From the Independent (Ireland):
Hundreds of pharmacies around the country will shut down on Wednesday in what will effectively be a one-day work stoppage, the Sunday Independent has learned.
All 1,600 pharmacists who are members of the Irish Pharmacy Union have been called to a mass meeting in Dublin to discuss the HSE decision to implement a controversial new payment system for pharmacies as of yesterday.
Because medicines can only be dispensed in the presence of a qualified pharmacist, it is likely that many chemists around the country will be unable to fill prescriptions and will close their doors.
It means patients who have urgent prescriptions may have to travel long distances.
The "uni-flu" stoppage follows the HSE plans to reduce the margin paid to pharmaceutical wholesalers in a move aimed at saving €1.1bn. ...more
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Doctors critical of optometrists' new role
There is a couple of paragraphs later in this article that mentions pharmacist prescribing in Alberta.
From the Calgary Herald:
Alberta's eye specialists and optometrists are at odds over an agreement allowing optometrists to treat more patients with eye diseases -- a dispute that may mark the next battle around the changing role of medical professionals in the province.
Physicians with the Ophthalmological Society of Alberta said Tuesday they are concerned optometrists don't have enough training to treat patients with serious eye diseases such as glaucoma, noting they are not medical doctors.
Optometrists receive four years of training in optometry following their bachelor's degree. Ophthalmologists are physicians who receive five years of hospital training for their specialty after medical school. ...more
Health Canada says no evidence of cardiac risk from Nexium, not clear for Losec
From the Canadian Press:
Health Canada says it finds no evidence to suggest a popular heartburn drug increases the risk of cardiac problems.
The department says it will continue to monitor safety data for Nexium (esomeprazole) as it is produced, but at this point does not see a link between the drug and cardiovascular risks.
But the department says the picture is less clear for another heartburn drug, Losec (omeprazole).
It says after a thorough analysis, Health Canada cannot definitively say if there is a potential for increased cardiovascular risk in people taking the drug on a long-term basis. ...more
Health Canada says it finds no evidence to suggest a popular heartburn drug increases the risk of cardiac problems.
The department says it will continue to monitor safety data for Nexium (esomeprazole) as it is produced, but at this point does not see a link between the drug and cardiovascular risks.
But the department says the picture is less clear for another heartburn drug, Losec (omeprazole).
It says after a thorough analysis, Health Canada cannot definitively say if there is a potential for increased cardiovascular risk in people taking the drug on a long-term basis. ...more
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Bayer's Trasylol Boosts Death, Kidney Risks After Heart Surgery
From Bloomberg:
Bayer AG's Trasylol, a drug whose sales were halted last year, raises the risk of death and kidney damage when used to control bleeding in heart surgery, two studies in the New England Journal of Medicine found.
Trasylol patients were 27 percent more likely to die than those getting a rival drug a decade after open-heart surgery, according to a review of 10,275 consecutive patients at Duke University Medical Center. Another study of 78,199 patients, presented to regulators last year after Bayer initially withheld it, found a 78 percent higher death risk a week after surgery.
Trasylol was approved in the U.S. in 1993 to reduce transfusions and bleeding during open-heart surgery. It became a mainstay of care, generating about $333 million in 2005, until an international study the next year tied it to higher rates of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death. Leverkusen, Germany-based Bayer suspended sales in November after a pivotal Canadian trial linked it to higher death rates. ...more
Bayer AG's Trasylol, a drug whose sales were halted last year, raises the risk of death and kidney damage when used to control bleeding in heart surgery, two studies in the New England Journal of Medicine found.
Trasylol patients were 27 percent more likely to die than those getting a rival drug a decade after open-heart surgery, according to a review of 10,275 consecutive patients at Duke University Medical Center. Another study of 78,199 patients, presented to regulators last year after Bayer initially withheld it, found a 78 percent higher death risk a week after surgery.
Trasylol was approved in the U.S. in 1993 to reduce transfusions and bleeding during open-heart surgery. It became a mainstay of care, generating about $333 million in 2005, until an international study the next year tied it to higher rates of heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and death. Leverkusen, Germany-based Bayer suspended sales in November after a pivotal Canadian trial linked it to higher death rates. ...more
Once-a-day drug means 'spontaneous' sex
From the Montreal Gazette:
Canadian pharmacies have begun stocking a new full-time version of an anti-impotence drug its makers say will allow men to be sexually "spontaneous," day and night.
Cialis was originally designed to be taken on an "as needed" basis, with one dose lasting 24 to 36 hours, earning it the moniker Le Weekend when it was first approved in Europe in 2002.
Now it's being repackaged and sold in a once-a-day, lower-dose version. Taken daily, the drug builds in a man's body until it reaches a circulating level in the bloodstream that would allow a man to be sexually active "whenever the moment is right," according to a news release issued by drug giant Eli Lilly. ...more
Canadian pharmacies have begun stocking a new full-time version of an anti-impotence drug its makers say will allow men to be sexually "spontaneous," day and night.
Cialis was originally designed to be taken on an "as needed" basis, with one dose lasting 24 to 36 hours, earning it the moniker Le Weekend when it was first approved in Europe in 2002.
Now it's being repackaged and sold in a once-a-day, lower-dose version. Taken daily, the drug builds in a man's body until it reaches a circulating level in the bloodstream that would allow a man to be sexually active "whenever the moment is right," according to a news release issued by drug giant Eli Lilly. ...more
Friday, February 22, 2008
A spoonful of honey may be all the medicine required
From the Calgary Herald:
It's the height of the season for the common cold. Parents of young children scramble to find a quick fix to take away the aches, sniffles and lack of sleep for both their kids and themselves.
Late last year, drug companies pulled liquid cold medicines for babies and toddlers, citing overdosing dangers by parents. At the same time, the United States Food and Drug Administration suggested that parents refrain from using the liquids for kids under six, partly due to reported deaths and the overall ineffectiveness of the elixirs.
