From the Globe and Mail:
Companies that sell natural health products will soon have unprecedented freedom to promote the ability of vitamins, herbal supplements and non-prescription drugs to prevent serious diseases and medical conditions, including cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
The changes to the federal rules, which take effect June 1, represent a significant boost for the natural health industry, which is eager to increase its credibility and capitalize on a booming market for vitamins and botanical supplements by directly marketing their health claims to consumers.
But medical experts and consumer advocates warn the federal government's decision could result in a flood of deceptive claims about natural health products that are backed up by inadequate or even flawed scientific evidence.
"It seems to me they're [Health Canada] authorizing wholesale misleading claims," said Bill Jeffery, national co-ordinator for the Centre for Science in the Public Interest. "They're giving industry even more latitude and they're prepared to approve even more impressive claims about more worrisome diseases with very little evidence." ...more
Monday, February 04, 2008
Tendering touted as B.C.'s drug solution
From the Vancouver Sun:
The future of British Columbia's Pharmacare program rests in the controversial practice of forcing drug companies to compete for contracts, Health Minister George Abbott says.
'If there's going to be any hope of corralling the ever-escalating costs in this area it is going to be through those [competitive] processes,' Abbott said in a recent interview.
'I don't see any other ready answers to that constant escalation of costs,' he added.
Abbott's comments come as one of the province's first experiments in competition-based contracting remains before the courts.
In November, the government issued a tender asking two companies to compete for a contract to exclusively supply Pharmacare with olanzapine, an anti-psychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. ...more
The future of British Columbia's Pharmacare program rests in the controversial practice of forcing drug companies to compete for contracts, Health Minister George Abbott says.
'If there's going to be any hope of corralling the ever-escalating costs in this area it is going to be through those [competitive] processes,' Abbott said in a recent interview.
'I don't see any other ready answers to that constant escalation of costs,' he added.
Abbott's comments come as one of the province's first experiments in competition-based contracting remains before the courts.
In November, the government issued a tender asking two companies to compete for a contract to exclusively supply Pharmacare with olanzapine, an anti-psychotic medication used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. ...more
Soft drinks related to gout, Vancouver research shows
From the Vancouver Sun:
Men who drink sodas and other sugary soft drinks are more likely to develop a painful joint condition called gout, according to a new long-term study conducted by a Vancouver-based researcher.
The 12-year study of more than 46,000 dentists, pharmacists and veterinarians in the United States and Canada found that as men increased their pop intake, their odds of getting the painful swelling condition spiked.
Choi's research found that men who drank less than one serving per month of sugary soft drinks were least likely to develop gout - a condition which occurs when excess uric acid builds up in the blood, causing crystals to form around the joints, inflicting extreme pain and swelling. ...more
Men who drink sodas and other sugary soft drinks are more likely to develop a painful joint condition called gout, according to a new long-term study conducted by a Vancouver-based researcher.
The 12-year study of more than 46,000 dentists, pharmacists and veterinarians in the United States and Canada found that as men increased their pop intake, their odds of getting the painful swelling condition spiked.
Choi's research found that men who drank less than one serving per month of sugary soft drinks were least likely to develop gout - a condition which occurs when excess uric acid builds up in the blood, causing crystals to form around the joints, inflicting extreme pain and swelling. ...more
Sunday, February 03, 2008
AMA cautions against pharmacist sick certificates
Australian pharmacists can now write a legal sick note for their patients (and charge for this service). As expected, physicians are not happy about this. I'm not so sure how I feel about this one. Is a pharmacist really able to make an assessment that a person is too sick to go to work or school?
From the Australian Broadcasting Corporation:
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) says allowing pharmacists to write sick certificates could have serious repercussions for pharmacists, and lead to misdiagnosis.
Pharmacists across Australia will soon be able to issue medical certificates to sick workers in need of a day off.
However AMA national president Doctor Rosanna Capolingua says it could mean some people will not receive appropriate treatment for a serious illnesses.
"Apart from something such as a headache which could turn out to be significantly serious like meningitis, a tummy upset or a gastroenteritis which is a viral infection, it could in fact be something as serious as a bleeding ulcer," she said. ...more
EU to begin legal proceedings vs Germany on pharmacy ownership
From Forbes:
The European Commission will initiate infringement proceedings against Germany over its restrictions on the ownership of pharmacies by sending a letter of formal notice, a spokeswoman said today.
The commission objects to a German ban on 'multiple ownership' of pharmacies, a problem for the kind of major pharmacy chains seen in Britain, France and elsewhere.
'The commission has decided to send a letter of formal notice to Germany' over the restrictions, a spokeswoman for EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told Agence France-Presse.
According to German chemists' federation BVDA, under the current rules a trained pharmacist is allowed to run one main pharmacy and no more than three affiliates. ...more
The European Commission will initiate infringement proceedings against Germany over its restrictions on the ownership of pharmacies by sending a letter of formal notice, a spokeswoman said today.
The commission objects to a German ban on 'multiple ownership' of pharmacies, a problem for the kind of major pharmacy chains seen in Britain, France and elsewhere.
'The commission has decided to send a letter of formal notice to Germany' over the restrictions, a spokeswoman for EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told Agence France-Presse.
According to German chemists' federation BVDA, under the current rules a trained pharmacist is allowed to run one main pharmacy and no more than three affiliates. ...more
Value of first pharmacist prescriber pilots questioned
The concept of pharmacist prescribing is gaining momentum around the world. But it looks like no matter where you go, physicians are resisting the move in this direction.
From Health Care Republic:
Independent prescriber pharmacists are being put in place in GP surgeries, despite GPC protests that the move threatens the future of general practice.
GP practices in Hampshire are among the first in the country to be using independent prescriber pharmacists.
Stephen Inns, a pharmacist and lecturer at the University of Portsmouth, has been running two four-hour hypertension clinics a week since obtaining his independent prescriber certificate last November.
The clinic treats around 1,800 patients at the Bishops Waltham surgery in south Hampshire, which has a list size of 13,500. ...more
International pharmacy articles
I have posted interesting and/or relevant pharmacy articles in the past, and I'm planning on doing so in the future as well. From now on, I'm going to tag all these posts "world pharmacy news." Typically I have not posted much on the weekend unless I'm really behind, but I'm going to try to put up the international stories on either Saturday or Sunday.
By the way, feedback and comments are always welcome on the site. Also, don't forget to check out the sponsored ads on the right side of the page.
By the way, feedback and comments are always welcome on the site. Also, don't forget to check out the sponsored ads on the right side of the page.
Ottawa moves to reduce price of drug after cancer patients complain of gouging
From the Globe and Mail:
A cancer drug will be subject to retroactive price controls after its cost to patients jumped almost ninefold - to as much as $4,200 a month.
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board ruled that it has jurisdiction over the multiple myeloma drug thalidomide and can regulate its cost.
The next step is for the board to scrutinize the drug's price with an eye to determining whether it is excessive - as patients and at least one cancer agency have charged.
If the price of the half-century-old drug, which can be made for less than a dime per capsule in a Brazilian government laboratory, are found to have been too high over the past 13 years, governments could receive refunds. Today, one capsule costs about $35.
According to E. Richard Gold, a lawyer who specializes in patents, the decision closes a loophole. Since the drug is not licensed by Health Canada and was available only under its special-access program, it avoided price regulation. ...more
A cancer drug will be subject to retroactive price controls after its cost to patients jumped almost ninefold - to as much as $4,200 a month.
The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board ruled that it has jurisdiction over the multiple myeloma drug thalidomide and can regulate its cost.
The next step is for the board to scrutinize the drug's price with an eye to determining whether it is excessive - as patients and at least one cancer agency have charged.
If the price of the half-century-old drug, which can be made for less than a dime per capsule in a Brazilian government laboratory, are found to have been too high over the past 13 years, governments could receive refunds. Today, one capsule costs about $35.
According to E. Richard Gold, a lawyer who specializes in patents, the decision closes a loophole. Since the drug is not licensed by Health Canada and was available only under its special-access program, it avoided price regulation. ...more
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Health Canada investigates Botox
From CBC News:
Health Canada is reviewing safety information on the wrinkle treatment Botox, just days after a call from a U.S. lobby group to increase the warnings on the drug.
Last week, Dr. Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen Health Research Group said severe reactions including deaths have been linked to Botox.
Botox uses botulinum toxin, which blocks nerve impulses to muscles, causing them to relax. But in a few cases, the toxin has spread to other parts of the body, resulting in problems including paralysis of respiratory muscles and difficulty swallowing, potentially leading to food or liquids entering the lungs and causing aspiration pneumonia, Wolfe said.
Botox is traditionally used as a cosmetic treatment to ease facial wrinkles, but is also used for treating spasticity and tense muscles. ...more
Health Canada is reviewing safety information on the wrinkle treatment Botox, just days after a call from a U.S. lobby group to increase the warnings on the drug.
Last week, Dr. Sidney Wolfe of Public Citizen Health Research Group said severe reactions including deaths have been linked to Botox.
Botox uses botulinum toxin, which blocks nerve impulses to muscles, causing them to relax. But in a few cases, the toxin has spread to other parts of the body, resulting in problems including paralysis of respiratory muscles and difficulty swallowing, potentially leading to food or liquids entering the lungs and causing aspiration pneumonia, Wolfe said.
Botox is traditionally used as a cosmetic treatment to ease facial wrinkles, but is also used for treating spasticity and tense muscles. ...more
Cough syrup may harm toddlers; City pharmacist supports study
From the Peterborough (Ont.) Examiner:
Giving cough and cold medication to a child younger than two could do more harm than good, a Peterborough pharmacist says.
Marwah Younis, of Westmount Pharmacy on Charlotte Street, said the medicine in babies could lead to liver problems, over-stimulate the heart or cause an allergic reaction such as hives, itching and pronounced red spots on the skin.
The best way to treat babies with a cough is to use a dehumidifier for congested coughs, or a humidifier for dry coughs, and ensure the child is well-hydrated, she said.
Younis's comments followed news reports of a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which found cough and cold medications send about 7,000 American children under the age of 11 to hospital emergency rooms each year. ...more
Giving cough and cold medication to a child younger than two could do more harm than good, a Peterborough pharmacist says.
Marwah Younis, of Westmount Pharmacy on Charlotte Street, said the medicine in babies could lead to liver problems, over-stimulate the heart or cause an allergic reaction such as hives, itching and pronounced red spots on the skin.
The best way to treat babies with a cough is to use a dehumidifier for congested coughs, or a humidifier for dry coughs, and ensure the child is well-hydrated, she said.
Younis's comments followed news reports of a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which found cough and cold medications send about 7,000 American children under the age of 11 to hospital emergency rooms each year. ...more
Quit-smoking drug linked to serious psychiatric side-effects: FDA
From the Canadian Press:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health warning Friday about a highly touted smoking cessation drug after it was linked to potentially serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Adverse effects have been reported in relation to the prescription medication Chantrix (varenicline), which is sold in Canada under the brand name Champix, including changes in behaviour, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
The FDA has requested that Pfizer, the drug's manufacturer, add the new safety information to the warnings and precautions section of the medication's prescribing information or labelling. The agency also is working with Pfizer to finalize a medication guide for patients.
"Chantix has proven to be effective in smokers motivated to quit, but patients and health-care professionals need the latest safety information to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to use this product," Dr. Bob Rappaport, director of the FDA's division of anesthesia, analgesia and rheumatology products, said in an advisory. ...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a public health warning Friday about a highly touted smoking cessation drug after it was linked to potentially serious neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Adverse effects have been reported in relation to the prescription medication Chantrix (varenicline), which is sold in Canada under the brand name Champix, including changes in behaviour, agitation, depressed mood, and suicidal thoughts and behaviour.
The FDA has requested that Pfizer, the drug's manufacturer, add the new safety information to the warnings and precautions section of the medication's prescribing information or labelling. The agency also is working with Pfizer to finalize a medication guide for patients.
"Chantix has proven to be effective in smokers motivated to quit, but patients and health-care professionals need the latest safety information to make an informed decision regarding whether or not to use this product," Dr. Bob Rappaport, director of the FDA's division of anesthesia, analgesia and rheumatology products, said in an advisory. ...more
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Coroner warns against flu drug overdose
From the Ottawa Citizen:
A Quebec coroner is warning consumers against the dangers of over-the-counter flu medication after a man died last year of an accidental overdose.
In a report tabled Tuesday coroner Andree Kronstrom said that Quebec City resident Yvan Houle died after taking more than the recommended quantity of guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The first one is an expectorant found in cough syrup and the others are decongestants usually found in caplets to cure the flu.
Kronstrom said that 250 mg of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were found in Houle's blood after his death. A caplet usually contains 125 mg of ephedrine for 12 hours relief.
"We don't know what he took exactly and in what quantity, but the combination of those products is what killed him," Kronstrom explained. ...more
A Quebec coroner is warning consumers against the dangers of over-the-counter flu medication after a man died last year of an accidental overdose.
In a report tabled Tuesday coroner Andree Kronstrom said that Quebec City resident Yvan Houle died after taking more than the recommended quantity of guaifenesin, dextromethorphan, ephedrine and pseudoephedrine. The first one is an expectorant found in cough syrup and the others are decongestants usually found in caplets to cure the flu.
Kronstrom said that 250 mg of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine were found in Houle's blood after his death. A caplet usually contains 125 mg of ephedrine for 12 hours relief.
"We don't know what he took exactly and in what quantity, but the combination of those products is what killed him," Kronstrom explained. ...more
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
N.B. to offer HPV vaccination to girls
From CBC News:
New Brunswick will offer a school-based vaccination program to protect girls from the human papillomavirus, beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year.
Health Minister Mike Murphy announced in Saint John on Tuesday that the vaccination, which is meant to serve as protection from cervical cancer, will be part of the province's yet-to-be-released health plan.
"A comprehensive provincial cervical cancer prevention and screening strategy has the potential to drastically reduce this form of cancer in the province," Murphy said.
HPV is among the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada with estimates suggesting about 75 per cent of women will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. ...more
New Brunswick will offer a school-based vaccination program to protect girls from the human papillomavirus, beginning in the 2008-2009 academic year.
