Drug Formulary Review articles from March 2006

Drug Formulary Review archives from March 2006

Sentinel Event Alert: The time for medication reconciliation is now.(National Patient Safety Goal 8)
March 1, 2006... Most programs will need tweaking, says Joint Commission surveyor By now, hospitals should have fully developed and implemented a process to comply with 2005's National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) 8 of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of...

Some whos, hows, whens, and whys of reconciliation.(patient medication reconciliation)
March 1, 2006... Process requires real change, says JCAHO surveyor Medication reconciliation is a requirement of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Many hospitals, however, still are bogged down in...

Provide an accurate list for the next level of care.(National Patient Safety Goal 8 and medication reconciliation)
March 1, 2006... Some hospitals are overly complicating the process The last important piece of the medication reconciliation process is for hospitals to provide a list of the patient's current (continuing) medications for his or her next level of care. ...

FDA issues public health advisory for aprotinin injection (Trasylol).
March 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a Public Health Advisory alerting doctors who perform heart bypass surgery, and their patients, that aprotinin injection (Trasylol), a drug used to prevent blood loss during surgery, has been...

FDA revises format of prescription drug information.
March 1, 2006... The FDA has revised the format of prescription drug information, commonly called the package insert, to give health care professionals clear and concise prescribing information. Revised for the first time in more than 25 years, the new...

Current influenza viruses resistant to amantadine, rimandatine.
March 1, 2006... The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta has issued a health alert recommending that amantadine and rimandatine not be used for the treatment or prophylaxis of influenza in the United States during the 2005-06 influenza...

Report: Many CAD patients don't take drugs that could extend lives.
March 1, 2006... Nearly half the coronary artery disease (CAD) patients in a seven-year study admitted they don't consistently take beta-blockers, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and other medications that could extend their lives, researchers report in the Jan. 17...

ICAP approves uniform labeling guidelines.(International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) in Sugar Land, TX, has issued national guidelines for the labeling of custom-prepared, compounded medications by its member pharmacists. The guidelines are intended to provide patients...

Serious liver toxicity reported with use of telithromycin (Ketek).
March 1, 2006... The Annals of Internal Medicine has published an article reporting three patients who experienced serious liver toxicity following administration of telithromycin (Ketek). These cases were also reported to FDA MedWatch. While it is...

Exenatide (Byetta) Drug Evaluation.
March 1, 2006... Part 1 of 2: Mechanism of action, Indications, Dosing and Administration, Special populations, Contraindications, Warnings/precautions, Potential for error, Adverse effects, Pregnancy/Lactation By Steven Higginbotham, PharmD Candidate,...

CE questions.
March 1, 2006... This CE program will improve participants' ability to: *Compare the clinical efficacy and safety of one therapeutic agent over another used in the same setting. *Assess clinical trial data and explain how the results influence...