This created a practical and philosophical dilemma for parents who rely on the formulas. ...more
It's the height of the season for the common cold. Parents of young children scramble to find a quick fix to take away the aches, sniffles and lack of sleep for both their kids and themselves.
Late last year, drug companies pulled liquid cold medicines for babies and toddlers, citing overdosing dangers by parents. At the same time, the United States Food and Drug Administration suggested that parents refrain from using the liquids for kids under six, partly due to reported deaths and the overall ineffectiveness of the elixirs.
This created a practical and philosophical dilemma for parents who rely on the formulas. ...more
Lessons to be learned from methadone controversy, says pharmacist
From the Cape Breton (NS) Post:
It’s relatively uncommon for a complaint filed to the professional body governing Nova Scotia pharmacists to proceed to the hearing stage, its registrar said Tuesday.
Susan Wedlake, registrar with the College of Pharmacists, was commenting on a recent settlement worked out between the college and Glace Bay pharmacists Donald and David Ferguson of Ferguson’s Pharmacy in Glace Bay.
An investigation into how the pharmacy dispenses methadone resulted after Ron Whalen of Glace Bay filed a complaint about the care his son, Robert, received there on the day he died.
Wedlake noted the college can follow different processes in response to a complaint — they can be dismissed, resolved informally, or can go on to investigations committee or to hearing committee.
“(Whalen’s complaint) went all the way through the process . . . it’s not common that complaints end up at the hearings level,” Wedlake said. ...more
It’s relatively uncommon for a complaint filed to the professional body governing Nova Scotia pharmacists to proceed to the hearing stage, its registrar said Tuesday.
Susan Wedlake, registrar with the College of Pharmacists, was commenting on a recent settlement worked out between the college and Glace Bay pharmacists Donald and David Ferguson of Ferguson’s Pharmacy in Glace Bay.
An investigation into how the pharmacy dispenses methadone resulted after Ron Whalen of Glace Bay filed a complaint about the care his son, Robert, received there on the day he died.
Wedlake noted the college can follow different processes in response to a complaint — they can be dismissed, resolved informally, or can go on to investigations committee or to hearing committee.
“(Whalen’s complaint) went all the way through the process . . . it’s not common that complaints end up at the hearings level,” Wedlake said. ...more
Drugstore chains rely on pharmacy technicians
From USA Today:
When Americans bring prescriptions to their neighborhood pharmacies, odds are the person in the white lab coat who greets them and enters the prescription in the computer is not a pharmacist. Neither, most likely, is the person who puts the pills in the medicine vial.
They're probably pharmacy technicians, in some cases teenagers with no more than high school diplomas. The nation's largest drugstore chains say technicians don't replace pharmacists. But the companies have come to rely on technicians because of regional shortages of pharmacists and steady increases in prescriptions.
Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain by sales and profits, employs about 39,000 technicians, compared with more than 24,000 pharmacists. CVS, the largest retail chain in terms of store count, employs about 41,000 pharmacy technicians, more than double the 20,000 pharmacists who work for the firm.
Technicians do much of the administrative work pharmacists used to perform, such as prescription data entry, counting pills, filling vials and ringing registers. Depending on your point of view, that's good news, because it frees pharmacists to do more important clinical functions — or bad, because technicians sometimes make mistakes that pharmacists don't catch, and because pharmacists often have little time to help teach the technicians. ...more
When Americans bring prescriptions to their neighborhood pharmacies, odds are the person in the white lab coat who greets them and enters the prescription in the computer is not a pharmacist. Neither, most likely, is the person who puts the pills in the medicine vial.
They're probably pharmacy technicians, in some cases teenagers with no more than high school diplomas. The nation's largest drugstore chains say technicians don't replace pharmacists. But the companies have come to rely on technicians because of regional shortages of pharmacists and steady increases in prescriptions.
Walgreens, the nation's largest drugstore chain by sales and profits, employs about 39,000 technicians, compared with more than 24,000 pharmacists. CVS, the largest retail chain in terms of store count, employs about 41,000 pharmacy technicians, more than double the 20,000 pharmacists who work for the firm.
Technicians do much of the administrative work pharmacists used to perform, such as prescription data entry, counting pills, filling vials and ringing registers. Depending on your point of view, that's good news, because it frees pharmacists to do more important clinical functions — or bad, because technicians sometimes make mistakes that pharmacists don't catch, and because pharmacists often have little time to help teach the technicians. ...more
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Layton renews call for drug plan
From the Toronto Star:
In addition to lost paycheques, the disappearance of manufacturing jobs can mean the loss of benefit plans that helped workers pay for vital drugs, NDP Leader Jack Layton says.
As a result, many cash-strapped households are cutting back on needed prescription drugs, he said.
"They then have to say `no' to prescriptions that their doctors say they're supposed to have. In the end, they'll end up in an emergency ward and there's no economy there," Layton said in an interview.
During a swing through Northern Ontario yesterday, Layton renewed his call for a national drug plan that would help Canadians cover the costs of their prescriptions, saying the program is needed now more than ever.
"People are deeply concerned about it, as they feel themselves slipping into poverty, as they have to move to minimum wage part-time jobs, longer and longer jobs and no benefits," he said in a telephone interview. ...more
In addition to lost paycheques, the disappearance of manufacturing jobs can mean the loss of benefit plans that helped workers pay for vital drugs, NDP Leader Jack Layton says.
As a result, many cash-strapped households are cutting back on needed prescription drugs, he said.
"They then have to say `no' to prescriptions that their doctors say they're supposed to have. In the end, they'll end up in an emergency ward and there's no economy there," Layton said in an interview.
During a swing through Northern Ontario yesterday, Layton renewed his call for a national drug plan that would help Canadians cover the costs of their prescriptions, saying the program is needed now more than ever.
