised patient safety concerns in lining up against the proposal. ...more

Foul Taste Is Part of the Cure

A classic Canadian OTC product goes south...

From the Wall Street Journal:
When drug makers come out with new cough medicines, they typically tout characteristics such as extra strength or improved flavor. But when Novartis starts marketing a Canadian cough mixture in the U.S. today, it will focus on a different feature that it hopes will help the product stand out from the crowd: the medicine's foul taste.
Buckley's ad campaign embraces the foul taste of its cough syrup as a selling point.

Made from camphor, pine needle oil, menthol and Canadian fir balsam gum, Buckley's Cough Mixture has been available since 1919 in Canada, where it has become what Novartis calls the country's "best-selling and worst-tasting" cough medicine. It doesn't contain sugar or alcohol, which other brands use to dull the medicinal flavor.

Novartis, which bought the Buckley's brand in 2002, hopes to convince consumers that the bad taste proves the syrup's effectiveness. "It Tastes Awful. And it Works," is the tagline of the television, print, radio and Internet ads designed by Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi in New York. ...more

FDA proposes new class of medicines

This is an old article, but I thought it was interesting to see that the FDA is considering a "behind the counter" status, much as we have in Canada.

From the Dallas Morning News:
Physicians might be losing their lock on Americans' medicine cabinets.

For years, consumers either showed up at the drugstore with a doctor's prescription or settled for less powerful medications sold over the counter.

Now the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering creating a class of medicines dubbed "behind the counter." It would let consumers buy routine medicines that could include birth control pills, cholesterol drugs and migraine medicine without a prescription – as long as they discuss it with a pharmacist first.

Pharmacists and drug companies like the idea; doctors think it's dangerous. If approved, the new drug classification could go into effect as early as next year.

"We believe having certain drugs behind the counter but available only after a consultation with a pharmacist could significantly increase patient access," said Ilisa Bernstein, the FDA's director of pharmacy affairs. ...more