Drug Formulary Review articles from October 2004

Drug Formulary Review archives from October 2004

New cholesterol treatment guidelines--reaching even lower LDL levels: physicians debate drug combination or aggressive statin therapy.
October 1, 2004... Now that the National Cholesterol Education Program has updated its clinical practice guidelines on cholesterol management, one of the questions is how health care providers can reach the lower treatment goals for low-density lipoprotein (LDL)...

Early, intensive simvastatin does not reach endpoint: high dose linked to muscle-related adverse effects.(Journal Review)
October 1, 2004... Some physicians advocate early, aggressive therapy to help reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels. One new study, however, indicates that patients treated with high-dose simvastatin (Zocor) did not show a significant reduction...

Rosuvastatin calcium reaches one-year mark: physician: changed perception of statins' potential.
October 1, 2004... Rosuvastatin calcium (Crestor) just passed its one-year anniversary since being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although by reports it has generated almost $4 billion in annual sales for AstraZeneca, the approval...

'Inappropriate meds' still prescribed to the elderly: limited study should be a reminder to pharmacists.
October 1, 2004... Many elderly Americans still are being prescribed potentially inappropriate medications, according to a study published in the Aug. 9/23 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study should be a red flag to pharmacists, to remind...

Apomorphine hydrochloride (Apokyn) formulary evaluation.
October 1, 2004... Apomorphine was recognized in 1960 to affect dopamine receptors in the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated apomorphine as an orphan drug in 1991 for the treatment of hypomobility in...

CE questions.
October 1, 2004... Pharmacists participate in this continuing education program by reading the article, using the provided references for further research, and studying the CE questions. Participants should select what they believe to be the correct answers....

Patients warned of clinical differences in thyroid meds.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Two organizations representing clinical endocrinologists have warned patients taking thyroid medication, prescribing physicians, and pharmacists dispensing these drugs that clinically important differences exist between one recently approved...

Higher costs affect MS patients' adherence to medications.(survey on multiple sclerosis patients' compliance)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Multiple sclerosis patients were less likely to take the generally recommended medications for their condition when their out-of-pocket cost for the prescription drugs rose, according to research from Medstat, a business of The Thomson Corp....

Audio conference: including children in clinical research.
October 1, 2004... Children get sick. When they do, parents and pediatricians alike expect to employ just the right therapies, which often include a regimen of drugs, to treat their conditions. But are drugs known to be safe for adults, necessarily safe for...

FDA issues warnings, label changes.(Centocor issues Remicade warning)(Aventis Pharmaceuticals adjusts dosage labeling for Lovenox)(Genetech issues warning for Avastin)
October 1, 2004... The FDA and Genentech have issued a drug warning to health care providers that there is evidence of an increased risk of serious arterial thromboembolic events, including cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarctions, transient ischemic...

Survey highlights importance of pharmacist/patient relationship.(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A national consumer survey commissioned by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) in Washington, DC, shows that a consumer simply knowing the pharmacist's name correlated strongly with his or her access to information that could avert...

New FDA approvals.(Hameln Pharmaceuticals GmbH receives drug approvals for pentetate calcium trisodium injection and pentetate zinc trisodium)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... The FDA has recently approved the following drugs: * Pentetate calcium trisodium injection (Ca-DTPA) and pentetate zinc trisodium injection (Zn-DTPA) by Hameln Pharmaceuticals, GmbH, of Hameln, Germany. The FDA has approved two drugs,...