"People are deeply concerned about it, as they feel themselves slipping into poverty, as they have to move to minimum wage part-time jobs, longer and longer jobs and no benefits," he said in a telephone interview. ...more
In-hospital stroke patients more likely to die: study
From the Ottawa Citizen:
One of the worst places to be if you have a stroke is in a hospital, new Canadian research suggests.
A study based on thousands of Ontario residents found patients who have a stroke while they're already in hospital wait twice as long for a brain scan and twice as long for a clot-busting drug as people who come to an emergency room with a stroke. They are also more likely to die.
"You would think, naively, that if someone has a stroke while in hospital -- given that we keep emphasizing the concept that 'time is brain' and the sooner you get to treatment, the better -- you would anticipate that they would have the best treatment," says Dr. Frank Silver, co-principal investigator of the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network and medical professor at the University of Toronto. ...more
One of the worst places to be if you have a stroke is in a hospital, new Canadian research suggests.
A study based on thousands of Ontario residents found patients who have a stroke while they're already in hospital wait twice as long for a brain scan and twice as long for a clot-busting drug as people who come to an emergency room with a stroke. They are also more likely to die.
"You would think, naively, that if someone has a stroke while in hospital -- given that we keep emphasizing the concept that 'time is brain' and the sooner you get to treatment, the better -- you would anticipate that they would have the best treatment," says Dr. Frank Silver, co-principal investigator of the Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network and medical professor at the University of Toronto. ...more
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Overdose victim’s dad calls for public inquiry
From the Halifax (NS) Chronicle Herald:
Two Glace Bay pharmacists will lose their licences for a week after an investigation found they dispensed methadone improperly.
One man died of an overdose of the drug.
And at least three other patients became ill after taking prescribed methadone prepared at Ferguson’s Pharmacy Ltd. in 2005.
The Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists launched a probe of David and Donald Ferguson after Ron Whalen filed a complaint.
Mr. Whalen’s son, Robert Whalen, 23, died in 2005 of a methadone overdose.
"I’m not very happy at all," Mr. Whalen of Glace Bay said Tuesday.
"The two of them lose their licence for a week and they don’t even have to close down the pharmacy. One guy can go to Florida and the other guy can run the pharmacy for a week and then vice versa." ...more
Two Glace Bay pharmacists will lose their licences for a week after an investigation found they dispensed methadone improperly.
One man died of an overdose of the drug.
And at least three other patients became ill after taking prescribed methadone prepared at Ferguson’s Pharmacy Ltd. in 2005.
The Nova Scotia College of Pharmacists launched a probe of David and Donald Ferguson after Ron Whalen filed a complaint.
Mr. Whalen’s son, Robert Whalen, 23, died in 2005 of a methadone overdose.
"I’m not very happy at all," Mr. Whalen of Glace Bay said Tuesday.
"The two of them lose their licence for a week and they don’t even have to close down the pharmacy. One guy can go to Florida and the other guy can run the pharmacy for a week and then vice versa." ...more
New patch formulation of Alzheimer's drug brought to market in Canada
From the Canadian Press:
A new treatment option for Alzheimer's patients - the first licensed skin patch - could make life easier for both some people with the disease and their caregivers, experts say.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. announced Tuesday it was bringing to the Canadian market a once-a-day skin patch formulation of its existing drug Exelon.
Exelon - its generic name is rivastigmine - currently is administered in the form of capsules which must be taken twice a day. Novartis said both the once-a-day formulation and the fact it is administered via a patch will help reduce the risk of confusion over whether the medication had been taken or not. ...more
A new treatment option for Alzheimer's patients - the first licensed skin patch - could make life easier for both some people with the disease and their caregivers, experts say.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc. announced Tuesday it was bringing to the Canadian market a once-a-day skin patch formulation of its existing drug Exelon.
Exelon - its generic name is rivastigmine - currently is administered in the form of capsules which must be taken twice a day. Novartis said both the once-a-day formulation and the fact it is administered via a patch will help reduce the risk of confusion over whether the medication had been taken or not. ...more
B.C. vows huge changes to health care
From the Victoria (BC) Times Colonist:
...Nurses aren't the only health-care professionals who will see their duties expand. The Liberal government will also enable pharmacists to authorize routine prescription renewals, "making it easier for patients with chronic illnesses to manage their conditions" and reducing visits to the doctor......more
...Nurses aren't the only health-care professionals who will see their duties expand. The Liberal government will also enable pharmacists to authorize routine prescription renewals, "making it easier for patients with chronic illnesses to manage their conditions" and reducing visits to the doctor......more
Cancer drug slows multiple sclerosis progression
From the Guardian (UK):
Two infusions of the cancer drug Rituxan given two weeks apart slowed the progression of multiple sclerosis for nearly a year, researchers reported on Wednesday.
And Rituxan appears to be twice as effective as first-line treatments for MS, which reduce the number of relapses by about a third, the researchers said.
"It's quite remarkable that the effect was sustained for 48 weeks with just a single course of therapy," said Dr. Stephen Hauser of the University of California at San Francisco, who worked on the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Multiple sclerosis, which affects as many as 350,000 people in the United States and 2 million worldwide, is apparently caused when the immune system attacks and breaks down the insulation surrounding cells that make up the brain and spinal cord. ...more
Two infusions of the cancer drug Rituxan given two weeks apart slowed the progression of multiple sclerosis for nearly a year, researchers reported on Wednesday.
And Rituxan appears to be twice as effective as first-line treatments for MS, which reduce the number of relapses by about a third, the researchers said.
"It's quite remarkable that the effect was sustained for 48 weeks with just a single course of therapy," said Dr. Stephen Hauser of the University of California at San Francisco, who worked on the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Multiple sclerosis, which affects as many as 350,000 people in the United States and 2 million worldwide, is apparently caused when the immune system attacks and breaks down the insulation surrounding cells that make up the brain and spinal cord. ...more
One Thousand Lives A Month, Researcher Estimates 22,000 Lives Could Have Been Saved Had Trasylol Been Pulled Earlier
From CBS News:
This is the story of a drug that was on the market for 14 years and may have contributed to the deaths of thousands of patients. Trasylol, made by Bayer, is given in the operating room to control bleeding. It was a big money maker.