Health Minister Mike Murphy announced in Saint John on Tuesday that the vaccination, which is meant to serve as protection from cervical cancer, will be part of the province's yet-to-be-released health plan.
"A comprehensive provincial cervical cancer prevention and screening strategy has the potential to drastically reduce this form of cancer in the province," Murphy said.
HPV is among the most common sexually transmitted infections in Canada with estimates suggesting about 75 per cent of women will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime. ...more
Health Canada reviewing safety of Botox
From CTV News:
Health Canada says it's reviewing safety information about the popular wrinkle treatment Botox and a similar product, Myobloc, following reports out of the United States about side effects and deaths.
The U.S. consumer advocacy group Public Citizen is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require Allergan Inc. to write to doctors warning them that their product Botox and other botulinum toxins marketed in the United States have resulted in "hospitalizations and deaths."
It also wants the FDA to order that Botox and Solstice Neurosciences Inc's Myobloc carry the strongest possible warning, highlighted in a "black box."
Public Citizen said it has reviewed 180 reports submitted to the FDA by manufacturers since the late 1990s involving patients injected with Botox or Myobloc. The reports detailed cases of muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing or aspiration pneumonia -- a serious condition caused by breathing a foreign material into the lungs. ...more
Health Canada says it's reviewing safety information about the popular wrinkle treatment Botox and a similar product, Myobloc, following reports out of the United States about side effects and deaths.
The U.S. consumer advocacy group Public Citizen is asking the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to require Allergan Inc. to write to doctors warning them that their product Botox and other botulinum toxins marketed in the United States have resulted in "hospitalizations and deaths."
It also wants the FDA to order that Botox and Solstice Neurosciences Inc's Myobloc carry the strongest possible warning, highlighted in a "black box."
Public Citizen said it has reviewed 180 reports submitted to the FDA by manufacturers since the late 1990s involving patients injected with Botox or Myobloc. The reports detailed cases of muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing or aspiration pneumonia -- a serious condition caused by breathing a foreign material into the lungs. ...more
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Drug research unaffected by controversial controls on B.C. drug costs
From the Canadian Press:
B.C.'s cost controls on prescription drugs haven't affected the health of medical research investment in this province.
A University of British Columbia study finds the BC PharmaCare policy of refusing to pay for name-brand drugs when generic drugs offer equal results has had no effect on research investment.
The study, by the UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, reveals pharmaceutical research and development has increased from $16 million in 1994 to $50 million in 2005. ...more
B.C.'s cost controls on prescription drugs haven't affected the health of medical research investment in this province.
A University of British Columbia study finds the BC PharmaCare policy of refusing to pay for name-brand drugs when generic drugs offer equal results has had no effect on research investment.
The study, by the UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, reveals pharmaceutical research and development has increased from $16 million in 1994 to $50 million in 2005. ...more
Monday, January 28, 2008
Advocates urge tobacco ban in B.C. drug stores
From the Vancouver Sun:
B.C. is one of the last three provinces in Canada allowing cigarettes and other deadly tobacco products to be sold in pharmacies.
Anti-tobacco advocates argue that sends a conflicting message to people - especially youths - who go to drug stores for health products and counselling.
The issue will be discussed at a meeting Tuesday between B.C. Health Minister George Abbott and the B.C. and Yukon branch of the Canadian Cancer Society. ...more
B.C. is one of the last three provinces in Canada allowing cigarettes and other deadly tobacco products to be sold in pharmacies.
Anti-tobacco advocates argue that sends a conflicting message to people - especially youths - who go to drug stores for health products and counselling.
The issue will be discussed at a meeting Tuesday between B.C. Health Minister George Abbott and the B.C. and Yukon branch of the Canadian Cancer Society. ...more
Surprising rise in drug resistance in seasonal flu viruses worries experts
From the Canadian Press:
Influenza experts admitted Monday they have been startled by the discovery this season of an unexpectedly high number of human flu viruses that appear to be naturally resistant to Tamiflu, the drug that countries around the world are stockpiling for use in the next flu pandemic.
The viruses have been isolated from people infected with influenza A viruses of the H1N1 subtype in a number of European countries.
Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg has reported finding one such virus, in a child believed to have caught the flu abroad, and is speeding up testing to see if there are more.
The World Health Organization is convening a virtual meeting of experts Tuesday to try to get a handle on how far afield the resistant virus has been found, how common it is and what the findings signify. ...more
Influenza experts admitted Monday they have been startled by the discovery this season of an unexpectedly high number of human flu viruses that appear to be naturally resistant to Tamiflu, the drug that countries around the world are stockpiling for use in the next flu pandemic.
The viruses have been isolated from people infected with influenza A viruses of the H1N1 subtype in a number of European countries.
Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg has reported finding one such virus, in a child believed to have caught the flu abroad, and is speeding up testing to see if there are more.
The World Health Organization is convening a virtual meeting of experts Tuesday to try to get a handle on how far afield the resistant virus has been found, how common it is and what the findings signify. ...more
Drive-throughs lead to errors, pharmacists say
From the Columbus (OH) Dispatch:
A drive-through window at your neighborhood drugstore can make picking up medications easier, but some pharmacists say the setup can lead to errors.
In a national survey, an Ohio State University researcher found that a number of pharmacists think the extra steps it takes to serve customers at drive-through windows can cause dispensing errors, miscommunication among staff members and delays in filling prescriptions.
With all the tasks being performed at drugstores -- filling prescriptions, checking insurance coverage, calling doctors' offices and answering patients' questions -- pharmacists say drive-through windows add another chance for errors.
"Maybe for banking and fast-food restaurants a drive-through is great, but I think in your health care, it shouldn't be through a window while you're sitting in a car," said Sheryl Szeinbach, an OSU pharmacy professor and the study's lead author. ...more
A drive-through window at your neighborhood drugstore can make picking up medications easier, but some pharmacists say the setup can lead to errors.
In a national survey, an Ohio State University researcher found that a number of pharmacists think the extra steps it takes to serve customers at drive-through windows can cause dispensing errors, miscommunication among staff members and delays in filling prescriptions.
With all the tasks being performed at drugstores -- filling prescriptions, checking insurance coverage, calling doctors' offices and answering patients' questions -- pharmacists say drive-through windows add another chance for errors.
"Maybe for banking and fast-food restaurants a drive-through is great, but I think in your health care, it shouldn't be through a window while you're sitting in a car," said Sheryl Szeinbach, an OSU pharmacy professor and the study's lead author. ...more
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Drug firms fear abortion pill backlash: MD
From the Toronto Star:
Why is mifepristone, the preferred abortion drug, not available in Canada?
Vancouver physician Ellen Wiebe, who provides medical abortions using less-satisfactory methotrexate, conducted studies with mifepristone more than 10 years ago.
She says, "No drug company has ever applied" to sell it here. The reason is "complex but it's partly because Health Canada is extremely discouraging. We're missing a lot – great contraceptives and other good drugs Europeans and Americans have – because we're not a large market and because fees for registration are very high: $250,000 upfront before anything else happens. That is a barrier."
Also, says Wiebe, major drug companies aren't interested because of the abortion backlash and possible boycotts. Smaller companies "find out what's involved and say, `Not yet, not for us.'" ...more
Why is mifepristone, the preferred abortion drug, not available in Canada?
Vancouver physician Ellen Wiebe, who provides medical abortions using less-satisfactory methotrexate, conducted studies with mifepristone more than 10 years ago.
She says, "No drug company has ever applied" to sell it here. The reason is "complex but it's partly because Health Canada is extremely discouraging. We're missing a lot – great contraceptives and other good drugs Europeans and Americans have – because we're not a large market and because fees for registration are very high: $250,000 upfront before anything else happens. That is a barrier."
Also, says Wiebe, major drug companies aren't interested because of the abortion backlash and possible boycotts. Smaller companies "find out what's involved and say, `Not yet, not for us.'" ...more
Painkiller use stokes death fears
While I agree that work needs to be done to prevent prescription narcotic abuse, I really hope this won't be at the expense of those who genuinely need these medications. I've seen people with abuse problems, but I've also seen a lot of patients who had poorly managed pain control.
From the National Post:
When it comes to consuming prescription opioids, Canadians are world leaders, taking twice as many of the powerful, addictive narcotics as Europeans and 20 times as many as the Japanese.
With some experts afraid the trend could also be exacting a rising death toll, Health Canada is moving to find out how many people succumb to fatal overdoses from the drugs, usually after the pills have ended up on the black market. Evidence from the United States -- one of only two countries that ingest more opioids such as Oxycontin and fentanyl than Canada -- suggests the numbers could be soaring.
Health Canada is hiring outside researchers to come up with a system for tracking the deaths. The results should help decide whether Canadian doctors' propensity for handing out the medicines is justified or not, said one of the addiction scientists commissioned to do the work.
"Part of the assessment of the pluses and minuses is that you have to know how many people die of this," said Dr. Jurgen Rehm, a drug policy expert at Ontario's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. "No matter what opinion you have on the burning drug questions of the day, you need those data…. It's irrational not to have them."
One pain specialist, though, warns against using overdose statistics to curb legitimate use of the drugs since, if anything, they are not prescribed widely enough now for Canadians with genuine pain problems. Painkiller use stokes death fears
Friday, January 25, 2008
A dangerous cocktail
From the Globe and Mail:
The sudden death of 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger, whose body was found Tuesday with sleeping pills nearby, has highlighted the dangers surrounding a drug class prescribed to millions of Canadians each year: sedatives.
An autopsy was inconclusive and more tests are needed to determine how the Australian-born former Oscar nominee died in his SoHo apartment, the New York medical examiner's office said yesterday.
But police reports that sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medications were found in the apartment - combined with a recent interview in which Mr. Ledger said he was using Ambien, a brand of sedative - suggest prescription drugs may have played a role.
While sleeping pills used alone are "reasonably safe," mixing those pills with other sedatives is a dangerous cocktail, said Jack Uetrecht, who holds a Canada Research Chair in immunotoxicology and whose research looks at adverse drug reactions. ...more
The sudden death of 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger, whose body was found Tuesday with sleeping pills nearby, has highlighted the dangers surrounding a drug class prescribed to millions of Canadians each year: sedatives.
An autopsy was inconclusive and more tests are needed to determine how the Australian-born former Oscar nominee died in his SoHo apartment, the New York medical examiner's office said yesterday.
But police reports that sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medications were found in the apartment - combined with a recent interview in which Mr. Ledger said he was using Ambien, a brand of sedative - suggest prescription drugs may have played a role.
While sleeping pills used alone are "reasonably safe," mixing those pills with other sedatives is a dangerous cocktail, said Jack Uetrecht, who holds a Canada Research Chair in immunotoxicology and whose research looks at adverse drug reactions. ...more
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Cold meds offer little or no relief
From the Globe and Mail:
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines have recently come under fire as risky - even potentially fatal - for children under the age of 2. Now, a review of existing research suggests there is little evidence that these medications even work for either children or adults.
"It's an important issue in relation to family medicine," says review co-author Thomas Fahey, a professor of general practice at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland medical school. "Lots of people come to their doctor, either with a cough themselves or more often with their child. And they often resort to taking over-the-counter remedies."
With a dearth of large-scale, definitive studies on the subject, Dr. Fahey and his team examined the most current research available. They looked at 17 studies involving a total of 2,876 adults and eight studies involving 616 children conducted in the United States, Britain, Europe, India, South Africa and Thailand. The studies compared various remedies, such as cough syrups, antihistamines and decongestants, with placebos. ...more
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines have recently come under fire as risky - even potentially fatal - for children under the age of 2. Now, a review of existing research suggests there is little evidence that these medications even work for either children or adults.
"It's an important issue in relation to family medicine," says review co-author Thomas Fahey, a professor of general practice at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland medical school. "Lots of people come to their doctor, either with a cough themselves or more often with their child. And they often resort to taking over-the-counter remedies."
With a dearth of large-scale, definitive studies on the subject, Dr. Fahey and his team examined the most current research available. They looked at 17 studies involving a total of 2,876 adults and eight studies involving 616 children conducted in the United States, Britain, Europe, India, South Africa and Thailand. The studies compared various remedies, such as cough syrups, antihistamines and decongestants, with placebos. ...more
Teamsters open pharmacy
From the Mississauga (Ont.) News:
You won’t find greeting cards, pureed baby food or your favourite hair colouring kit at this pharmacy.
But what the 12,000-strong membership of Teamsters Union 938 will have access to are the common, everyday prescription drugs that many Canadians require in their daily lives.
And a visit to the Sav-Rx Members Pharmacy located right on the premises of the union’s Mississauga headquarters on Matheson Ave. means that if you forgot your wallet at home, it won’t matter. That’s because this new entity — the first of its kind in Canada — features no dispensing and administration fees. In fact, no upfront costs whatsoever.
“The added benefit that members are not required to first pay the pharmacy for their order and later submit their claims for reimbursement make this a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said union president Larry McDonald. ...more
You won’t find greeting cards, pureed baby food or your favourite hair colouring kit at this pharmacy.
But what the 12,000-strong membership of Teamsters Union 938 will have access to are the common, everyday prescription drugs that many Canadians require in their daily lives.
And a visit to the Sav-Rx Members Pharmacy located right on the premises of the union’s Mississauga headquarters on Matheson Ave. means that if you forgot your wallet at home, it won’t matter. That’s because this new entity — the first of its kind in Canada — features no dispensing and administration fees. In fact, no upfront costs whatsoever.
“The added benefit that members are not required to first pay the pharmacy for their order and later submit their claims for reimbursement make this a win-win situation for everyone involved,” said union president Larry McDonald. ...more
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
B.C. arthritis drug access rated low
From the Vancouver Sun:
B.C. ranks toward the bottom of the heap when it comes to providing Pharmacare drug coverage to those with crippling forms of arthritis, an advocacy group for patients said Monday.
The group initially gave the province an F, but upgraded that to a D when it learned the government announced last month it would cover one of the drugs, Humira, for psoriatic arthritis.
