Reforms not to blame for drug shortages: group

From CBC News:
Recent changes to provincial drug plans are not to blame for significant medication shortages, the Canadian generic drug industry says.

Pharmacists in New Brunswick say they have been struggling to find alternatives to fill prescriptions, substituting products when items are not available.

"Certain manufacturers don't seem to be able to supply the product right now," said Donna Chauvin, a Fredericton pharmacist. "We're noticing we have to switch strengths of one drug for another."

The head of the provincial pharmacists' association said pharmacists have speculated that reforms in other provinces are to blame for the shortages.

"It's not out of the question for a manufacturer to decide, 'You know what, we're going to sell every molecule we make this year. Maybe we make sure those products make their way into more profitable markets,'" said Paul Blanchard, executive director for the New Brunswick Pharmacists' Association.

Ontario decided in June that generic drug prices will be cut to 25 per cent of the price of patented drugs, down from 50 per cent. In July, British Columbia decided to drop the cost of generic drugs from 65 per cent of the brand name cost to 35 per cent. Alberta and Quebec reached similar cost-cutting deals with the drug industry recently. ...more

Moroccan pharmacies threatened over cross symbols

From Magharebia:
A self-proclaimed "lover of al-Qaeda and Jihad" has given Moroccan pharmacy owners one month to remove cross symbols from storefronts or else face beheading.

"In 2009, crusade France lured owners of pharmacies with financial benefits and discounts in medications in return for placing the green cross along the green crescent," said a letter published in late July by several online forums. "We demand you remove the crosses off the façades of your pharmacies and to respect our religion," the web threat continued.

"Forewarned is forearmed," the unnamed writer said. "We give you and those who work with you an interval of one month to return to your true nature and nation."

The deadline expires August 28th.

Morocco has not issued an official response to the online ultimatum. Communication Minister Khalid Naciri on August 17th told Magharebia that "the government can't issue reactions to each and every threat posted on the internet". ...more

Drugs protect monkeys from Ebola, US study finds

From Reuters:
U.S. government researchers working to find ways to treat the highly deadly Ebola virus said on Sunday a new approach from AVI BioPharma Inc (AVII.O) saved monkeys after they were infected.

Two experimental treatments protected more than 60 percent of monkeys infected with Ebola and all the monkeys infected with a related virus called Marburg, the team at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Fort Detrick, Maryland reported. ...more

Many drugs for U.S. kids tested in poor countries

From Reuters:
A law intended to speed up development of new drugs for U.S. kids has ended up financing clinical trials in poor countries, where the medicines might never become available.

That's the conclusion of a new report whose authors say the situation raises ethical concerns.

More than a third of the published trials performed under 1997 legislation called the Pediatric Exclusivity Provision were carried out at least partly in developing or transitioning nations, such as Uganda and India, researchers found.

"The trend that we describe brings up some scientific and ethical problems," said Dr. Sara K. Pasquali, a pediatrician at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, whose findings appear in the journal Pediatrics.

"Oftentimes, access to a study may be the only access to medical care a family has," she said of trial participants in developing countries. Once the testing is done, however, it's unclear if effective drugs will be marketed in the country in question, and whether they will be affordable. ...more

Fasting women risking health by taking tablets to delay periods

From the Arab News:
There is a growing tendency among young women, especially unmarried ones, to take drugs to delay menstrual cycle in the holy month of Ramadan.

“Out of their eagerness to observe fasting throughout the month of Ramadan without missing any days, many young women customers, including unmarried, are coming to buy Primolut N tablet. The sale of the tablet is on the rise with the advent of the fasting month of Ramadan,” Al-Watan daily reported, quoting a pharmacist in Taif.

According to the pharmacist, most of the customers of this tablet are unmarried girls. “They are not at all bothered about the side effects after using these tablets. They approach familiar pharmacists to buy it without a prescription,” he said.