As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, Bayer marketed Trasylol aggressively until it was used in about one third of all cardiac bypass operations in America.
But then, in 2006, a study showed widespread death associated with Trasylol, and as it turns out there was concern long before that.
How much did Bayer know? And why did it take Bayer and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nearly two years to take the drug off the market after major studies revealed the danger? Two years - during which it's estimated Trasylol was contributing to the loss of one thousand lives a month. ...more
This is the story of a drug that was on the market for 14 years and may have contributed to the deaths of thousands of patients. Trasylol, made by Bayer, is given in the operating room to control bleeding. It was a big money maker.
As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, Bayer marketed Trasylol aggressively until it was used in about one third of all cardiac bypass operations in America.
But then, in 2006, a study showed widespread death associated with Trasylol, and as it turns out there was concern long before that.
How much did Bayer know? And why did it take Bayer and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration nearly two years to take the drug off the market after major studies revealed the danger? Two years - during which it's estimated Trasylol was contributing to the loss of one thousand lives a month. ...more
Where you live influences cancer survival
From Canada.com:
According to the latest report of a Cancer advocacy group, Canadians are experiencing care that is inconsistent, unfair and ineffective.
The Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada says that has created discrepancies in access to treatment.
"Tell me your postal code, and I will tell you your chances of surviving cancer," says Dr. William Hryniuk, past chair of CACC and former director of cancer centres in the Canada and U.S.
This year's report highlighted several areas in the fight against cancer.
Access to new and expensive cancer drugs continues to be one of the most urgent problems cancer patients face, according to the report.
Coalition researchers conducted a province-by-province review of access to 24 drugs featured in past reports, adding an analysis of 18 new therapies. ...more
According to the latest report of a Cancer advocacy group, Canadians are experiencing care that is inconsistent, unfair and ineffective.
The Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada says that has created discrepancies in access to treatment.
"Tell me your postal code, and I will tell you your chances of surviving cancer," says Dr. William Hryniuk, past chair of CACC and former director of cancer centres in the Canada and U.S.
This year's report highlighted several areas in the fight against cancer.
Access to new and expensive cancer drugs continues to be one of the most urgent problems cancer patients face, according to the report.
Coalition researchers conducted a province-by-province review of access to 24 drugs featured in past reports, adding an analysis of 18 new therapies. ...more
Your medical chart, just a mouse click away
From the Globe and Mail:
With the ease of online banking comes this Canadian first: patients perusing their X-rays, checking laboratory test results and discreetly obtaining a second medical opinion - all from the comforts of their home computers.
Ontario's Privacy Commissioner even keeps her electronic health record, called MyChart, on a memory stick, a device the size of a pack of gum that neatly tucks into a pants pocket.
"Given that I travel extensively, it's very important to have access to my [medical] records at a moment's notice," said Ann Cavoukian, who has undergone neurosurgery three times.
Although MyChart is available only to patients at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, other Canadian hospitals are coming out with their own versions of the paperless health record.
"By 2010, the goal is to have half of the population with an electronic health record," said Richard Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Canada Health Infoway, an independent, federally funded agency that works with provinces and territories to invest in electronic health-record projects, typically by funding half the cost. By 2016, he wants every Canadian to have one.
The reality today, however, is far different: Only 9 per cent of Canadians have an electronic health record. ...more
With the ease of online banking comes this Canadian first: patients perusing their X-rays, checking laboratory test results and discreetly obtaining a second medical opinion - all from the comforts of their home computers.
Ontario's Privacy Commissioner even keeps her electronic health record, called MyChart, on a memory stick, a device the size of a pack of gum that neatly tucks into a pants pocket.
"Given that I travel extensively, it's very important to have access to my [medical] records at a moment's notice," said Ann Cavoukian, who has undergone neurosurgery three times.
Although MyChart is available only to patients at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, other Canadian hospitals are coming out with their own versions of the paperless health record.
"By 2010, the goal is to have half of the population with an electronic health record," said Richard Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Canada Health Infoway, an independent, federally funded agency that works with provinces and territories to invest in electronic health-record projects, typically by funding half the cost. By 2016, he wants every Canadian to have one.
The reality today, however, is far different: Only 9 per cent of Canadians have an electronic health record. ...more
Disgraced doctor jailed 5 years for dealing prescription drugs
From the Toronto Star:
A notorious former doctor, stripped of his licence for administering useless cancer treatments to terminal patients, has been sentenced to five years in prison for trafficking in prescription pills, including highly addictive OxyContin.
For this "serious breach of trust," Ravi Devgan, 60, deserves to have his 5-year-sentence added on to the three-year sentence he is already serving for fraud, Justice Todd Ducharme said Friday.
But because of his extreme ill-health and the likelihood that he has few years left to live, that would amount to a life sentence, Ducharme said. So the judge ruled that he is to serve both sentences concurrently. ...more
A notorious former doctor, stripped of his licence for administering useless cancer treatments to terminal patients, has been sentenced to five years in prison for trafficking in prescription pills, including highly addictive OxyContin.
For this "serious breach of trust," Ravi Devgan, 60, deserves to have his 5-year-sentence added on to the three-year sentence he is already serving for fraud, Justice Todd Ducharme said Friday.
But because of his extreme ill-health and the likelihood that he has few years left to live, that would amount to a life sentence, Ducharme said. So the judge ruled that he is to serve both sentences concurrently. ...more
Monday, February 18, 2008
Too many prescriptions, too few pharmacies
From the Indianapolis Star:
When Tabitha Jones picked up her stepson's medicine at a Walgreens store near Nashville in 2004, she had no way to know the pharmacy was so busy that its manager had asked for more staffing months earlier to "decrease the pharmacist's stress."