The report by Arthritis Consumer Experts initially ranked B.C. with Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island. But with the upgrade, B.C. abruptly moved up to join Yukon in a still-less-than-stellar category near the bottom of all provinces. Quebec had the highest grade -- B-plus -- followed by Ontario with a B. ...more
B.C. ranks toward the bottom of the heap when it comes to providing Pharmacare drug coverage to those with crippling forms of arthritis, an advocacy group for patients said Monday.
The group initially gave the province an F, but upgraded that to a D when it learned the government announced last month it would cover one of the drugs, Humira, for psoriatic arthritis.
The report by Arthritis Consumer Experts initially ranked B.C. with Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island. But with the upgrade, B.C. abruptly moved up to join Yukon in a still-less-than-stellar category near the bottom of all provinces. Quebec had the highest grade -- B-plus -- followed by Ontario with a B. ...more
Family of woman who died of overdose wants MD accountability
From CBC News:
The family of a Calgary woman who died of a toxic combination of prescription drugs wants physicians to be more vigilant in prescribing medication.
Jodie Bruketa, 28, died in January 2004 from an overdose of the painkiller Percocet — which contains a powerful narcotic called oxycodone — and Zopiclone, a sleeping pill. The amount of oxycodone in her blood was about five times the amount expected in someone taking a regular prescription.
Bruketa, who worked as a marketing assistant, was prescribed hundreds of pills in the two months before her death, primarily from one doctor. In total, she visited five different physicians in less than a year. ...more
The family of a Calgary woman who died of a toxic combination of prescription drugs wants physicians to be more vigilant in prescribing medication.
Jodie Bruketa, 28, died in January 2004 from an overdose of the painkiller Percocet — which contains a powerful narcotic called oxycodone — and Zopiclone, a sleeping pill. The amount of oxycodone in her blood was about five times the amount expected in someone taking a regular prescription.
Bruketa, who worked as a marketing assistant, was prescribed hundreds of pills in the two months before her death, primarily from one doctor. In total, she visited five different physicians in less than a year. ...more
Monday, January 21, 2008
Drug Makers Make Name Games Big Business
From Forbes:
Prozac. Viagra. Lipitor.
The names of these incredibly popular medicines don't have defined meanings. But millions of dollars are spent creating just the right sound and image.
Research shows letters with a hard edge like P, T or K convey effectiveness. X seems scientific. L, R or S provide a calming or relaxing feel. Z means speed.
Earlier this month, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. came up with Effient as the name for its new heart drug. "I would call that a fairly bold name because Effient seems to be just a letter or two off from efficient," said Anthony Shore, global director of naming and writing at Landor Associates.
Drug companies often delve into a weird science that ties symbolism to letters or prefixes when they hunt for the next hot brand name. In the case of Prozac, the first syllable makes the speaker pucker up and push out a burst of air, which grabs attention and implies effectiveness, said Jim Singer, who is president of the branding firm Namebase and helped Lilly name the antidepressant. ...more
Prozac. Viagra. Lipitor.
The names of these incredibly popular medicines don't have defined meanings. But millions of dollars are spent creating just the right sound and image.
Research shows letters with a hard edge like P, T or K convey effectiveness. X seems scientific. L, R or S provide a calming or relaxing feel. Z means speed.
Earlier this month, Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly and Co. came up with Effient as the name for its new heart drug. "I would call that a fairly bold name because Effient seems to be just a letter or two off from efficient," said Anthony Shore, global director of naming and writing at Landor Associates.
Drug companies often delve into a weird science that ties symbolism to letters or prefixes when they hunt for the next hot brand name. In the case of Prozac, the first syllable makes the speaker pucker up and push out a burst of air, which grabs attention and implies effectiveness, said Jim Singer, who is president of the branding firm Namebase and helped Lilly name the antidepressant. ...more
Canada's health-care system compares poorly with Europe
From the Edmonton Journal:
...In pharmaceuticals, Canada performs poorly. While the top-ranked health-care states in Europe provide public funding for over 90 per cent of all spending on drugs, we publicly finance just 38 per cent of prescription costs, giving us a failing grade for this indicator. However, price is not the only obstacle to accessible pharmaceuticals for Canadians. Most provinces lack a publicly available formulary that explains in layman's terms what drugs are covered and under what circumstances. While access to new cancer-fighting drugs is about average compared to Europe, new drugs in general are available in Canada for over a year before they are eligible for public funding. One approach to improving access and outcomes might be to lower the ceiling for drug subsidies and promptly include effective new drugs in the formulary. ...more
...In pharmaceuticals, Canada performs poorly. While the top-ranked health-care states in Europe provide public funding for over 90 per cent of all spending on drugs, we publicly finance just 38 per cent of prescription costs, giving us a failing grade for this indicator. However, price is not the only obstacle to accessible pharmaceuticals for Canadians. Most provinces lack a publicly available formulary that explains in layman's terms what drugs are covered and under what circumstances. While access to new cancer-fighting drugs is about average compared to Europe, new drugs in general are available in Canada for over a year before they are eligible for public funding. One approach to improving access and outcomes might be to lower the ceiling for drug subsidies and promptly include effective new drugs in the formulary. ...more
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Pharmacists slammed for tobacco sales
From Vancouver 24 Hours:
The Canadian Cancer Society again condemned cigarette sales in B.C. pharmacies yesterday slamming health professionals who choose profit over their client's wellbeing.
"Pharmacists who prescribe products to make you feel better should not be able to sell cigarettes which, when used as directed, kill," said society spokesperson Kathryn Seely.
In Alberta, legislators passed a bill banning tobacco sales in pharmacies, including big-box stores with a drug dispensary.
The B.C. Pharmacy Association demands proof Alberta's plan to strip pharmacists' ability to sell tobacco, starting in 2009, reduces smoking rates.
For now, "It's a business decision that's being made as to what products are going to be carried elsewhere outside of the dispensary," said BCPA CEO Marnie Mitchell. ...more
The Canadian Cancer Society again condemned cigarette sales in B.C. pharmacies yesterday slamming health professionals who choose profit over their client's wellbeing.
"Pharmacists who prescribe products to make you feel better should not be able to sell cigarettes which, when used as directed, kill," said society spokesperson Kathryn Seely.
In Alberta, legislators passed a bill banning tobacco sales in pharmacies, including big-box stores with a drug dispensary.
The B.C. Pharmacy Association demands proof Alberta's plan to strip pharmacists' ability to sell tobacco, starting in 2009, reduces smoking rates.
For now, "It's a business decision that's being made as to what products are going to be carried elsewhere outside of the dispensary," said BCPA CEO Marnie Mitchell. ...more
Friday, January 18, 2008
School Kids Take Home M & M's In Rx Pill Bottles
This isn't a Canadian story, but I thought it contained some good common sense advice for pharmacists in any country.
From the Knoxville (KY) News Sentinel:
"Take as needed for Yummies in the Tummies," read labels on prescription pill bottles handed out to a Williamsburg Elementary School class.
Dan Powell was seriously concerned about what when on in his daughter's kindergarten class.
"My wife picked her up off the bus and the first thing she said was, 'Look Mommy, I've got some medicine," Powell said.
The class received the bottles after a day in which the careers of parents were discussed.
One student spoke about having a mother who is a pharmacist.
After the presentation, the teacher allowed the bottles to be given out as parting gifts.
"I think we're sending mixed messages for a kindergartner, any kid for that matter, might think take the lid off any pill bottle – it's just M&M's inside," said Powell.
Williamsburg's superintendent, Jeff Weir, found out after another parent called. ...more
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Antidepressants don't work as well as reported, study says
From the Globe and Mail:
Antidepressants are far less effective than doctors have been led to believe, a new study has found.
That's because 88 per cent of clinical trials that showed the drugs didn't work either weren't published in medical journals or were presented as positive findings, says the study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
It provides the first hard data on a practice known as selective reporting, in which the good news about a drug is made public but the bad news isn't. Ethicists say it gives doctors and patients too rosy a picture. Clinicians rely on the medical literature to learn about new drugs and to help them assess whether it is worth prescribing a medication, given the risk of side effects.
The researchers examined the studies that drug companies submitted to the Food and Drug Administration in the United States when they were seeking regulatory approval for 12 antidepressants. The drugs were all approved between 1981 and 2004, and are now widely prescribed. (Canada has its own drug approvals process, which relies on essentially the same information drug companies give the FDA.) ...more
Antidepressants are far less effective than doctors have been led to believe, a new study has found.
That's because 88 per cent of clinical trials that showed the drugs didn't work either weren't published in medical journals or were presented as positive findings, says the study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
It provides the first hard data on a practice known as selective reporting, in which the good news about a drug is made public but the bad news isn't. Ethicists say it gives doctors and patients too rosy a picture. Clinicians rely on the medical literature to learn about new drugs and to help them assess whether it is worth prescribing a medication, given the risk of side effects.
The researchers examined the studies that drug companies submitted to the Food and Drug Administration in the United States when they were seeking regulatory approval for 12 antidepressants. The drugs were all approved between 1981 and 2004, and are now widely prescribed. (Canada has its own drug approvals process, which relies on essentially the same information drug companies give the FDA.) ...more
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Study suggests those taking osteoporosis drugs risk painful bone condition
From the Canadian Press:
Millions of women around the world who take a certain class of osteoporosis drugs may be at higher risk of a painful and disfiguring condition, Canadian researchers warn in a new study.
The study released Tuesday found the popular class of osteoporosis drugs almost tripled the risk of developing bone necrosis.
The study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Montreal's McGill University is the largest of its kind into the connection between the disease and specific brands of bisphosphonates sold under the names Didrocal, Actonel and Fosamax.
The warning follows a recent alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about bisphosphonates and the higher possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain in patients taking the drugs.
"I think the study's important just basically to let the public know if they do experience any severe, unusual pain they could tell their health professional," said Dr. Mahyar Etminan, the principle investigator from the University of British Columbia. ...more
Millions of women around the world who take a certain class of osteoporosis drugs may be at higher risk of a painful and disfiguring condition, Canadian researchers warn in a new study.
The study released Tuesday found the popular class of osteoporosis drugs almost tripled the risk of developing bone necrosis.
The study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and Montreal's McGill University is the largest of its kind into the connection between the disease and specific brands of bisphosphonates sold under the names Didrocal, Actonel and Fosamax.
The warning follows a recent alert from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration about bisphosphonates and the higher possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint and muscle pain in patients taking the drugs.
"I think the study's important just basically to let the public know if they do experience any severe, unusual pain they could tell their health professional," said Dr. Mahyar Etminan, the principle investigator from the University of British Columbia. ...more
Ontario gives pharmaceutical companies $150 million for jobs, research
From the Canadian Press:
Ontario must invest taxpayer dollars in the research and development efforts of big drug companies if it hopes to keep good-paying jobs in the province, Research and Innovation Minister John Wilkinson said Wednesday as he announced a $150-million fund for pharmaceutical firms.
The New Democrats criticized the Liberal government for giving $150 million to one of the most profitable industries in the world, but Wilkinson said Ontario wants to make sure research that leads to a new drug also results in new manufacturing jobs for the province.
"There's a race for global jobs, and our intention is to make sure that we win that race," Wilkinson said after announcing the fund at a Toronto research centre.
"It's very important for us that we partner with industry to make sure that global mandate is secured right here in Ontario, whether it's making cars or it's investments in the bio-pharmaceutical industry."
The fund for pharmaceutical companies is modelled after the province's auto sector fund, a $500-million program that the Liberals say leveraged $7 billion in new investments in Ontario by the big automakers. ...more
Ontario must invest taxpayer dollars in the research and development efforts of big drug companies if it hopes to keep good-paying jobs in the province, Research and Innovation Minister John Wilkinson said Wednesday as he announced a $150-million fund for pharmaceutical firms.
The New Democrats criticized the Liberal government for giving $150 million to one of the most profitable industries in the world, but Wilkinson said Ontario wants to make sure research that leads to a new drug also results in new manufacturing jobs for the province.
"There's a race for global jobs, and our intention is to make sure that we win that race," Wilkinson said after announcing the fund at a Toronto research centre.
"It's very important for us that we partner with industry to make sure that global mandate is secured right here in Ontario, whether it's making cars or it's investments in the bio-pharmaceutical industry."
The fund for pharmaceutical companies is modelled after the province's auto sector fund, a $500-million program that the Liberals say leveraged $7 billion in new investments in Ontario by the big automakers. ...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
Doctors commonly enlist the power of placebos
Have any of the pharmacists reading this ever fill a prescription for an actual placebo tablet? According to the chart at the bottom of the article, it seems that this does occur from time to time.
From the Globe and Mail:
Doctors prescribe placebos more often than patients might imagine.
A survey of Chicago-area physicians found that 45 per cent report they have given a patient a placebo at least once, according to a study published in this month's Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Past surveys of Israeli and Danish doctors revealed that 60 per cent and 85 per cent, respectively, admit they've relied on the "placebo effect" to heal patients.
So, should patients worry about their doctors shamming them?
Maybe not. Though prescribing dummy pills is viewed as ethically shady, the placebo effect can work. Brain-scan research indicates that placebos trigger pain-relieving endorphins in the brain. Indeed, anyone who has ever felt better after taking cough syrup may have enjoyed the placebo effect - some studies suggest that sugar water is just as good at healing sore throats. Belief in medicine can contribute heavily to its success. ...more
Monday, January 14, 2008
Take statins, almost all diabetics are urged
From the Montreal Gazette:
Almost all of the more than 2 million Canadians with diabetes should be taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to a major new study.
Researchers who pooled data from 14 studies involving more than 90,000 people say cholesterol reducers known as statins lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with diabetes by about one-third - even in those whose risk of a major "vascular event" is as low as one per cent per year.
Reporting today in the journal The Lancet, researchers say their study shows "convincingly" most people with diabetes should consider taking statins.
"I know it sounds drastic but this is a group of people we can't be complacent about," says Colin Baigent, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford and a member of the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaborators. ...more
Almost all of the more than 2 million Canadians with diabetes should be taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, according to a major new study.
Researchers who pooled data from 14 studies involving more than 90,000 people say cholesterol reducers known as statins lower the risk of heart attack and stroke in people with diabetes by about one-third - even in those whose risk of a major "vascular event" is as low as one per cent per year.