Primolut N tablet contains the active ingredient norethisterone, which is a synthetic hormonal product similar to the natural female hormone progesterone. It is used in a wide range of menstrual disorders. ...more

'Magic drug' gives hope to bipolar patients

From the Vancouver Sun:
A new antidepressant being tested in Canada appears to do what no other drug can -- increase connections between brain cells within hours to swiftly improve symptoms.

The finding by Yale University researchers may explain how one dose of ketamine can reduce symptoms of depression within 40 minutes among the hardest-to-treat cases, and could help spur development of quick-acting antidepressants.

About 17 per cent of the Canadian population will experience major depression at some point in their lives.

Prozac-like drugs and other antidepressants take at least two weeks to produce an effect, and sometimes months for a full effect.

Even then, they work well in only about a third of patients.

The risk of suicide increases during those dangerous weeks or months of lag time. ...more

New cancer drugs used less often in Canada

From the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Groups that advocate for cancer patients are using a new report from the United Kingdom to bolster their call for greater access to cancer drugs in Canada.

The report said that of 14 countries studied, Canada ranked 13th in usage of cancer drugs launched in the last five years.

On Thursday, the Cancer Advocacy Coalition of Canada renewed its request that the federal, provincial and territorial ministers of health create a national catastrophic drug plan for cancer patients.

"I think this means that many cancer patients, many Canadians, aren’t getting the treatments that might help them for their cancer," Dr. Kong Khoo, vice-chairman of the coalition, said from Kelowna, B.C. ...more

Controversial drug proves highly effective in treating depression

From the Globe and Mail:
Medications used to treat depression may have powerful side effects, take weeks or longer to work, or have limited effectiveness in some individuals.

But there is growing excitement – and even surprise – about a new treatment that relieves symptoms of depression in some patients in a matter of minutes, a discovery that could chart a new path in research of the disease.

The medication that is gaining more attention, and respect, in the mental health field is ketamine.

A small study of 18 patients with bipolar disorder resistant to treatment published this week in the Archives of General Psychiatry found depressive symptoms improved significantly in 71 per cent of those treated with ketamine, compared with a six-per-cent improvement in the group that was given a placebo. Among those given ketamine, depressive symptoms began to improve in as little as 40 minutes. ...more

Flu vaccine nasal spray coming to Canada

From CTV News:
or Canadians who don't get the flu shot because of the whole "shot" part, a new option is now available. A nasal spray flu vaccine has just received Health Canada's approval.

The product is called FluMist and will be sold in Canada by AstraZeneca.

FluMist has been on the U.S. market since 2003 and is the only non-injectable flu vaccine in North America. It's now approved in Canada for the prevention of seasonal influenza in Canadians two to 59 years of age.

FluMist is a mist that is sprayed into the nose, allowing the vaccine to enter the nose to deliver an active, attenuated (weakened) form of three flu viruses into the body.

It should be administered by a health care professional, although in Alberta, pharmacists will be able to administer the vaccine themselves. The cost of a dose hasn't yet been decided. ...more

Diabetics shouldn't stop drug without doctor OK

From CBC News:
Medical experts are warning people taking a controversial diabetes drug not to change their medication without consulting their doctor.

The warning comes after an American advisory panel voiced major concerns over the drug Avandia (Rosiglitazone), but eventually voted to recommend it be allowed to stay on the U.S. market.

Studies have suggested the GlaxoSmithKline drug raises the risk of heart attacks, strokes and death in some users.

In 2007, Health Canada issued usage restrictions on Avandia due to cardiovascular risks. At that time, the health agency said that Avandia was no longer approved for use alone to treat Type 2 diabetes, nor approved for use with a sulfonylurea drug except when the drug metformin is contraindicated or not tolerated. ...more

Pharmacists run doctor show

From the Calcutta (India) Telegraph:
Pharmacists in the state capital are prescribing medicines in the absence of doctors at some unit hospitals or zonal dispensaries.

Shortage of doctors has become so acute that they are now being rotated to attend services at Capital Hospital, the nearest referral facility, to manage the patient inflow.

Hence, in their absence at some unit hospitals, pharmacists and even paramedics are issuing prescriptions for patients.