She also had no idea the drug Walgreens gave her that day was a steroid never intended for children, and not the blood pressure drug prescribed to treat Trey Jones' hand tremors and hyperactivity. Walgreens refilled the prescription four times, eventually at double the adult dosage, before the error was caught. The 5-year-old not only went into premature puberty but also erupted in rages.
Trey's parents sued Walgreens, fearing the steroid could stunt the boy's growth or cause liver damage. "We don't know what could happen later on down the road," his father, Robert Jones Jr., said in a 2006 pretrial deposition.
Pharmacy chains say they've spent billions of dollars on safety technology and other improvements that have cut their prescription-error rates to a fraction of 1 percent. As aging baby boomers and other Americans increasingly rely on prescription drugs, an Auburn University pharmacy study in 2003 projected the odds of getting a prescription with a serious, health-threatening error at about 1 in 1,000. That could amount to 3.7 million such errors a year, based on 2006 national prescription volume. ...more
When Tabitha Jones picked up her stepson's medicine at a Walgreens store near Nashville in 2004, she had no way to know the pharmacy was so busy that its manager had asked for more staffing months earlier to "decrease the pharmacist's stress."
She also had no idea the drug Walgreens gave her that day was a steroid never intended for children, and not the blood pressure drug prescribed to treat Trey Jones' hand tremors and hyperactivity. Walgreens refilled the prescription four times, eventually at double the adult dosage, before the error was caught. The 5-year-old not only went into premature puberty but also erupted in rages.
Trey's parents sued Walgreens, fearing the steroid could stunt the boy's growth or cause liver damage. "We don't know what could happen later on down the road," his father, Robert Jones Jr., said in a 2006 pretrial deposition.
Pharmacy chains say they've spent billions of dollars on safety technology and other improvements that have cut their prescription-error rates to a fraction of 1 percent. As aging baby boomers and other Americans increasingly rely on prescription drugs, an Auburn University pharmacy study in 2003 projected the odds of getting a prescription with a serious, health-threatening error at about 1 in 1,000. That could amount to 3.7 million such errors a year, based on 2006 national prescription volume. ...more
Pot may impair mental function in MS patients
From CTV News:
Patients with multiple sclerosis who choose to smoke marijuana to help relieve some of their symptoms may be harming their cognitive abilities, finds new Canadian research.
The researchers, with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, say they found that MS patients who regularly smoked pot appeared to have more difficulties with processing information and short-term verbal memory.
Study author Dr. Anthony Feinstein says MS patients should be aware of the risks of pot, because many are already dealing with cognitive problems.
"The significance of this finding is particularly important because MS is itself a cause of neuropsychological impairment in 40 to 65 per cent of patients, and therefore this research suggests that smoking marijuana may only be worsening the problem," Feinstein said in a statement. ...more
Patients with multiple sclerosis who choose to smoke marijuana to help relieve some of their symptoms may be harming their cognitive abilities, finds new Canadian research.
The researchers, with Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, say they found that MS patients who regularly smoked pot appeared to have more difficulties with processing information and short-term verbal memory.
Study author Dr. Anthony Feinstein says MS patients should be aware of the risks of pot, because many are already dealing with cognitive problems.
"The significance of this finding is particularly important because MS is itself a cause of neuropsychological impairment in 40 to 65 per cent of patients, and therefore this research suggests that smoking marijuana may only be worsening the problem," Feinstein said in a statement. ...more
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Doctors look forward to return of palliative care drug
From CBC News:
Doctors caring for dying patients are looking forward to the reintroduction of a drug used to make the end of life easier.
Sanofi-aventis stopped production of Nozinan last November because of declining sales. The drug relieves anxiety, agitation and nausea.
Doctors on P.E.I. ran out of Nozinan last week. Dr. Mireille LeCours said the drug was useful because it treated multiple symptoms.
"You have to keep the patient comfortable, so if it takes three drugs to keep the patient comfortable, well, the patient will have three drugs," said LeCours. ...more
Doctors caring for dying patients are looking forward to the reintroduction of a drug used to make the end of life easier.
Sanofi-aventis stopped production of Nozinan last November because of declining sales. The drug relieves anxiety, agitation and nausea.
Doctors on P.E.I. ran out of Nozinan last week. Dr. Mireille LeCours said the drug was useful because it treated multiple symptoms.
"You have to keep the patient comfortable, so if it takes three drugs to keep the patient comfortable, well, the patient will have three drugs," said LeCours. ...more
Fentanyl pain patches recalled in Canada
From CTV News:
In the latest of several alerts on the safety of fentanyl pain-relief patches, Health Canada has announced the recall of two brands of the powerful patches.
The agency advises against using:
* 25 mcg/hr Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system) patches sold by Janssen-Ortho Inc.
* 25 mcg/hr Ran Fentanyl Transdermal System patches sold by Ranbaxy.
Both products are being voluntarily recalled because they may have a cut along one side of the patch that could result in leaking of the fentanyl gel from the patch.
"Exposure to fentanyl gel that has leaked from the patch may lead to increased skin absorption and could result in serious, potentially life-threatening adverse events, including respiratory depression (slowed breathing) and possible overdose, which may be fatal," Health Canada said in its warning. ...more
In the latest of several alerts on the safety of fentanyl pain-relief patches, Health Canada has announced the recall of two brands of the powerful patches.
The agency advises against using:
* 25 mcg/hr Duragesic (fentanyl transdermal system) patches sold by Janssen-Ortho Inc.
* 25 mcg/hr Ran Fentanyl Transdermal System patches sold by Ranbaxy.
Both products are being voluntarily recalled because they may have a cut along one side of the patch that could result in leaking of the fentanyl gel from the patch.