Reporting today in the journal The Lancet, researchers say their study shows "convincingly" most people with diabetes should consider taking statins.
"I know it sounds drastic but this is a group of people we can't be complacent about," says Colin Baigent, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Oxford and a member of the Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaborators. ...more
Jean Coutu's bet on Rite Aid a loser so far
From the Montreal Gazette:
or many Canadian retailers, venturing into the United States has been the equivalent of a trek through Death Valley.
The number of Canadian companies that have stumbled and fallen in the U.S. retail market is a clear sign what works in this country is no guarantee of success south of the border.
The Jean Coutu Group thought it had solved that problem last winter when it sold off its underperforming U.S. pharmacy chains, Brooks and Eckerd, to Rite Aid, the No. 3 player in the American drug-store market.
As a result, Jean Coutu became the largest single investor in Rite Aid, with a 31-per-cent block of shares and four board seats. It nourished new hope that U.S. managers would do a better job than it could do in that country. ...more
or many Canadian retailers, venturing into the United States has been the equivalent of a trek through Death Valley.
The number of Canadian companies that have stumbled and fallen in the U.S. retail market is a clear sign what works in this country is no guarantee of success south of the border.
The Jean Coutu Group thought it had solved that problem last winter when it sold off its underperforming U.S. pharmacy chains, Brooks and Eckerd, to Rite Aid, the No. 3 player in the American drug-store market.
As a result, Jean Coutu became the largest single investor in Rite Aid, with a 31-per-cent block of shares and four board seats. It nourished new hope that U.S. managers would do a better job than it could do in that country. ...more
New drug good news for diabetics
From the London (Ont.) Free Press:
Peter Gardner knows all about the challenges of managing Type 2 diabetes -- he's been doing it for seven years.
The Londoner, in his 60s, is among the nearly two million Canadians who got some good news recently when Health Canada approved a new class of oral medications for Type 2 diabetes that will help patients control their blood sugar levels without gaining weight, a common problem.
The drugs -- called DPP-4 inhibitors -- also are not associated with hypoglycemia -- dangerously low blood sugar levels that can prove as lethal as skyrocketing levels.
And with a recent study showing 50 per cent of Canadians with Type 2 diabetes are not meeting their blood sugar goals, Dr. Irene Hramiak of St. Joseph's Health Care London said the new inhibitors are a welcome weapon in battling what has become the leading cause of death by disease in North America. ...more
Peter Gardner knows all about the challenges of managing Type 2 diabetes -- he's been doing it for seven years.
The Londoner, in his 60s, is among the nearly two million Canadians who got some good news recently when Health Canada approved a new class of oral medications for Type 2 diabetes that will help patients control their blood sugar levels without gaining weight, a common problem.
The drugs -- called DPP-4 inhibitors -- also are not associated with hypoglycemia -- dangerously low blood sugar levels that can prove as lethal as skyrocketing levels.
And with a recent study showing 50 per cent of Canadians with Type 2 diabetes are not meeting their blood sugar goals, Dr. Irene Hramiak of St. Joseph's Health Care London said the new inhibitors are a welcome weapon in battling what has become the leading cause of death by disease in North America. ...more
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Blood clots, deaths linked to Evra
From the (University of Western Ontario) Gazette:
The Evra birth control patch may be more convenient than the pill for many Canadian women, but new evidence suggests it may also be more dangerous.
The January issue of Health Canada’s Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter documented 16 cases of blood clots and one heart attack in Evra patch users since its arrival on the Canadian market in 2004. Two of the 17 patients reported to Health Canada died as a result.
One documented case of death was that of a 16-year-old, and most of the 93 total adverse reactions Health Canada received were from women in their teens, 20s or early 30s.
The Evra patch, manufactured by Janssen-Ortho Inc., is a prescription-only contraception patch that adheres to the skin, delivering hormones into a woman’s body to prevent pregnancy.
According to IMS Health Canada, a market research company, between January and November 2007, 274,617 Evra prescriptions were dispensed from retail pharmacies.
So far, there has been no conclusive evidence linking the patch with an increased risk of health problems versus other contraception methods. ...more
The Evra birth control patch may be more convenient than the pill for many Canadian women, but new evidence suggests it may also be more dangerous.
The January issue of Health Canada’s Canadian Adverse Reaction Newsletter documented 16 cases of blood clots and one heart attack in Evra patch users since its arrival on the Canadian market in 2004. Two of the 17 patients reported to Health Canada died as a result.
One documented case of death was that of a 16-year-old, and most of the 93 total adverse reactions Health Canada received were from women in their teens, 20s or early 30s.
The Evra patch, manufactured by Janssen-Ortho Inc., is a prescription-only contraception patch that adheres to the skin, delivering hormones into a woman’s body to prevent pregnancy.
According to IMS Health Canada, a market research company, between January and November 2007, 274,617 Evra prescriptions were dispensed from retail pharmacies.
So far, there has been no conclusive evidence linking the patch with an increased risk of health problems versus other contraception methods. ...more
Jean Coutu shares one great deal
From the Financial Post:
Here’s a deal for investors: buy one drug store chain, get one free - or to be precise, 32% of one for free.
Shares in drug store group Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. are so cheap, analysts said Friday, that at Thursday’s closing price of $10.69 for the subordinate voting shares, investors are assigning no value in Coutu’s 32% stake in U.S. drug store giant Rite Aid.
Coutu acquired the stake in Rite Aid last year as partial payment for its troubled 1,858—store Eckerd chain in the U.S., which it had acquired in 2004. In the past year, however, the stock price of Rite Aid has fallen by 66%, exacerbated by a 28% fall in the past week after Rite Aid reported soft December sales. Yesterday, Standard & Poor’s cut Rite Aid’s outlook to stable from negative, maintaining its “B” junk credit rating. ...more
Here’s a deal for investors: buy one drug store chain, get one free - or to be precise, 32% of one for free.
Shares in drug store group Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. are so cheap, analysts said Friday, that at Thursday’s closing price of $10.69 for the subordinate voting shares, investors are assigning no value in Coutu’s 32% stake in U.S. drug store giant Rite Aid.
Coutu acquired the stake in Rite Aid last year as partial payment for its troubled 1,858—store Eckerd chain in the U.S., which it had acquired in 2004. In the past year, however, the stock price of Rite Aid has fallen by 66%, exacerbated by a 28% fall in the past week after Rite Aid reported soft December sales. Yesterday, Standard & Poor’s cut Rite Aid’s outlook to stable from negative, maintaining its “B” junk credit rating. ...more
Marijuana dazes docs
In my practice, I have been asked questions by physicians who were trying to fill out medicinal marijuana government application forms for their patients. The common thread seemed to be that the physicians were willing to try to help the patient, but didn't really know much about creating a treatment plan, just like this article states.
From the Ottawa Sun:
Physicians who approve the use of medicinal marijuana say their clinical knowledge of the drug is hazy and they rely heavily on their patients to help them craft treatment plans, according to in-depth interviews with doctors conducted for Health Canada.
The doctors' knowledge of medical marijuana "had most often come directly (in anecdotal form) from their patients' experience with the drug," concludes the study of physician attitudes done by Montreal firm Les Etudes de Marche Createc.
"This model obscures the boundary between physician and patient and contravenes conventional medical practice which relies almost exclusively on scientific evidence-based information.
"Many physicians expressed concern about this 'blurring' of boundary between patient and doctor." ...more
Mexico pharmacies targeted
You can tell it's an election year in the United States. Over the last year, very little was heard about states working with foreign pharmacies. Now we are starting to hear about Canadian pharmacies again. The article below is the first mention I've seen of a state wanting to work with Mexican pharmacies.
From the (Phoenix) Arizona Republic:
Several states have direct links to Canadian pharmacies to ensure their citizens have access to less expensive prescription drugs.
Yet no state has such formal ties through Web sites or state-sponsored programs to pharmacies in Mexico.
But residents of Arizona and other Southwestern states routinely visit border towns such as Los Algodones near Yuma to buy prescription drugs at large pharmacies catering to tourists.
Now, Gov. Janet Napolitano and her counterparts on both sides of the U.S.-Mexican border have floated an idea that would scrutinize the safety of prescription drugs sold in Mexican border towns. They want to create a cross-border testing and inspection program to ensure drug safety.
Napolitano has initiated talks with Bush administration officials on what it would take to launch such a pilot program with cooperation on both sides of the border. ...more
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Vitamins for bipolar: cure or quackery?
From the Vancouver Sun:
Monica Carsience says it's the answer to her prayers. David Hardy calls it good pig husbandry. Health Canada suggested it was quackery and spent years trying to shut it down.
A dry cocktail of vitamins and minerals that calms aggressive pigs and seems to have eradicated bipolar disorder symptoms in almost 10,000 North Americans, drives these strongly held views. Views that pit bureaucratic rules against a human need for relief and squeeze the scientists in the middle.
Could pig pills really heal a mental illness, the cure for which has long eluded medicine?
Maybe.
Psychiatric experts familiar with it say the widespread anecdotal success of the pig formula indicates research into mental illness should make a sharp shift away from pharmaceuticals to examine the potential of vitamin and mineral therapy. One goes so far as to say it has the potential to be the most significant breakthrough in mental health since the beginning of time. ...more
Monica Carsience says it's the answer to her prayers. David Hardy calls it good pig husbandry. Health Canada suggested it was quackery and spent years trying to shut it down.
A dry cocktail of vitamins and minerals that calms aggressive pigs and seems to have eradicated bipolar disorder symptoms in almost 10,000 North Americans, drives these strongly held views. Views that pit bureaucratic rules against a human need for relief and squeeze the scientists in the middle.
Could pig pills really heal a mental illness, the cure for which has long eluded medicine?
Maybe.
Psychiatric experts familiar with it say the widespread anecdotal success of the pig formula indicates research into mental illness should make a sharp shift away from pharmaceuticals to examine the potential of vitamin and mineral therapy. One goes so far as to say it has the potential to be the most significant breakthrough in mental health since the beginning of time. ...more
Red flag for birth control patch
From the Globe and Mail:
Two Canadian women have died and numerous others have suffered blood clots, heart attacks and other medical problems in the span of about four years after using the well-known but increasingly controversial Evra birth-control patch, according to a Health Canada report.
Although medical research has not concluded there is a direct relationship between the Evra patch and reported problems, concerns have been great enough to raise questions about the product's safety and prompt government health officials to issue warnings in Canada and the United States.
Advocacy groups have also sounded the alarm, with some saying the product should not be on the market.
"[Women] shouldn't use it. It shouldn't be used because it's a new product with no unique advantage," said Sidney Wolfe, director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a U.S.-based consumer group founded by Ralph Nader. ...more
Two Canadian women have died and numerous others have suffered blood clots, heart attacks and other medical problems in the span of about four years after using the well-known but increasingly controversial Evra birth-control patch, according to a Health Canada report.
Although medical research has not concluded there is a direct relationship between the Evra patch and reported problems, concerns have been great enough to raise questions about the product's safety and prompt government health officials to issue warnings in Canada and the United States.
Advocacy groups have also sounded the alarm, with some saying the product should not be on the market.
"[Women] shouldn't use it. It shouldn't be used because it's a new product with no unique advantage," said Sidney Wolfe, director of the health research group at Public Citizen, a U.S.-based consumer group founded by Ralph Nader. ...more
Coutu feels Rite Aid's pain
From the Globe and Mail:
Less than a year ago, senior executives were touting Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc.'s 32-per-cent stake in U.S. pharmacy chain Rite Aid Corp. as a stellar opportunity to reap big rewards from solid growth in the drugstore sector south of the border.
The story – at least on paper – had its merits. Coutu's Rite Aid investment certainly helped offset concerns over how exactly Coutu intended to expand its Canadian drugstore operations beyond its limited Quebec base.
But Rite Aid, which is struggling to cope with fierce competition from bigger rivals, has proven to be a singular headache so far for the Coutu family, which holds a controlling position in the Longueuil, Que.-based Coutu chain.
On Thursday, shareholders are likely to get their first glimpse at what Coutu plans to do about the red ink and poor sales performance at Rite Aid when Coutu reports second-quarter results and management hosts a conference call. ...more
Less than a year ago, senior executives were touting Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc.'s 32-per-cent stake in U.S. pharmacy chain Rite Aid Corp. as a stellar opportunity to reap big rewards from solid growth in the drugstore sector south of the border.
The story – at least on paper – had its merits. Coutu's Rite Aid investment certainly helped offset concerns over how exactly Coutu intended to expand its Canadian drugstore operations beyond its limited Quebec base.
But Rite Aid, which is struggling to cope with fierce competition from bigger rivals, has proven to be a singular headache so far for the Coutu family, which holds a controlling position in the Longueuil, Que.-based Coutu chain.
On Thursday, shareholders are likely to get their first glimpse at what Coutu plans to do about the red ink and poor sales performance at Rite Aid when Coutu reports second-quarter results and management hosts a conference call. ...more
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Vitamin D insufficiency linked to heart disease
From the Globe and Mail:
Heart disease has a long list of known causes, including smoking, obesity and diabetes. But researchers in the United States now say there may be another and somewhat surprising addition to this list: vitamin D insufficiency.
Although it is well known that vitamin D is needed for good bone health, a study released yesterday found that not having enough of the sunshine vitamin is also linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
The research, based on a group of white Americans living near Boston, found that those with low levels of vitamin D in their blood were 62 per cent more likely to develop heart failure, strokes and other circulatory problems than those with more of the nutrient.
Those with both high blood pressure and low vitamin D status had about twice the risk of developing serious cardiac-related problems. ...more
Heart disease has a long list of known causes, including smoking, obesity and diabetes. But researchers in the United States now say there may be another and somewhat surprising addition to this list: vitamin D insufficiency.
Although it is well known that vitamin D is needed for good bone health, a study released yesterday found that not having enough of the sunshine vitamin is also linked to a higher risk of heart disease.
The research, based on a group of white Americans living near Boston, found that those with low levels of vitamin D in their blood were 62 per cent more likely to develop heart failure, strokes and other circulatory problems than those with more of the nutrient.
