Drug Formulary Review articles from January 2004

Drug Formulary Review archives from January 2004

Medicare reform bill includes medication management services: pharmacists concerned about reimbursement for Part B-covered drugs.
January 1, 2004... The new Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act, signed into law by President Bush in early December, contains a victory for pharmacists. However, some drug reimbursement changes are also cause for concern. ...

New treatment guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia available: therapy should be tailored to specific patients.
January 1, 2004... The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has updated its treatment guidelines for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in immunocompetent adults, just in time for a season that is expected to have higher-than-normal cases of lung...

Medicare prescription drug coverage benefit: general details of plan.
January 1, 2004... Here are details of the recently approved agreement that is designed to give all Medicare beneficiaries access to prescription drug coverage. Most of these details are provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Medicare...

IDSA suggests initial empiric therapy for CAP.(Infectious Diseases Society of America)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... In the 2003 recommendations for management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in immunocompetent adults, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) in Alexandria, VA, has issued suggestions for initial empiric therapy. Here are some...

Large drug copayment increases lead to decreased utilization: some patients discontinued therapy altogether.
January 1, 2004... Pharmacists may expect their patients to switch to less expensive drugs when their copayments increase dramatically. A recent study, however, suggests that some patients may stop taking their important medications altogether. In an effort...

Pediatric rule legislation passes Congress.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. House of Representatives has overwhelmingly approved legislation that will require pharmaceutical companies to test specific medicines for use in children. Endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in Washington, DC, the...

Aggressive atorvastatin therapy halts progression of atherosclerosis.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Aggressive atorvastatin treatment stopped progression of plaque burden in heart patients in a head-to-head trial that compared moderate with aggressive statin therapy. The trial aimed to lower levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) to below 80...

New indications for valganciclovir HCl tablets.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Roche Laboratories are notifying health care professionals of the findings of an active comparator study of valganciclovir HCl tablets (Valcyte) and ganciclovir in heart, liver, kidney, and...

Aventis warns of hepatic injury reports with leflunomide (Arava).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2004... Aventis Pharmaceuticals is warning of reports of hepatic injury with the use of leflunomide (Arava), which is indicated for the treatment of active rheumatoid arthritis. Rare and serious hepatic injury, including cases with fatal outcomes,...

Seniors most vulnerable to hospital medication errors.
January 1, 2004... More than one-third of hospital medication errors that reach the patient involve seniors, indicating that they continue to be a vulnerable population in U.S. health care facilities. This information comes from the United States Pharmacopeia...

Formulary evaluation of Omalizumab (Xolair)[R].(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 1, 2004... Asthma affects nearly 18 million individuals in the United States. Prevention and reduction of asthma exacerbations are important goals of asthma management. Despite improvements in treatment options and an increased understanding of the...