"Exposure to fentanyl gel that has leaked from the patch may lead to increased skin absorption and could result in serious, potentially life-threatening adverse events, including respiratory depression (slowed breathing) and possible overdose, which may be fatal," Health Canada said in its warning. ...more
FDA to offer guidance to companies on marketing drugs for unapproved uses
From CBC News:
The U.S. government on Friday proposed guidelines for how pharmaceutical companies can use medical journal articles to market drugs for unapproved uses.
The Food and Drug Administration guidelines, criticized by some legislators as too lenient, have been eagerly anticipated by drug and device companies like Pfizer Inc. and Medtronic Inc. that often use medical literature for marketing.
Companies are not allowed to market products for "off-label" uses, or those that have not been cleared by the FDA as safe and effective. However, under a law that expired in 2006, the agency made an exception for reprints of medical journal articles, which sales people often give to physicians. ...more
The U.S. government on Friday proposed guidelines for how pharmaceutical companies can use medical journal articles to market drugs for unapproved uses.
The Food and Drug Administration guidelines, criticized by some legislators as too lenient, have been eagerly anticipated by drug and device companies like Pfizer Inc. and Medtronic Inc. that often use medical literature for marketing.
Companies are not allowed to market products for "off-label" uses, or those that have not been cleared by the FDA as safe and effective. However, under a law that expired in 2006, the agency made an exception for reprints of medical journal articles, which sales people often give to physicians. ...more
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Out-of-pocket costs vary widely by province for seniors
From the Globe and Mail:
Technically, every Canadian aged 65 or older is covered by a provincial drug plan, but the out-of-pocket costs paid by seniors for prescription drugs vary wildly between provinces, new research shows.
For example, a 65-year-old single woman on a government pension who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and is being treated with four prescription drugs pays only $8 for the medication in Ontario but $503 in Manitoba.
Similarly, a 73-year-old married man with an above-average income taking five drugs to treat heart failure pays $60 for the prescription medicine in New Brunswick and $1,332 in Manitoba.
"Given differences in reimbursement according to age, income level, marital status and province of residence, drug reimbursement in Canada is manifestly unequal," said Louise Pilote with the divisions of general internal medicine and clinical epidemiology at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. ...more
Technically, every Canadian aged 65 or older is covered by a provincial drug plan, but the out-of-pocket costs paid by seniors for prescription drugs vary wildly between provinces, new research shows.
For example, a 65-year-old single woman on a government pension who suffers from diabetes and high blood pressure and is being treated with four prescription drugs pays only $8 for the medication in Ontario but $503 in Manitoba.
Similarly, a 73-year-old married man with an above-average income taking five drugs to treat heart failure pays $60 for the prescription medicine in New Brunswick and $1,332 in Manitoba.
"Given differences in reimbursement according to age, income level, marital status and province of residence, drug reimbursement in Canada is manifestly unequal," said Louise Pilote with the divisions of general internal medicine and clinical epidemiology at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal. ...more
Monday, February 11, 2008
NDP touts drug plan
From the Edmonton Sun:
Facing staggering monthly drug bills on top of rising rent, seniors Steve and Arlene Smeredely helped the NDP introduce a drug plan yesterday it says would slash seniors' costs.
The Edmonton couple's monthly drug bill accounts for about $400. Coupled with $840 rent for their one-bedroom apartment and a few hundred for groceries, and the seniors say times are hard.
"It's terrible. By the time we pay our rent and the great big drug supply that we need -- which doesn't always cover our insulin needs, because we're both diabetic -- it can be very hard," said Arlene. "We worry about it, yes we do."
They get some help from family and some government support through the Aids to Daily Living program.
But what the couple really needs is a comprehensive reform of drug benefits in Alberta, said NDP leader Brian Mason. ...more
Facing staggering monthly drug bills on top of rising rent, seniors Steve and Arlene Smeredely helped the NDP introduce a drug plan yesterday it says would slash seniors' costs.
The Edmonton couple's monthly drug bill accounts for about $400. Coupled with $840 rent for their one-bedroom apartment and a few hundred for groceries, and the seniors say times are hard.
"It's terrible. By the time we pay our rent and the great big drug supply that we need -- which doesn't always cover our insulin needs, because we're both diabetic -- it can be very hard," said Arlene. "We worry about it, yes we do."
They get some help from family and some government support through the Aids to Daily Living program.
But what the couple really needs is a comprehensive reform of drug benefits in Alberta, said NDP leader Brian Mason. ...more
Hospitals may have to report bad drug reactions
From the National Post:
Hundreds of hospitals across the country would be forced to inform federal authorities whenever patients had serious reactions to drugs and medical devices under a controversial plan Health Canada is quietly proposing.
The regulator notes that as many as 45,000 hospital patients a year suffer from sometimes fatal side effects to the treatments meant to help them, yet only 2% of the incidents are reported.
The tentative proposal is already meeting resistance, though, with critics arguing that making reporting mandatory is a "quick fix" that by itself will not generate the desired flow of safety information.
"Simply passing a law that says, 'It's mandatory' I don't think is going to remove the barriers that are there to improved reporting," said Jeff Poston of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, whose members produce most ad-verse-reaction reports currently. "I don't think it's really a solution." ...more
Hundreds of hospitals across the country would be forced to inform federal authorities whenever patients had serious reactions to drugs and medical devices under a controversial plan Health Canada is quietly proposing.
The regulator notes that as many as 45,000 hospital patients a year suffer from sometimes fatal side effects to the treatments meant to help them, yet only 2% of the incidents are reported.
The tentative proposal is already meeting resistance, though, with critics arguing that making reporting mandatory is a "quick fix" that by itself will not generate the desired flow of safety information.
"Simply passing a law that says, 'It's mandatory' I don't think is going to remove the barriers that are there to improved reporting," said Jeff Poston of the Canadian Pharmacists Association, whose members produce most ad-verse-reaction reports currently. "I don't think it's really a solution." ...more
Doctors, patients find ease in e-prescribing
From the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette:
Looking over a prescription refill request, Dr. Jeff Gladd scans his options.