Those with both high blood pressure and low vitamin D status had about twice the risk of developing serious cardiac-related problems. ...more
FDA Warns On Severe Bone, Muscle Pain With Bone Drugs
From CNN:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monday advised doctors and patients about the possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint or muscle pain linked to popular drugs used to treat osteoporosis and other bone-thinning diseases.
Although a discussion of severe musculoskeletal pain is included in the prescribing information for all of the drugs, the agency said, "the association between bisphosphonates and severe musculoskeletal pain may be overlooked by healthcare professionals."
The drugs - sold under several brand names including Fosamax, by Merck & Co.; Boniva, by Roche Holding AG; Zometa and Reclast, by Novartis AG; and Actonel, by Procter and Gamble Co. - are known as bisphosphonates. ...more
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monday advised doctors and patients about the possibility of severe and sometimes incapacitating bone, joint or muscle pain linked to popular drugs used to treat osteoporosis and other bone-thinning diseases.
Although a discussion of severe musculoskeletal pain is included in the prescribing information for all of the drugs, the agency said, "the association between bisphosphonates and severe musculoskeletal pain may be overlooked by healthcare professionals."
The drugs - sold under several brand names including Fosamax, by Merck & Co.; Boniva, by Roche Holding AG; Zometa and Reclast, by Novartis AG; and Actonel, by Procter and Gamble Co. - are known as bisphosphonates. ...more
Health Canada defends drug alert system
From CBC News:
Despite evidence indicating seniors are being prescribed potentially dangerous drugs, Health Canada says it can't do anything more to make its warnings about these medications more effective.
The department is responding to a CBC News investigation in December revealing that doctors continue to prescribe anti-psychotic drugs to seniors, despite Health Canada warnings in 2005 that the drugs increased the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.
CBC analyzed sales data for the drugs and found that prescriptions increased from seven to 40 per cent for a 24-month period after the warnings. ...more
Despite evidence indicating seniors are being prescribed potentially dangerous drugs, Health Canada says it can't do anything more to make its warnings about these medications more effective.
The department is responding to a CBC News investigation in December revealing that doctors continue to prescribe anti-psychotic drugs to seniors, despite Health Canada warnings in 2005 that the drugs increased the risk of heart attack, stroke and death.
CBC analyzed sales data for the drugs and found that prescriptions increased from seven to 40 per cent for a 24-month period after the warnings. ...more
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Pets’ medicine can be found at drug stores
From the Whitehorse (YT) Star:
Like fighting parents, pharmacies and veterinarian offices are arguing over money, and the customers are caught in the middle.
Pharmacies often sell the same prescription medications as veterinarian offices do, but for cheaper prices.
Veterinarians say they have to charge more for medication to cover the costs of running a business.
Customers are complaining their vets aren’t telling them they can get the same medications more cheaply at local drug stores.
One local pet owner told the Star this week she was outraged after she watched a recent CBC television show that explained veterinarians are charging more for medications, and not telling their customers. She said when her dog developed a cough last fall, the vet bills piled up. ...more
Like fighting parents, pharmacies and veterinarian offices are arguing over money, and the customers are caught in the middle.
Pharmacies often sell the same prescription medications as veterinarian offices do, but for cheaper prices.
Veterinarians say they have to charge more for medication to cover the costs of running a business.
Customers are complaining their vets aren’t telling them they can get the same medications more cheaply at local drug stores.
One local pet owner told the Star this week she was outraged after she watched a recent CBC television show that explained veterinarians are charging more for medications, and not telling their customers. She said when her dog developed a cough last fall, the vet bills piled up. ...more
City offers voluntary plan for imported prescription drugs
I didn't realize that cities and states were trying to set up deals with Canadian pharmacies anymore. Duluth seems to be a bit behind the curve on this issue.
From the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune:
Beginning Monday, city of Duluth employees, dependents and retirees will have a new option for buying brand-name prescription drugs — with the potential of large cost savings for themselves and taxpayers.
Under the voluntary plan, the Canadian firm CanaRx will deliver imported drugs packaged by the original manufacturer directly to people who ordered them. The plan was announced Thursday morning at a City Hall news conference. ...more
Drug approval strategy needed
From the Saskatoon Star Phoenix:
There should be no surprise at the fact that Premier Brad Wall has apparently decided to cover the cancer drug Avastin under the provincial drug plan.
After all, in Opposition the Saskatchewan Party went to great lengths to portray the former NDP administration as a heartless bunch of penny-pinchers for refusing to do it.
The Saskatchewan Party can hardly do otherwise than to follow through and cover Avastin now that it's in government.
Health Minister Don McMorris's confirmation that a final decision will be announced this month brings the new government full circle on the "patient-a-day" political strategy his party pursued in Opposition. ...more
There should be no surprise at the fact that Premier Brad Wall has apparently decided to cover the cancer drug Avastin under the provincial drug plan.
After all, in Opposition the Saskatchewan Party went to great lengths to portray the former NDP administration as a heartless bunch of penny-pinchers for refusing to do it.
The Saskatchewan Party can hardly do otherwise than to follow through and cover Avastin now that it's in government.
Health Minister Don McMorris's confirmation that a final decision will be announced this month brings the new government full circle on the "patient-a-day" political strategy his party pursued in Opposition. ...more
Dozens of drug Web sites falsely claiming certification by professional groups
From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:
The Better Business Bureau and other professional groups are complaining to federal regulators that some Internet pharmacies are falsely claiming they are certified by their organizations, leaving dissatisfied consumers with nowhere to turn.
Most customers said they never received medications they ordered or got drugs that appeared questionable.
The certifying groups learned of the misrepresentations — by dozens of Web sites — when online drug shoppers called to complain about sites they assumed had been approved or were members of the organization. "The numbers just started to add up. These sites are ripping people off," said Gabriel Levitt, vice president of PharmacyChecker.com, whose company certifies 228 Internet pharmacies and offers a Web-based price-comparison tool. Levitt said he had received about 100 complaints within the past 18 months about Web sites using fake PharmacyChecker seals and logos, apparently used to suggest a site's legitimacy. ...more
The Better Business Bureau and other professional groups are complaining to federal regulators that some Internet pharmacies are falsely claiming they are certified by their organizations, leaving dissatisfied consumers with nowhere to turn.
Most customers said they never received medications they ordered or got drugs that appeared questionable.
The certifying groups learned of the misrepresentations — by dozens of Web sites — when online drug shoppers called to complain about sites they assumed had been approved or were members of the organization. "The numbers just started to add up. These sites are ripping people off," said Gabriel Levitt, vice president of PharmacyChecker.com, whose company certifies 228 Internet pharmacies and offers a Web-based price-comparison tool. Levitt said he had received about 100 complaints within the past 18 months about Web sites using fake PharmacyChecker seals and logos, apparently used to suggest a site's legitimacy. ...more
Friday, January 04, 2008
Pfizer vows to fight Canadian firm's version of Lipitor
Could we be seeing a Canadian generic version of Lipitor available in 2008? I suspect that this is merely one skirmish in a long legal battle between Apotex and Pfizer.
From the Canadian Press:
US drug giant Pfizer said Thursday it will appeal a Canadian federal court decision paving the way for the pharmaceutical firm Apotex to launch a generic version of its anti-cholesterol drug Lipitor.
The court had previously denied Pfizer's request to prevent Apotex from launching a generic version of Lipitor prior to the expiration of a Pfizer patent in July 2010.
The drug (atorvastatin calcium) has generated 13 billion dollars in sales worldwide for Pfizer, making it the leading cholesterol-lowering medication. ...more
Researchers identify possible target to stop, block allergy-induced anaphylaxis
I find this extremely interesting. Perhaps in a few years we will see new products in pharmacies based on this enzyme.
From the Canadian Press:
An enzyme found in the blood seems to decrease the severity of allergic reactions, suggesting a way to develop drugs to protect against life-threatening allergies to foods such as peanuts or shellfish or reactions triggered by certain drugs or insect stings, new Canadian-led research suggests.
The study, published in Thursday's issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that people with low levels of PAF acetylhydrolase had more severe allergic reactions than people with higher levels of the enzyme in their blood.
The enzyme breaks down PAF (platelet-activating factor), a chemical produced by the body as part of a severe allergic response.
"For those of us who have higher levels of the acetylhydrolase, we can efficiently and rapidly inactive the PAF, which is harmful," said lead author Dr. Peter Vadas, head of the division of allergy and clinical immunology at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto. ...more
Drug-research spending second to marketing: study
From CTV News:
American drug companies spend almost twice as much on promoting their pills than on researching and developing new ones, finds a new Canadian study.
Marc-Andre Gagnon and Joel Lexchin of Toronto's York University found that American drug companies spent US$57.5 billion on promotional activities in 2004 (the latest year for which figures were available).
By contrast, the industry spent only $31.5 billion on industrial pharmaceutical research and development in the same year, the researchers found using a report by the National Science Foundation.
The analysis, called "The Cost of Pushing Pills: A New Estimate of Pharmaceutical Promotion Expenditures in the United States," is published this week in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine. ...more
American drug companies spend almost twice as much on promoting their pills than on researching and developing new ones, finds a new Canadian study.
Marc-Andre Gagnon and Joel Lexchin of Toronto's York University found that American drug companies spent US$57.5 billion on promotional activities in 2004 (the latest year for which figures were available).
By contrast, the industry spent only $31.5 billion on industrial pharmaceutical research and development in the same year, the researchers found using a report by the National Science Foundation.
The analysis, called "The Cost of Pushing Pills: A New Estimate of Pharmaceutical Promotion Expenditures in the United States," is published this week in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine. ...more
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Scientists testing vaccine for cocaine users
From the Globe and Mail:
Nothing says drug addiction more than a needle and syringe. But that's exactly what a team of U.S. researchers believes can help cocaine users kick their menacing habit.
Two Baylor College of Medicine scientists based in Houston have developed a cocaine vaccine that creates antibodies that bind to the drug and prevent it from travelling from the bloodstream to the brain.
Unable to penetrate the brain, the drug can produce no high.
If the vaccine makes it through regulatory hurdles, it would be the first medication approved to treat cocaine addiction.
“It certainly is a way of combining immunology that had not been used before,” Tom Kosten, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Baylor, said in a telephone interview yesterday. “We had always thought of altering the brain as a way to prevent drug abuse. This way, the drug never gets into the brain to begin with.” ...more
Nothing says drug addiction more than a needle and syringe. But that's exactly what a team of U.S. researchers believes can help cocaine users kick their menacing habit.
Two Baylor College of Medicine scientists based in Houston have developed a cocaine vaccine that creates antibodies that bind to the drug and prevent it from travelling from the bloodstream to the brain.
Unable to penetrate the brain, the drug can produce no high.
If the vaccine makes it through regulatory hurdles, it would be the first medication approved to treat cocaine addiction.
“It certainly is a way of combining immunology that had not been used before,” Tom Kosten, a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience at Baylor, said in a telephone interview yesterday. “We had always thought of altering the brain as a way to prevent drug abuse. This way, the drug never gets into the brain to begin with.” ...more
Health Canada issues warning against two stomach treatments
From Canada.com:
Health Canada is telling parents not to use two natural products for treating upset stomachs in infants and children because of potential bacterial contamination.
Baby's Bliss Gripe Water, apple flavour, 26952V, is a natural health product given to babies to "ease stomach discomfort and gas often associated with colic, hiccups and teething," Health Canada said in an alert to consumers.
The product is distributed by MOM Enterprises, Inc. in California and is sold in a 118.26 millilitre plastic bottle in a cardboard carton. The label reads: Baby's Bliss Pediatrician Recommended Gripe Water Apple Flavor.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the product contains the parasite cryptosporidium which can infect the gastrointestinal tract. "Infections due to cryptosporidium may cause watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and, in some cases, death," Health Canada said. ...more
Health Canada is telling parents not to use two natural products for treating upset stomachs in infants and children because of potential bacterial contamination.
Baby's Bliss Gripe Water, apple flavour, 26952V, is a natural health product given to babies to "ease stomach discomfort and gas often associated with colic, hiccups and teething," Health Canada said in an alert to consumers.
The product is distributed by MOM Enterprises, Inc. in California and is sold in a 118.26 millilitre plastic bottle in a cardboard carton. The label reads: Baby's Bliss Pediatrician Recommended Gripe Water Apple Flavor.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the product contains the parasite cryptosporidium which can infect the gastrointestinal tract. "Infections due to cryptosporidium may cause watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, vomiting and, in some cases, death," Health Canada said. ...more
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Parents ask about cold medicines in wake of safety advisories
From CBC News:
Health professionals in eastern Ontario say they have been getting lots of questions from parents about the safety of giving cold and cough medicines to their children after recent warnings from Health Canada.
The department issued an advisory in October and a reminder in December warning that "life-threatening adverse events, including unintentional overdose" in children under the age of two have been associated with some over-the-counter cold medications.
Since then, pharmacists such as Jean Tang said parents have been asking lots of questions about whether even children between age two and 12 should be given such medicine. ...more
Health professionals in eastern Ontario say they have been getting lots of questions from parents about the safety of giving cold and cough medicines to their children after recent warnings from Health Canada.
The department issued an advisory in October and a reminder in December warning that "life-threatening adverse events, including unintentional overdose" in children under the age of two have been associated with some over-the-counter cold medications.
Since then, pharmacists such as Jean Tang said parents have been asking lots of questions about whether even children between age two and 12 should be given such medicine. ...more
Honey - nature's infection-fighter - making a medical comeback
From the Canadian Press:
Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and nonhealing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic - honey - is making a comeback.
More than 4,000 years after Egyptians began applying honey to wounds, Derma Sciences Inc., a New Jersey company that makes medicated and other advanced wound-care products, began selling the first honey-based dressing this fall after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Called Medihoney, it is made from a highly absorbent seaweed-based material, saturated with manuka honey, a particularly potent type that experts say kills germs and speeds healing. Also called Leptospermum honey, manuka honey comes from hives of bees that collect nectar from manuka and jelly bushes in Australia and New Zealand.