Asked about the new role of some pharmacists at zonal dispensaries, chief medical officer of Capital Hospital Dr Gangadhar Rath said: “Pharmacists cannot write prescriptions. They should only distribute medicines.” ...more

Pharmacist gets 'sweet' revenge on pill-snatching thief

From WOAI (TX):
The front doors of the building were broken by burglars, and small pieces of glass litter the floor. And, it's not for the first time.

“You know, this pharmacist has been burglarized several times. This pharmacist has just had enough,” explained Glynda Chu of the Edmond Police Department.

Like so many pharmacies, the workers at Clinic Pharmarcy have been victimized over and over again by pill-seeking thieves.

“You know, they steal money from banks because that's where the money is," Chu said. "The same with pharmacies, cause that's where the drugs are kept.”

As a non-violent way to spoil the thefts, the pharmacist recently emptied several bottles of hydrocodone pills, filling the bottles, instead, with M&Ms. As a result, when burglars stole the prescription bottles, only M&Ms poured out. ...more

Vitamin D levels linked to Parkinson's disease risk

From AFP:
Greater levels of vitamin D have been linked to a lower risk of Parkinson's disease in a study in Finland where low sunlight leads to a chronic lack of the nutrient, researchers said Monday.

Scientists from the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland, first hypothesized that Parkinson's "may be caused by a continuously inadequate vitamin D status leading to a chronic loss of dopaminergic neurons in the brain."

Vitamin D, supplied chiefly by the sun's ultraviolet rays and a small range of foods, is known to play a role in bone health and may also be linked to cancer, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, the researchers said.

The Finnish study, published in the July issue of Archives of Neurology, followed 3,173 Parkinson's-free Finnish men and women aged 50-79 over a 29-year period from 1978-2007. ...more

New system urged to treat rare-disease patients: analysis

From the Globe and Mail:
Government decisions to fund expensive treatments for rare diseases shouldn’t be made on an ad hoc basis that leaves countless patients out in the cold, says a new analysis published Monday by the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Canada needs a new system that would allow policy makers to measure the effectiveness of treatments while connecting rare-disease patients with much-needed drugs, wrote Chaim Bell, co-author of the analysis and associate professor of medicine and health policy management at the University of Toronto.

The issue of rare diseases and access to treatment has been brewing for years. Canada has long been criticized by rare-disease patients and health experts for not having a formal policy that allows access to “orphan drugs,” or those that are used to treat rare diseases. It’s one of the few developed countries that doesn’t have one.

Without a formal policy, there is too much red tape and not enough financial incentives for drug companies to obtain approval for these products in Canada because the market is relatively small. As a result, patients may have no way of getting certain drugs or have to pay exorbitant amounts for them. ...more

If pot must be sold, it should be at pharmacies

I don't often post opinion pieces but I thought I'd make an exception here. If/when medical marijuana becomes a bigger deal in Canada, maybe pharmacies should push to have some involvement. It might be a better alternative than marijuana only dispensaries. It also could help replace some income being lost by generic rebate cutbacks.

From the Vancouver Province:
Why am I not surprised that a medical marijuana dispensary has now opened, without a business licence, in downtown Maple Ridge?

Well, such cannabis dispensaries are growing like weeds in Western U.S. states such as California where, in a November referendum, citizens will vote on whether to legalize recreational use of the drug and tax sales of it.

In B.C., of course, smoking marijuana has become effectively legal for years -- for all except those who actually blow the smoke in a cop's face. What we Canadians don't seem to approve of is growing pot for profit. A recent poll shows that, while most support legalizing marijuana, a hefty majority want stiff penalties for grow operators.

We're a bit conflicted about the issue, in other words. So are Lower Mainland politicians and police -- especially about the dispensing of medical marijuana, currently governed by somewhat Byzantine Health Canada rules. ...more

Seniors most likely hospitalized for adverse drug reactions: StatsCan

From the Ottawa Citizen:
Canadians aged 80 and older fill five times as many drug prescriptions a year as the average person, according to new data from Statistics Canada, helping explain why drug side effects are the No. 1 reason they visit emergency rooms.