He can approve it or reject it. He can send a note with his decision to the pharmacist.
He can check it against the patient’s medical record to make sure the drug is appropriate, based on past ailments and current medications. And now – like a small but growing number of doctors around the country – Gladd is managing that part of his business work online.
Last year, 35 million prescriptions were routed electronically between health care providers and pharmacies in the U.S. That number was more than the three previous years combined, according to SureScripts, which operates the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange. The exchange facilitates electronic transmission of prescription information between physicians such as Gladd, who practices at Parkview Medical Group-Branch Court in Columbia City, and pharmacists.
“E-prescribing” is, defined by SureScripts, when a physician uses a computer or hand-held computing device to electronically generate and send a prescription to a pharmacist’s computer. ...more
Looking over a prescription refill request, Dr. Jeff Gladd scans his options.
He can approve it or reject it. He can send a note with his decision to the pharmacist.
He can check it against the patient’s medical record to make sure the drug is appropriate, based on past ailments and current medications. And now – like a small but growing number of doctors around the country – Gladd is managing that part of his business work online.
Last year, 35 million prescriptions were routed electronically between health care providers and pharmacies in the U.S. That number was more than the three previous years combined, according to SureScripts, which operates the Pharmacy Health Information Exchange. The exchange facilitates electronic transmission of prescription information between physicians such as Gladd, who practices at Parkview Medical Group-Branch Court in Columbia City, and pharmacists.
“E-prescribing” is, defined by SureScripts, when a physician uses a computer or hand-held computing device to electronically generate and send a prescription to a pharmacist’s computer. ...more
Saturday, February 09, 2008
New drug rules pose grave risks: critics
From the Globe and Mail:
The federal government is about to overhaul the way drugs are regulated in Canada to give consumers faster access to breakthrough treatments, but some medical experts and political critics are worried the changes will turn Canadians into guinea pigs for new drugs that haven't been adequately tested.
A new regulatory system, outlined in a broad package of changes to consumer product and food regulations announced last December, would allow certain drugs to be quickly approved for sale without the safety evidence that is normally required.
The changes are designed to update Canada's aging drug regulation system to allow faster access to new blockbuster pharmaceuticals and let health officials evaluate potential risks throughout a drug's lifespan, instead of focusing on safety mainly before they're approved.
But without massive changes in the way health officials monitor drugs once they hit the market, the new system could pose serious risks to consumers, said David Juurlink, clinical pharmacologist and drug safety researcher at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. ...more
The federal government is about to overhaul the way drugs are regulated in Canada to give consumers faster access to breakthrough treatments, but some medical experts and political critics are worried the changes will turn Canadians into guinea pigs for new drugs that haven't been adequately tested.
A new regulatory system, outlined in a broad package of changes to consumer product and food regulations announced last December, would allow certain drugs to be quickly approved for sale without the safety evidence that is normally required.
The changes are designed to update Canada's aging drug regulation system to allow faster access to new blockbuster pharmaceuticals and let health officials evaluate potential risks throughout a drug's lifespan, instead of focusing on safety mainly before they're approved.
But without massive changes in the way health officials monitor drugs once they hit the market, the new system could pose serious risks to consumers, said David Juurlink, clinical pharmacologist and drug safety researcher at Toronto's Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. ...more
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Funding for liver cancer treatment to depend on evaluation
From the Regina Leader Post:
Health Canada approved a drug to treat liver cancer on Monday, but funding Nexavar could be a tough economic pill for the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to swallow.
Nexavar was approved by Health Canada after a worldwide trial involving 602 patients demonstrated that the average survival rate for Nexavar-treated patients was 10.7 months compared to 7.9 months for those taking a placebo.
Before the cancer agency decides about funding Nexavar it will wait for an evaluation of the drug's benefit and cost from the Joint Oncology Drug Review (JODR), a process underway in all provinces except Quebec, said Kathy Gesy, the agency's provincial leader of oncology pharmacy services.
If the JODR gives Nexavar its stamp of approval, then the agency must determine where the drug fits in its queue of many unfunded drugs. ...more
Health Canada approved a drug to treat liver cancer on Monday, but funding Nexavar could be a tough economic pill for the Saskatchewan Cancer Agency to swallow.
Nexavar was approved by Health Canada after a worldwide trial involving 602 patients demonstrated that the average survival rate for Nexavar-treated patients was 10.7 months compared to 7.9 months for those taking a placebo.
Before the cancer agency decides about funding Nexavar it will wait for an evaluation of the drug's benefit and cost from the Joint Oncology Drug Review (JODR), a process underway in all provinces except Quebec, said Kathy Gesy, the agency's provincial leader of oncology pharmacy services.
If the JODR gives Nexavar its stamp of approval, then the agency must determine where the drug fits in its queue of many unfunded drugs. ...more
FDA Faults Drug Plants
This article references pharmaceuticals being made in Puerto Rico for the U.S. market. While it's not mentioned in this article, many of these plants are producing medications for the Canadian market as well.
From the Houston Chronicle:
The first warning sign came when a sharp-eyed worker sorting pills noticed that the odd blue flecks dotting the finished drug capsules matched the paint on the factory doors.
After the flecks were spotted again on the capsules, a blood-pressure medication called diltiazem, the plant began placing covers over drugs in carts in its manufacturing areas.
But the factory owner, Canadian drug maker Biovail Corp., never tried to find out whether past shipments of the drug were contaminated _ or prevent future contamination, according to U.S. regulators.
Thirteen of the 20 best-selling drugs in the United States come from plants on this island. But an investigation by The Associated Press has found dozens of examples over four years of lapses in quality control in the Puerto Rican pharmaceutical industry, which churns out $35 billion of drugs each year, most of it for sale as part of the $300 billion market in the U.S.