Derma Sciences now sells two Medihoney dressings to hospitals, clinics and doctors in North and South America under a deal with supplier Comvita LP of New Zealand. Derma Sciences hopes to have its dressings in U.S. drug stores in the next six months, followed by adhesive strips. ...more
Amid growing concern over drug-resistant superbugs and nonhealing wounds that endanger diabetes patients, nature's original antibiotic - honey - is making a comeback.
More than 4,000 years after Egyptians began applying honey to wounds, Derma Sciences Inc., a New Jersey company that makes medicated and other advanced wound-care products, began selling the first honey-based dressing this fall after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Called Medihoney, it is made from a highly absorbent seaweed-based material, saturated with manuka honey, a particularly potent type that experts say kills germs and speeds healing. Also called Leptospermum honey, manuka honey comes from hives of bees that collect nectar from manuka and jelly bushes in Australia and New Zealand.
Derma Sciences now sells two Medihoney dressings to hospitals, clinics and doctors in North and South America under a deal with supplier Comvita LP of New Zealand. Derma Sciences hopes to have its dressings in U.S. drug stores in the next six months, followed by adhesive strips. ...more
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Calgary resumes routine vaccinations
From the Globe and Mail:
Routine measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations have resumed for children in Calgary, officials said yesterday, ending the suspension to the program ordered this month after a cluster of serious allergic reactions.
The Calgary Health Region, which is battling a mumps outbreak among young adults that has hit Alberta, said yesterday it has found a new supply of the MMR vaccine. ...more
Routine measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations have resumed for children in Calgary, officials said yesterday, ending the suspension to the program ordered this month after a cluster of serious allergic reactions.
The Calgary Health Region, which is battling a mumps outbreak among young adults that has hit Alberta, said yesterday it has found a new supply of the MMR vaccine. ...more
Doctor faces limits on practice after morphine death
From CTV News:
Quebec's College of Physicians is imposing strict limits on the practice of a Quebec doctor who administered lethal doses of morphine to a terminally ill patient.
In a judgment released Friday in Montreal, the college's discipline committee says it will restrict Genest from clinical practice to protect the public....more
Quebec's College of Physicians is imposing strict limits on the practice of a Quebec doctor who administered lethal doses of morphine to a terminally ill patient.
In a judgment released Friday in Montreal, the college's discipline committee says it will restrict Genest from clinical practice to protect the public....more
New safety warnings regarding ALERTEC® * (modafinil) and serious rash, allergic reactions, and mental problems
From Health Canada:
Alertec® (modafinil) is used to relieve excessive sleepiness due to medical conditions called narcolepsy (uncontrollable, brief episodes of daytime sleepiness), obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (breathing abnormalities during sleep) and shift work sleep disorder. Shire Canada Inc., in consultation with Health Canada, would like to inform you of new safety information regarding Alertec®:
For Health Professionals
For the Public
Alertec® (modafinil) is used to relieve excessive sleepiness due to medical conditions called narcolepsy (uncontrollable, brief episodes of daytime sleepiness), obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (breathing abnormalities during sleep) and shift work sleep disorder. Shire Canada Inc., in consultation with Health Canada, would like to inform you of new safety information regarding Alertec®:
For Health Professionals
For the Public
Jean Coutu breaks into generic drug manufacturing
From the Globe and Mail:
In a departure from its core business, drugstore chain Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. is diversifying into the manufacturing of generic drugs.
Longueuil, Que.-based Jean Coutu said yesterday it has acquired Pro-Doc Ltée., a small generic drug maker based in Laval, Que. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Jean Coutu made the announcement on the same day it learned its stake in U.S. drugstore giant Rite Aid Corp. took a $325-million (U.S.) hit.
"This is a new activity for us. It follows on our having sold our U.S. operations and repaying most of our debt and seeking new growth opportunities," said André Belzile, Jean Coutu's senior vice-president of finance and corporate affairs.
"It's embryonic. We want to learn. We'll see where it takes us," Mr. Belzile said in an interview. ...more
In a departure from its core business, drugstore chain Jean Coutu Group (PJC) Inc. is diversifying into the manufacturing of generic drugs.
Longueuil, Que.-based Jean Coutu said yesterday it has acquired Pro-Doc Ltée., a small generic drug maker based in Laval, Que. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Jean Coutu made the announcement on the same day it learned its stake in U.S. drugstore giant Rite Aid Corp. took a $325-million (U.S.) hit.
"This is a new activity for us. It follows on our having sold our U.S. operations and repaying most of our debt and seeking new growth opportunities," said André Belzile, Jean Coutu's senior vice-president of finance and corporate affairs.
"It's embryonic. We want to learn. We'll see where it takes us," Mr. Belzile said in an interview. ...more
Improper use of fentanyl pain patches linked to more deaths: FDA
From CBC News:
U.S. health officials say improper use of patches that emit the painkiller fentanyl is still killing people.
Today's warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the second concerning the powerful narcotic in two years.
The FDA blames some of the deaths on the patches being improperly prescribed to certain patients. Fentanyl should be used to control chronic pain in people already used to narcotics, such as some cancer patients. Yet the FDA has found cases where doctors prescribed it for headaches or post-surgical pain. ...more
U.S. health officials say improper use of patches that emit the painkiller fentanyl is still killing people.
Today's warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is the second concerning the powerful narcotic in two years.
The FDA blames some of the deaths on the patches being improperly prescribed to certain patients. Fentanyl should be used to control chronic pain in people already used to narcotics, such as some cancer patients. Yet the FDA has found cases where doctors prescribed it for headaches or post-surgical pain. ...more
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Doctors rely too heavily on drug company data: CMA
From CBC News:
Most of the information doctors receive about prescription drugs comes from the companies making the product, a doctor said Wednesday, pointing to a possible reason doctors continue to prescribe dangerous drugs to seniors.
Dr. John Haggie, a Canadian Medical Association board member who chairs its ad hoc working group on pharmaceutical issues, said government warnings often get lost in the stack of documents physicians routinely receive.
"The average physician is bombarded with written and faxed material in the course of a week.… [Government warnings] tend to get buried sometimes in the noise," Haggie said in an interview with CBC News from Gander, N.L., on Wednesday. ...more
Most of the information doctors receive about prescription drugs comes from the companies making the product, a doctor said Wednesday, pointing to a possible reason doctors continue to prescribe dangerous drugs to seniors.
Dr. John Haggie, a Canadian Medical Association board member who chairs its ad hoc working group on pharmaceutical issues, said government warnings often get lost in the stack of documents physicians routinely receive.
"The average physician is bombarded with written and faxed material in the course of a week.… [Government warnings] tend to get buried sometimes in the noise," Haggie said in an interview with CBC News from Gander, N.L., on Wednesday. ...more
Study: Timing of Pills Might Matter
From Newsday (NY):
Taking a blood pressure pill at bedtime instead of in the morning might be healthier for some high-risk people.
New research suggests that simple switch may normalize patterns of blood pressure in patients at extra risk from the twin epidemics of heart and kidney disease.
Why? When it comes to blood pressure, you want to be a dipper. In healthy people, blood pressure dips at night, by 10 to 20 percent. Scientists don't know why, but suspect the drop gives arteries a little rest.
People with high blood pressure that doesn't dip at night -- the non-dippers -- fare worse than other hypertension sufferers, developing more serious heart disease. Moreover, heart and kidney disease fuel each other -- and the 26 million Americans with chronic kidney disease seem most prone to non-dipping. In addition to heart problems, they're at extra risk of their kidney damage worsening to the point of dialysis. ...more
Taking a blood pressure pill at bedtime instead of in the morning might be healthier for some high-risk people.
New research suggests that simple switch may normalize patterns of blood pressure in patients at extra risk from the twin epidemics of heart and kidney disease.
Why? When it comes to blood pressure, you want to be a dipper. In healthy people, blood pressure dips at night, by 10 to 20 percent. Scientists don't know why, but suspect the drop gives arteries a little rest.
People with high blood pressure that doesn't dip at night -- the non-dippers -- fare worse than other hypertension sufferers, developing more serious heart disease. Moreover, heart and kidney disease fuel each other -- and the 26 million Americans with chronic kidney disease seem most prone to non-dipping. In addition to heart problems, they're at extra risk of their kidney damage worsening to the point of dialysis. ...more
Doctors warn of potential dangers of OxyContin
From CTV News:
Canadian physicians are warning of the potential dangers of the prescription painkiller OxyContin following a high-profile case in which a Newfoundland and Labrador doctor was convicted of trafficking the potentially addictive narcotic.
On Monday, Dr. Sean Buckingham was convicted of five counts of sexual assault, six counts of trafficking painkillers such as OxyContin and lorazepam (sold under the name Ativan), and one count of assault.
Witnesses testified during the two-month trial that Buckingham provided them with drugs in exchange for money and sexual favours over a two-year period. ...more
Canadian physicians are warning of the potential dangers of the prescription painkiller OxyContin following a high-profile case in which a Newfoundland and Labrador doctor was convicted of trafficking the potentially addictive narcotic.
On Monday, Dr. Sean Buckingham was convicted of five counts of sexual assault, six counts of trafficking painkillers such as OxyContin and lorazepam (sold under the name Ativan), and one count of assault.
Witnesses testified during the two-month trial that Buckingham provided them with drugs in exchange for money and sexual favours over a two-year period. ...more
Diabetes drug linked in study to heart risk
From the Toronto Star:
A massive "real world" study of the popular diabetes drug Avandia shows it can produce distressing increases in the risks of heart attacks and death, according to Ontario research published yesterday.
And a key study author says the research, which followed some 160,000 diabetics in this province for more than four years, should cause Health Canada to consider new restrictions on its use.
The drug – prescriptions for which are filled more than a million times a year in this country – can increase the risks of heart failure by 60 per cent and of heart attacks by 40 per cent over other medications meant to control Type 2 diabetes, the study says.
"Our study is the first one done in a real-world population that really supports that these drugs are associated with a higher risk of cardiac events," says lead author Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe.
"We hope that the experts at Health Canada will consider our study ... and make some new decisions about the future of these drugs," says Lipscombe, a researcher with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. ...more
A massive "real world" study of the popular diabetes drug Avandia shows it can produce distressing increases in the risks of heart attacks and death, according to Ontario research published yesterday.
And a key study author says the research, which followed some 160,000 diabetics in this province for more than four years, should cause Health Canada to consider new restrictions on its use.
The drug – prescriptions for which are filled more than a million times a year in this country – can increase the risks of heart failure by 60 per cent and of heart attacks by 40 per cent over other medications meant to control Type 2 diabetes, the study says.
"Our study is the first one done in a real-world population that really supports that these drugs are associated with a higher risk of cardiac events," says lead author Dr. Lorraine Lipscombe.
"We hope that the experts at Health Canada will consider our study ... and make some new decisions about the future of these drugs," says Lipscombe, a researcher with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences. ...more
Town desperate for doctor makes unique offer
Here's an innovative way for a pharmacist to help his town. However, if this was done anyplace that didn't have a physician shortage, there would be suggestions of conflict of interest. Undoubtably, the pharmacist is doing this to help his business, but I think the huge public need for a doctor outweighs those concerns in this situation.
From CTV News:
An Alberta community that has been searching without luck for a doctor is trying to sweeten its offer to potential candidates.
Bragg Creek has been without a doctor for the past six months. In July, their previous physician left and since then local residents have been hunting for a new one. But they've had one rejection after another.
Now, they hope to make an offer too good to pass up.
Any physician who wants to set up shop in the community will have a ready-to-go office waiting upon arrival. It comes equipped with a furnished waiting room, scales, and even medical equipment. ...more
Dangerous drugs continue to be prescribed to seniors: CBC report
From CBC News:
Doctors are continuing to prescribe drugs dangerous to seniors in spite of government warnings, a CBC News investigation reveals.
More than two years ago, CBC News first reported that more than a million seniors were prescribed atypical antipsychotics. Atypical antipsychotics are specific kinds of antipsychotic drugs. They are considered by many experts to be ineffective or even dangerous for elderly patients.
Health Canada followed up with warnings pointing to the drugs' side effects — including a 60 per cent greater risk of death in seniors who were taking the drugs than in patients taking placebos — gleaned from 13 scientific studies. It also warned that elderly patients taking atypical antipsychotics were almost twice as likely to die from side effects such as heart failure. ...more
Doctors are continuing to prescribe drugs dangerous to seniors in spite of government warnings, a CBC News investigation reveals.
More than two years ago, CBC News first reported that more than a million seniors were prescribed atypical antipsychotics. Atypical antipsychotics are specific kinds of antipsychotic drugs. They are considered by many experts to be ineffective or even dangerous for elderly patients.
Health Canada followed up with warnings pointing to the drugs' side effects — including a 60 per cent greater risk of death in seniors who were taking the drugs than in patients taking placebos — gleaned from 13 scientific studies. It also warned that elderly patients taking atypical antipsychotics were almost twice as likely to die from side effects such as heart failure. ...more
Monday, December 17, 2007
Pharmacists face dilemma over dispensing narcotics: provincial board
From the (Corner Brook, NF) Western Star:
Pharmacists in this province are finding themselves in a dilemma over dispensing narcotics like OxyContin, the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board says.
"The dilemma is you don't want to be sucked in by people abusing it," said Don Rowe, secretary-registrar of the board. "You always have to be vigilant looking for potential abuse or signs of it, but at the same time not making a legitimate customer feel like some kind of a criminal just because they have been prescribed a drug like OxyContin or Percocet or whatever."
The "sucking in" hasn't always come from only patients, as the recent conviction of St. John's physician Dr. Sean Buckingham made evident. Last week, Buckingham was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault, assault and drug trafficking in Newfoundland Supreme Court. Buckingham, who ran a practice on Queen's Road, was found guilty of having provided several former patients with prescription drugs, including OxyContin and Ativan, in return for sexual favours....more
Pharmacists in this province are finding themselves in a dilemma over dispensing narcotics like OxyContin, the Newfoundland and Labrador Pharmacy Board says.
"The dilemma is you don't want to be sucked in by people abusing it," said Don Rowe, secretary-registrar of the board. "You always have to be vigilant looking for potential abuse or signs of it, but at the same time not making a legitimate customer feel like some kind of a criminal just because they have been prescribed a drug like OxyContin or Percocet or whatever."