In 2005, pharmacists filled an average of 74 prescriptions for each person over the age of 80, compared with an average of 14 prescriptions per Canadian, said the Statistics Canada study.

Typically, seniors on multiple drugs see numerous specialists who prescribe various medications to treat a range of chronic ailments: high blood pressure, hypertension, diabetes, Alzheimer's, arthritis, heart disease and stroke.

Experts have long known that seniors are the major consumers of drugs, but the Statistics Canada study is the first to quantify it nationally. ...more

Take your meds—if you can get them

From Macleans:
With dozens of prescription drugs unavailable and hundreds more on back order, pharmacists in Saskatchewan are scrambling to find alternative medications for patients. “It’s worsening and there seems to be no end in sight,” says Ray Joubert, registrar with the Saskatchewan College of Pharmacists. “We need to solve it before something disastrous happens.”

While the rest of Canada is suffering a moderate drug shortage, experts say it doesn’t compare to what’s going on in Saskatchewan. For almost a year, pharmacists there have been cutting pills in half, contacting multiple manufacturers and, when necessary, calling doctors to temporarily switch a patient’s medication because the supply of many prescriptions—including tetracycline and certain strengths of vitamin B9—have dried up. It’s especially hard for patients on complicated drug regimens, since alternatives can’t always be found. “Some patients,” says Joubert, “have gone without their meds.” ...more

McGuinty pushes pharmacare again

From the Toronto Star:
Ontario’s controversial reforms cutting the price of generic drugs in half could help point the way to a national pharmacare program, Premier Dalton McGuinty said Wednesday.

“I think that will very likely be a natural evolution from this debate. I think you’re going to see many other provinces adopt the funding approach we are bringing when it comes to paying for our generic drugs.”

The idea of a national pharmacare program was quashed by the former Liberal federal government six years ago as too expensive, but increased pressures on health care budgets since then show the idea is worth reconsidering, McGuinty told reporters.

“We’re going to have to find a way as we work together to ensure that our health-care system becomes sustainable, because, at present, it is not,” added the premier, who championed a national pharmacare program along with B.C. counterpart Gordon Campbell in 2004. ...more

10,000 natural products still unlicensed

From the Toronto Sun:
More than six years after Health Canada started regulating natural health products for safety and effectiveness, it still hasn’t processed licence applications for about 10,000 non-traditional, homeopathic, food or personal care remedies now sold in Canada.

The backlog has prompted drug stores to pull some natural products from their shelves after their umbrella regulatory body reminded pharmacies they should not sell unlicensed products.

Now the federal department is scrambling to find a fix that will exempt natural products from current rules until it can process them fully.

The department recently unveiled temporary licensing proposals meant to “make the sale of these products legal” for the time being if they file safety information on request, show “good manufacturing practices,” report any adverse reactions and work from a licensed site.

The products include traditional Chinese and herbal medicines; non-traditional medicines such as herbs, vitamins and minerals; homeopathic medicines; or personal care products such as shampoos that make health claims. ...more

Pharmacists take drug company to cour

From Stuff.co.nz:
Pharmacists are taking drug manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to court over the recall of a blood thinning drug, saying they are bearing the company's expenses in carrying out the work.

Pharmacist Ian Johnson, who owns Johnson's Pharmacy in Otara, south Auckland, and is president of the Pharmacy Guild, served a civil notice of claim on GSK in Manukau District court last week.

The claim is a test case after GSK earlier this year recalled of the blood thinner Marevan. A manufacturing error meant some 3mg tablets had higher doses.

"I accepted that I had a professional duty to safeguard my patients. But I also saw this as GSK, whose medicine this was, asking me in my professional and business capacity to do work for them - necessary and urgent work. I expected that I would be paid reasonable compensation for my work," Mr Johnson said.

He said he invoiced GSK $395.10. The money covered contacting seven patients for an average of 15 minutes each time, the dispensing fee for replacing four patients' Marevan tablets, administration costs, briefing staff, liaising with GPs, internal stock management and GSK paperwork. ...more