An AP review of 100 pages of Food and Drug Administration reports shows even modern drug plants here under the watch of U.S. regulators have failed to keep laboratories sterile and have exported tainted pills. ...more
Time for a facelift
I hope you enjoy the blog's new look. With traffic at an all time high level, I thought this would be a good time to do a bit of updating. Watch for more upgrades over the next few weeks, including some new content pages.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Cutting Plavix too soon could be deadly
From the Globe and Mail:
Patients given the blood-clot preventer Plavix after a heart attack or after receiving a stent have a far higher risk of heart attack or death in the three months after they stop taking the drug, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They found a cluster of heart problems occurring within 90 days of stopping the drug in people whose heart disease was treated either with drugs or a stent to prop open their arteries.
"It was almost a twofold increased risk in that initial period compared to later follow-up periods," said Dr. P. Michael Ho of the Denver VA Medical Center, whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
People who have acute coronary syndrome -- an umbrella term for heart problems caused by reduced blood flow to the heart -- routinely get a prescription for Plavix, one of the world's best-selling medicines sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Sanofi-Aventis. ...more
Patients given the blood-clot preventer Plavix after a heart attack or after receiving a stent have a far higher risk of heart attack or death in the three months after they stop taking the drug, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday.
They found a cluster of heart problems occurring within 90 days of stopping the drug in people whose heart disease was treated either with drugs or a stent to prop open their arteries.
"It was almost a twofold increased risk in that initial period compared to later follow-up periods," said Dr. P. Michael Ho of the Denver VA Medical Center, whose study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
People who have acute coronary syndrome -- an umbrella term for heart problems caused by reduced blood flow to the heart -- routinely get a prescription for Plavix, one of the world's best-selling medicines sold by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co and Sanofi-Aventis. ...more
Smoking drug Champix's risks flagged
From the Globe and Mail:
Just one year after it was approved for use in Canada, federal health officials are investigating safety concerns about smoking cessation prescription drug Champix amid fears it is linked to suicide and serious psychological problems.
The investigation and reports of major side effects highlight what many medical experts describe as chronic problems with the way new drugs are approved in Canada and the ability of government officials to adequately monitor them once they're put on the market.
"Existing systems don't really seem to be adequate," said David Henry, chief executive officer of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto. "That means often times the studies that are the basis for market approval are not large enough to test for safety properly." ...more
Just one year after it was approved for use in Canada, federal health officials are investigating safety concerns about smoking cessation prescription drug Champix amid fears it is linked to suicide and serious psychological problems.
The investigation and reports of major side effects highlight what many medical experts describe as chronic problems with the way new drugs are approved in Canada and the ability of government officials to adequately monitor them once they're put on the market.
"Existing systems don't really seem to be adequate," said David Henry, chief executive officer of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in Toronto. "That means often times the studies that are the basis for market approval are not large enough to test for safety properly." ...more
Shoppers Drug Net Rises 16% on Expansion; Shares Gain
From Bloomberg:
Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., Canada's biggest pharmacy chain, reported fourth-quarter profit that rose more than analysts estimated as it opened new stores.
Shoppers gained the most in almost five years in Toronto trading.
Net income climbed 16 percent to C$153.7 million ($152.7 million), or 71 cents a share, and revenue advanced 7.5 percent, Toronto-based Shoppers said today in a statement. The company forecast sales to rise as much as 12 percent this year, exceeding the average analyst projection.
The chain added 30 stores including some with convenience food and cosmetics to lure more customers. Shoppers boosted sales of its own Life products, which are about 10 percent more profitable than national brands. The company wants to increase purchases of its store brand to a quarter of total sales. ...more
Shoppers Drug Mart Corp., Canada's biggest pharmacy chain, reported fourth-quarter profit that rose more than analysts estimated as it opened new stores.
Shoppers gained the most in almost five years in Toronto trading.
Net income climbed 16 percent to C$153.7 million ($152.7 million), or 71 cents a share, and revenue advanced 7.5 percent, Toronto-based Shoppers said today in a statement. The company forecast sales to rise as much as 12 percent this year, exceeding the average analyst projection.
The chain added 30 stores including some with convenience food and cosmetics to lure more customers. Shoppers boosted sales of its own Life products, which are about 10 percent more profitable than national brands. The company wants to increase purchases of its store brand to a quarter of total sales. ...more
Monday, February 04, 2008
Pharmacist bridges conventional medicine with natural remedies
From the Calgary Herald:
Necessity drove Sherry Torkos to explore natural medicine.
Torkos, now an Ontario-based pharmacist, became ill at the age of 15.
She was struggling with celiac disease, a small bowel disorder, but doctors misdiagnosed her condition.
For three years, her health suffered.
She lost her night vision, was covered in eczema and felt depressed. Her hair stopped growing completely.
When doctors finally diagnosed her with celiac disease and put her on a gluten-free diet, she felt better, but not wonderful.
"It wasn't until I started investigating the value in taking supplements and essential fatty acids to replace what I'd been losing for all those years, and taking therapeutic dosages of vitamins, that I actually started to feel better," said Torkos on a recent stop in Calgary. ...more
Necessity drove Sherry Torkos to explore natural medicine.
Torkos, now an Ontario-based pharmacist, became ill at the age of 15.
She was struggling with celiac disease, a small bowel disorder, but doctors misdiagnosed her condition.
For three years, her health suffered.
She lost her night vision, was covered in eczema and felt depressed. Her hair stopped growing completely.
When doctors finally diagnosed her with celiac disease and put her on a gluten-free diet, she felt better, but not wonderful.
"It wasn't until I started investigating the value in taking supplements and essential fatty acids to replace what I'd been losing for all those years, and taking therapeutic dosages of vitamins, that I actually started to feel better," said Torkos on a recent stop in Calgary. ...more
New natural health product rules to allow cancer prevention claims
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
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
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
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