The "sucking in" hasn't always come from only patients, as the recent conviction of St. John's physician Dr. Sean Buckingham made evident. Last week, Buckingham was convicted of 12 counts of sexual assault, assault and drug trafficking in Newfoundland Supreme Court. Buckingham, who ran a practice on Queen's Road, was found guilty of having provided several former patients with prescription drugs, including OxyContin and Ativan, in return for sexual favours....more
Women may get pill without prescription
From Reuters (UK):
Women could be able to get the contraceptive pill from their chemist without a prescription, a health minister said on Thursday.
Lord Darzi, a leading surgeon brought into Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government, said the programme could be piloted among pharmacists or nurses.
The pill is currently available only with a prescription from a doctor, although most pharmacies are able to provide the "morning-after pill" without a doctor's authorisation.
Darzi suggested women could be given the oral contraceptive after a full assessment by a trained health professional. ...more
Women could be able to get the contraceptive pill from their chemist without a prescription, a health minister said on Thursday.
Lord Darzi, a leading surgeon brought into Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government, said the programme could be piloted among pharmacists or nurses.
The pill is currently available only with a prescription from a doctor, although most pharmacies are able to provide the "morning-after pill" without a doctor's authorisation.
Darzi suggested women could be given the oral contraceptive after a full assessment by a trained health professional. ...more
Mumps vaccine being probed for allergy links
From the Globe and Mail:
Health officials across the country are being told to stop using a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that is now being investigated for possible links to six cases of serious allergic reactions in patients in Alberta.
All six people, who were treated and have fully recovered, received an inoculation from the same batch of a product known as MMR-II, which is sold by Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. They experienced anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal reaction.
But the Quebec-based company said two other lots of the vaccine were made with the same material and are affected by Health Canada's warning to suspend use until a probe is completed. ...more
Health officials across the country are being told to stop using a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine that is now being investigated for possible links to six cases of serious allergic reactions in patients in Alberta.
All six people, who were treated and have fully recovered, received an inoculation from the same batch of a product known as MMR-II, which is sold by Merck Frosst Canada Ltd. They experienced anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal reaction.
But the Quebec-based company said two other lots of the vaccine were made with the same material and are affected by Health Canada's warning to suspend use until a probe is completed. ...more
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Free Trade Zones Ease Passage of Counterfeit Drugs
From the New York Times:
Along a seemingly endless row of identical gray warehouses, a lone guard stands watch over a shuttered storage area with a peeling green and yellow sign: Euro Gulf Trading.
Three months ago, when the authorities announced that they had seized a large cache of counterfeit drugs from Euro Gulf’s warehouse deep inside a sprawling free trade zone here, they gave no hint of the raid’s global significance.
But an examination of the case reveals its link to a complex supply chain of fake drugs that ran from China through Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the Bahamas, ultimately leading to an Internet pharmacy whose American customers believed they were buying medicine from Canada, according to interviews with regulators and drug company investigators in six countries.
The seizure highlights how counterfeit drugs move in a global economy, and why they are so difficult to trace. And it underscores the role played by free trade zones — areas specially designated by a growing number of countries to encourage trade, where tariffs are waived and there is minimal regulatory oversight. ...more
Along a seemingly endless row of identical gray warehouses, a lone guard stands watch over a shuttered storage area with a peeling green and yellow sign: Euro Gulf Trading.
Three months ago, when the authorities announced that they had seized a large cache of counterfeit drugs from Euro Gulf’s warehouse deep inside a sprawling free trade zone here, they gave no hint of the raid’s global significance.
But an examination of the case reveals its link to a complex supply chain of fake drugs that ran from China through Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Britain and the Bahamas, ultimately leading to an Internet pharmacy whose American customers believed they were buying medicine from Canada, according to interviews with regulators and drug company investigators in six countries.
The seizure highlights how counterfeit drugs move in a global economy, and why they are so difficult to trace. And it underscores the role played by free trade zones — areas specially designated by a growing number of countries to encourage trade, where tariffs are waived and there is minimal regulatory oversight. ...more
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Pharmacy tycoon makes new bid for Oilers
From the Globe and Mail:
Rexall Founder and Chairman Daryl Katz has made a new offer to purchase the Edmonton Oilers and related assets. The terms of the offer, which were not publicly disclosed, are being delivered directly to the shareholders of the Edmonton Investors Group.
The offer, according to sources, is for $188-million and the difference this time around is, it appears to have a chance of succeeding. Katz's previous offers for the team had fallen on deaf ears.
Katz's offer was made at the encouragement of a number of significant EIG shareholders over the past six months. In particular, Katz called Cal Nichols, Founding Chairman of the Board of EIG on Thursday morning to outline the terms and conditions of the offer. Nichols said that it was an offer that he would enthusiastically support. ...more
Rexall Founder and Chairman Daryl Katz has made a new offer to purchase the Edmonton Oilers and related assets. The terms of the offer, which were not publicly disclosed, are being delivered directly to the shareholders of the Edmonton Investors Group.
The offer, according to sources, is for $188-million and the difference this time around is, it appears to have a chance of succeeding. Katz's previous offers for the team had fallen on deaf ears.
Katz's offer was made at the encouragement of a number of significant EIG shareholders over the past six months. In particular, Katz called Cal Nichols, Founding Chairman of the Board of EIG on Thursday morning to outline the terms and conditions of the offer. Nichols said that it was an offer that he would enthusiastically support. ...more
New guidelines boost folic acid recommendation
From the Globe and Mail:
Women of childbearing age should increase their intake of folic acid to five milligrams a day to protect against common birth defects, according to new Canadian guidelines.
That is 10 times the level in standard multivitamins and five times that in most prenatal vitamins, but experts say the change reflects the latest science. Boosting intake, even among women who are not planning to get pregnant, could sharply reduce the rate of devastating birth defects such as spina bifida, congenital heart disease and childhood cancers such as neuroblastoma.
"A lot of this heartache can be very easily prevented," said Vyta Senikas, associate executive vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. "Women just need to take multivitamins containing a little more folic acid."
The guidelines, issued jointly by the SOGC and Motherisk and published in today's edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Canada, also call for higher levels of folic acid to be added to commercial food products. ...more
Women of childbearing age should increase their intake of folic acid to five milligrams a day to protect against common birth defects, according to new Canadian guidelines.
That is 10 times the level in standard multivitamins and five times that in most prenatal vitamins, but experts say the change reflects the latest science. Boosting intake, even among women who are not planning to get pregnant, could sharply reduce the rate of devastating birth defects such as spina bifida, congenital heart disease and childhood cancers such as neuroblastoma.
"A lot of this heartache can be very easily prevented," said Vyta Senikas, associate executive vice-president of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. "Women just need to take multivitamins containing a little more folic acid."
The guidelines, issued jointly by the SOGC and Motherisk and published in today's edition of the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of Canada, also call for higher levels of folic acid to be added to commercial food products. ...more
Canadian professionals over-regulated, says competition report
From the Canadian Press:
A new study is recommending Canada's lawyers, real estate agents and other self-regulated professions re-examine their rules to ensure they serve the public good and encourage competition.
The study by the Competition Bureau found rules that limit advertising, set prices and restrict who can offer professional services may go too far.
The bureau says such rules can boost prices, limit choice and restrict access to information consumers need.
Competition commissioner Sheridan Scott says rules are necessary but removing some could benefit consumers and the economy.
Scott notes professions are more regulated in Canada than elsewhere. That could be compromising productivity and Canada's economic growth.
The report focuses on five disciplines - accountants, lawyers, optometrists, pharmacists and real-estate agents - but it says its findings can be applied to any self-regulated profession. ...more
A new study is recommending Canada's lawyers, real estate agents and other self-regulated professions re-examine their rules to ensure they serve the public good and encourage competition.
The study by the Competition Bureau found rules that limit advertising, set prices and restrict who can offer professional services may go too far.
The bureau says such rules can boost prices, limit choice and restrict access to information consumers need.
Competition commissioner Sheridan Scott says rules are necessary but removing some could benefit consumers and the economy.
Scott notes professions are more regulated in Canada than elsewhere. That could be compromising productivity and Canada's economic growth.
The report focuses on five disciplines - accountants, lawyers, optometrists, pharmacists and real-estate agents - but it says its findings can be applied to any self-regulated profession. ...more
Monday, December 10, 2007
Treatment using antibiotic may help slow MS
From CTV News:
An experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis that uses an antibiotic along with a common MS medication may slow the progress of the disease, finds a preliminary study set to appear in the February 2008 issue of Archives of Neurology.
The treatment involved combining doxycycline and interferon, a commonly prescribed MS medication that boosts the immune system and fights viruses.
Many patients with relapsing-remitting MS -- the most common form of the disease -- take interferon, but many still experience relapses and may continue to develop new areas of damaged brain tissue called lesions, one of the key markers of MS. ...more
An experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis that uses an antibiotic along with a common MS medication may slow the progress of the disease, finds a preliminary study set to appear in the February 2008 issue of Archives of Neurology.
The treatment involved combining doxycycline and interferon, a commonly prescribed MS medication that boosts the immune system and fights viruses.
Many patients with relapsing-remitting MS -- the most common form of the disease -- take interferon, but many still experience relapses and may continue to develop new areas of damaged brain tissue called lesions, one of the key markers of MS. ...more
J&J, Bayer Pill Caused Fewer Clots Than Sanofi Drug in Study
From Bloomberg:
Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson's experimental blood thinner led to fewer clots and deaths in patients after hip surgery than a widely used therapy sold by Sanofi-Aventis SA, a study found.
About 1.1 percent of patients had serious blood clots or died on the Bayer and J&J pill, rivaroxaban, compared with 3.7 percent of those taking Sanofi's injected medicine, Lovenox, according to research reported today at the American Society of Hematology meeting in Atlanta. Both drugs had similar rates of bleeding, a side effect of anti-clotting medications.
Rivaroxaban may help J&J and Bayer take market share from the injectable Lovenox, Sanofi's best-seller with $3.5 billion in sales last year. Bayer, Germany's largest drugmaker, asked European regulators to allow sale of the drug under the brand name Xarelto in October, and has projected peak sales of $2.9 billion. J&J, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, has said it will seek U.S. marketing approval in the second half of 2008. ...more
Bayer AG and Johnson & Johnson's experimental blood thinner led to fewer clots and deaths in patients after hip surgery than a widely used therapy sold by Sanofi-Aventis SA, a study found.
About 1.1 percent of patients had serious blood clots or died on the Bayer and J&J pill, rivaroxaban, compared with 3.7 percent of those taking Sanofi's injected medicine, Lovenox, according to research reported today at the American Society of Hematology meeting in Atlanta. Both drugs had similar rates of bleeding, a side effect of anti-clotting medications.
Rivaroxaban may help J&J and Bayer take market share from the injectable Lovenox, Sanofi's best-seller with $3.5 billion in sales last year. Bayer, Germany's largest drugmaker, asked European regulators to allow sale of the drug under the brand name Xarelto in October, and has projected peak sales of $2.9 billion. J&J, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, has said it will seek U.S. marketing approval in the second half of 2008. ...more
Busy Pharmacy and Over-Worked Pharmacist is Prescription for Error
Here's an interesting opinion regarding pharmacy safety from an American personal injury lawyer. He raises some good points and there are some good tips for patients as well.
From Injuryboard.com:
Pharmacy error in both the local neighborhood stores and hospital setting is on the rise. The consequences of Pharmacy errors can range from harmless to fatal. More than 100,000 Americans die each year of adverse drug reactions, according to an article in the Journal of The American Medical Association. No one knows for sure how many of those deaths are the direct result of pharmacy/pharmacist's negligence, but we do know that the leading cause for prescription mistake is overworked pharmacists.
Many pharmacies fill over 300 prescriptions a day and some pharmacists are being asked to fill 30 prescriptions an hour and work 12 hour shifts, sometimes back to back. This means that within two minutes the pharmacist must: fill the prescription, check for drug interactions, check for contraindications for use and counsel the patient. It's no wonder mistakes are being made. ...more
Paragon buys assets of Westcoast Central Fill for $5.75M in cash and stock
From Canoe Money:
Paragon Pharmacies Ltd. (TSXV:PGN) has signed a deal to buy the assets of Westcoast Central Fill Ltd. from Westcoast and its parent, Catalyst Healthcare Ltd., for $5.75 million in cash and stock. ...more
Paragon Pharmacies Ltd. (TSXV:PGN) has signed a deal to buy the assets of Westcoast Central Fill Ltd. from Westcoast and its parent, Catalyst Healthcare Ltd., for $5.75 million in cash and stock. ...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
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
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Fears over medicine unproven: industry
From the National Post:
It would likely take two to three years before a decision could be made to pull controversial children's cough and cold products from the shelves, says the umbrella association for Canada's non-prescription drug manufacturers.
Defending the remedies against a withering assessment in the influential New England Journal of Medicine that calls for their immediate removal, the spokesman of the Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association of Canada (ND-MAC) is confident that science will vindicate the popular decongestants, cough suppressants and expectorants. Before proceeding with their own trials, however, the industry says it needs a clearer direction of evidence needed to satisfy Health Canada that they work.
"We're in a holding pattern -- I don't deny it," said Gerry Harrington, NDMAC's director of public affairs. "But the first step is to decide what will work best as a standard for efficacy." ...more
It would likely take two to three years before a decision could be made to pull controversial children's cough and cold products from the shelves, says the umbrella association for Canada's non-prescription drug manufacturers.
Defending the remedies against a withering assessment in the influential New England Journal of Medicine that calls for their immediate removal, the spokesman of the Nonprescription Drug Manufacturers Association of Canada (ND-MAC) is confident that science will vindicate the popular decongestants, cough suppressants and expectorants. Before proceeding with their own trials, however, the industry says it needs a clearer direction of evidence needed to satisfy Health Canada that they work.
"We're in a holding pattern -- I don't deny it," said Gerry Harrington, NDMAC's director of public affairs. "But the first step is to decide what will work best as a standard for efficacy." ...more
Recruiting pharmacists called 'shameful'
From the Globe and Mail:
A small group of AIDS activists demonstrated outside a recruitment meeting held by Shoppers Drug Mart in Cape Town last night. The session, at a hotel in the upmarket neighbourhood of Camps Bay, was designed to inform South African pharmacists about opportunities working with Shoppers in Canada. ...more
A small group of AIDS activists demonstrated outside a recruitment meeting held by Shoppers Drug Mart in Cape Town last night. The session, at a hotel in the upmarket neighbourhood of Camps Bay, was designed to inform South African pharmacists about opportunities working with Shoppers in Canada. ...more
Pharmacists worry about police requests
I applaud the actions of this Vermont pharmacist. The "War on Drugs" is much more aggressive in the States, but I could see a similar situation occuring in Canada. As pharmacists, we need to ensure that patient info is only released when appropriate.
From the Barre Montpelier (VT) Times Argus:
Law enforcement offices in Vermont are supposed to collect information about the purchase of prescription drugs only when they have a reason to believe a specific crime may have been committed.
But in at least one case last month, Vermont State Police asked for a list of all customers seeking powerful pain medicine, according to a pharmacist.
Fairfax Pharmacy owner Rick Hogle said he refused to hand over a list of his customers prescribed schedule-two drugs, which include medications such as oxycodone, when asked by a state police trooper who was investigating the spread of such drugs on the street.
Hogle, a pharmacist for 16 years, said he felt caught between protecting the privacy of his customers and assisting law enforcement in stopping the illegal sale and use of these medications.
"I'm not going to release patient information," Hogle said. "The woman from the state police was very polite and did not throw her weight around, but unless they get a court order, I'm not going to release this information." ...more
Baclofen Aids Abstinence in Alcoholics With Cirrhosis
I found this article really interesting. I've never heard of baclofen being used to help maintain alcohol abstinence before.
From U.S. News and World Report:
The drug baclofen promotes alcohol abstinence in alcoholics with cirrhosis of the liver, says an Italian study in this week's issue of The Lancet.
The study included 84 alcohol-dependent patients with liver cirrhosis who received either oral baclofen (42 patients) or a placebo (42 patients). Total alcohol abstinence and duration of this abstinence were assessed during outpatient visits. Relapse was defined as alcohol intake of more than four standard drinks per day (a standard drink defined as equal to 12 grams of absolute alcohol) or overall consumption of 14 or more standard drinks per week over a period of at least four weeks.
Among those taking baclofen, 71 percent (30 of 42 patients) achieved and maintained alcohol abstinence, compared to 29 percent (12 of 42) of those who took the placebo. The study also found that patients taking baclofen abstained from alcohol for more than twice as long as those taking the placebo -- 62.8 days vs. 30.8 days. ...more
Front-line AIDS drugs show staying power: study
From AFP:
Standard triple-drug treatment for HIV provides long-term protection against the development of full-blown AIDS, according to a study released Friday.
But when this front-line therapy fails, HIV-infected people in poorer nations could find themselves nearly defenceless against AIDS-related disease, it warned.
Data on 7,916 HIV-infected individuals in Britain who began standard triple-drug therapy showed that only 167 developed extensive resistance to all three types of medication, the researchers found.
The risk of such "triple-class" failure at the end of 10 years was estimated at 9.2 percent, according the study, published in the British medical journal The Lancet. ...more
Standard triple-drug treatment for HIV provides long-term protection against the development of full-blown AIDS, according to a study released Friday.
But when this front-line therapy fails, HIV-infected people in poorer nations could find themselves nearly defenceless against AIDS-related disease, it warned.
Data on 7,916 HIV-infected individuals in Britain who began standard triple-drug therapy showed that only 167 developed extensive resistance to all three types of medication, the researchers found.
The risk of such "triple-class" failure at the end of 10 years was estimated at 9.2 percent, according the study, published in the British medical journal The Lancet. ...more
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Isotope shortage leads to cancelled medical exams
From the National Post:
The worldwide supply of medical isotopes used to help diagnose a host of health problems, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, may be in short supply in the weeks and months ahead because of an extended shutdown at a Canadian nuclear reactor.
The reactor in Chalk River, Ont., about 180 kilometres northwest of Ottawa, provides the raw material from which MDS Nordion produces medical isotopes, which are injected into patients to help create images of the body for diagnostic purposes.
However, MDS Nordion announced Wednesday the planned shutdown at the Chalk River facility -- owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited -- had to be extended into the new year to conduct additional maintenance work. ...more
The worldwide supply of medical isotopes used to help diagnose a host of health problems, including cancer and cardiovascular disease, may be in short supply in the weeks and months ahead because of an extended shutdown at a Canadian nuclear reactor.
The reactor in Chalk River, Ont., about 180 kilometres northwest of Ottawa, provides the raw material from which MDS Nordion produces medical isotopes, which are injected into patients to help create images of the body for diagnostic purposes.
However, MDS Nordion announced Wednesday the planned shutdown at the Chalk River facility -- owned by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited -- had to be extended into the new year to conduct additional maintenance work. ...more
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
N.B. tops absenteeism list for Canadian health-care workers
From CBC News:
New Brunswick has the highest rate of absenteeism among health-care workers in Canada while those in Alberta missed the fewest days, according to a Canadian Institute for Health Information study.
Health-care workers in New Brunswick are absent an average of 16.1 days annually, compared to a national average of 12 days a year, according to the study, published Monday. In Alberta, the average was 7.2 days a year.
New Brunswick's health-care workers also far exceeded the national average for workers of all kinds in Canada, who missed an average of seven days of work in 2006. For 20 years, health-care workers have had the highest average of lost work days compared to the rest of the Canadian population, according to the study.
On a national level, the researchers found that nurses are far more likely to be away from work than other health-care professionals — averaging 14.1 days a year. Doctors average 2.8 missed days annually, while those working in therapy and medical assessments average 8.1 days and pharmacists average four. ...more
New Brunswick has the highest rate of absenteeism among health-care workers in Canada while those in Alberta missed the fewest days, according to a Canadian Institute for Health Information study.
Health-care workers in New Brunswick are absent an average of 16.1 days annually, compared to a national average of 12 days a year, according to the study, published Monday. In Alberta, the average was 7.2 days a year.
New Brunswick's health-care workers also far exceeded the national average for workers of all kinds in Canada, who missed an average of seven days of work in 2006. For 20 years, health-care workers have had the highest average of lost work days compared to the rest of the Canadian population, according to the study.
On a national level, the researchers found that nurses are far more likely to be away from work than other health-care professionals — averaging 14.1 days a year. Doctors average 2.8 missed days annually, while those working in therapy and medical assessments average 8.1 days and pharmacists average four. ...more
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Is Shoppers Drug Mart poaching pharmacists from South Africa?
From the Globe and Mail:
Michael and Berdine Fazakas liked what they heard: that in Canada, they could own a profitable business - really profitable. That there are fewer murders in most Canadian cities each year than there are in a week in Johannesburg, where they live now. Canada has good, free schools for their future kids and vast expanses of nature - "just lots of opportunity," Mr. Fazakas said.
That's what they took away from a meeting held here last week by Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. Canada's largest drugstore chain has a team in South Africa seeking pharmacists to hire and sponsor as immigrants to Canada. The company provides legal assistance and covers the costs associated with immigration for the pharmacists it hires here. There's another Shoppers' information session in Durban tonight and in Cape Town on Thursday.
This is the only developing country where Shoppers recruits, and it's one with a dire shortage of pharmacists: In KwaZulu-Natal province, for example, one in three adults has HIV but 75 per cent of jobs for public pharmacists are vacant.
So meetings like last week's dinner-drinks-and-information session (from which Shoppers' staff barred a Globe and Mail reporter) are controversial. ...more
Michael and Berdine Fazakas liked what they heard: that in Canada, they could own a profitable business - really profitable. That there are fewer murders in most Canadian cities each year than there are in a week in Johannesburg, where they live now. Canada has good, free schools for their future kids and vast expanses of nature - "just lots of opportunity," Mr. Fazakas said.
That's what they took away from a meeting held here last week by Shoppers Drug Mart Corp. Canada's largest drugstore chain has a team in South Africa seeking pharmacists to hire and sponsor as immigrants to Canada. The company provides legal assistance and covers the costs associated with immigration for the pharmacists it hires here. There's another Shoppers' information session in Durban tonight and in Cape Town on Thursday.
This is the only developing country where Shoppers recruits, and it's one with a dire shortage of pharmacists: In KwaZulu-Natal province, for example, one in three adults has HIV but 75 per cent of jobs for public pharmacists are vacant.
So meetings like last week's dinner-drinks-and-information session (from which Shoppers' staff barred a Globe and Mail reporter) are controversial. ...more
Life-saving meds wrapped in red tape
From the McGill (Que.) Daily:
Six months after Industry Canada finished its review of legislation that allows Canadian drug manufacturers to produce and export generic medicines, a report of the findings has yet to be completed.
The legislation, known as the Canada Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR), was passed in 2004 to facilitate access to affordable essential medicines in developing countries. But the legislation is widely recognized as flawed – so far, not a single pill has left the country. ...more
Six months after Industry Canada finished its review of legislation that allows Canadian drug manufacturers to produce and export generic medicines, a report of the findings has yet to be completed.
The legislation, known as the Canada Access to Medicines Regime (CAMR), was passed in 2004 to facilitate access to affordable essential medicines in developing countries. But the legislation is widely recognized as flawed – so far, not a single pill has left the country. ...more
Promising new HIV-AIDS drug, 1st in new class, approved for Canadian market
From Canada East:
Health Canada has granted licence approval for a new HIV-AIDS drug, the first in a promising new class of medications.
Drug maker Merck Frosst says it has been given permission to bring Isentress to the Canadian market for treatment of HIV-positive people whose viruses are resistant to multiple other HIV drugs. AIDS expert Dr. Mark Wainberg says there is tremendous optimism about the drug in the community of HIV patients, doctors and researchers.
The drug's generic name is raltegravir.
It is the first in a new class of drugs known as integrase inhibitors to hit the global AIDS drug market; another drug, eltegravir, is in development by Gilead Sciences Inc. of Foster City, CA. ...more
Health Canada has granted licence approval for a new HIV-AIDS drug, the first in a promising new class of medications.
Drug maker Merck Frosst says it has been given permission to bring Isentress to the Canadian market for treatment of HIV-positive people whose viruses are resistant to multiple other HIV drugs. AIDS expert Dr. Mark Wainberg says there is tremendous optimism about the drug in the community of HIV patients, doctors and researchers.
The drug's generic name is raltegravir.
It is the first in a new class of drugs known as integrase inhibitors to hit the global AIDS drug market; another drug, eltegravir, is in development by Gilead Sciences Inc. of Foster City, CA. ...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
Monday, December 03, 2007
Doc-rating U.S. website has Ontario MDs angry
This isn't really a pharmacy story, but I am somewhat fascinated by the website mentioned. I'm pretty sure that the ratings on this website shouldn't be your sole basis of choosing a new MD. However, I feel that it has some value. With the supply/demand curve so extremely weighted on the side of physicians, I think some of them have taken the constant oversupply of patients for granted, and treat their patients accordingly. Maybe this site helps in a small way to bring some accountability into the equation.
From the London (Ont.) Free Press:
Thousands of Londoners have turned to a controversial U.S.-based website to rate their doctors and dentists.
RateMDs.com lets patients anonymously rate their doctor's performance -- on punctuality, helpfulness and knowledge -- and post comments about their care.
Some doctors are accused on the website of being rude, misdiagnosing ailments -- even falling asleep during appointments.
The site has raised the ire of Ontario's medical community, with the latest issue of the Ontario Medical Association journal advising doctors how to take legal action for defamatory comments on the website. ...more
Common diabetes drug may increase chances of developing osteoporosis
From CBC News:
The popular diabetes drug marketed as Avandia may increase bone thinning, a discovery that could help explain why diabetics can have an increased risk of fractures.
New research raises the possibility that long-term treatment with rosiglitazone, as Avandia is also called, could lead to osteoporosis. The diabetes drug is used to improve response to insulin.
While bones seem solid, they constantly are being broken down and rebuilt by the body. Researchers found that in mice, the drug increased the activity of the cells that degrade bones, according to a report in this week's online issue of Nature Medicine. ...more
The popular diabetes drug marketed as Avandia may increase bone thinning, a discovery that could help explain why diabetics can have an increased risk of fractures.
New research raises the possibility that long-term treatment with rosiglitazone, as Avandia is also called, could lead to osteoporosis. The diabetes drug is used to improve response to insulin.
While bones seem solid, they constantly are being broken down and rebuilt by the body. Researchers found that in mice, the drug increased the activity of the cells that degrade bones, according to a report in this week's online issue of Nature Medicine. ...more
HIV infections rise in Canada, fall globally
From the London (Ont.) Free Press:
James Armstrong can't walk. He is blind in his left eye. He has survived cancer, kidney failure and numerous blood and lung infections, but he is happy to be alive.
The 45-year-old Toronto man has been on the verge of dying a dozen times since he began living with HIV in 1986.
In May, he agreed to be pulled off life support in the hospital while suffering from his third bout of pulmonary edema. Armstrong's doctor told him he would have 20 minutes left to live, yet he managed to survive.
"The doctor told my mom at my bedside before he left that it was an honour being my doctor for 12 years and to be sure to let him know when my funeral was -- but somehow I miraculously survived again," Armstrong, who lives at Casey House, said. ...more
James Armstrong can't walk. He is blind in his left eye. He has survived cancer, kidney failure and numerous blood and lung infections, but he is happy to be alive.
The 45-year-old Toronto man has been on the verge of dying a dozen times since he began living with HIV in 1986.
In May, he agreed to be pulled off life support in the hospital while suffering from his third bout of pulmonary edema. Armstrong's doctor told him he would have 20 minutes left to live, yet he managed to survive.
"The doctor told my mom at my bedside before he left that it was an honour being my doctor for 12 years and to be sure to let him know when my funeral was -- but somehow I miraculously survived again," Armstrong, who lives at Casey House, said. ...more
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