Last year the state of California implemented an online prescription database that records the drug use for patients who receive prescription medications. Doctors and hospitals are now able to access the records online to determine if patients might be prescription drug abusers or sellers.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) recently requested that congress consider requiring nationwide tracking of over the counter cold and allergy medication to combat methamphetamine production. The drugs impacted would be those that contain the ingredient pseudoephedrine (PSE) as they are commonly purchased in bulk by methamphetamine producers. Ten states have already enacted legislation that […]
Drug maker AstraZeneca is facing a $520 million fine for off-label promotion of its drug Seroquel. Seroquel is an antipsychotic that is the second highest seller for the drug maker and brought in $4.9 billion in sales in 2009. The federal government is collecting the fine to settle accusations that AstraZeneca promoted Seroquel for additional […]
As states voice growing concern about the possible redirection of negotiated rebates on drug prices; the federal government recently confirmed that some of money will be paid to the feds to help fund the health care overhaul. The new law mandates that state rebates for brand name drugs be increased from 15.1% to 23.1%. The […]
The Wall Street Journal reports that in 2009, 191 million prescriptions were filed electronically. That is almost triple the number of electronic prescriptions sent out in 2008. The trend is expected to continue as more private physicians purchase the programs to offer the electronic service. The software allows doctors to pull up lists of applicable […]
A recent study conducted at four VA hospitals found that direct pharmacist interaction dramatically increased the rate at which patients successfully took multiple medications. The study involved 118 patients who all had a mental health diagnosis and prescriptions. Several also had additional conditions “such as hypertension or diabetes” in addition to the mental health diagnoses. […]
A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics concluded that translated prescription labels often contain serious errors. The study took place in New York where pharmacies are required to translate labels into any of the seven most commonly spoken languages in the city. The translation law was implemented in 2009 since nearly half of […]
Last Tuesday, drug makers Pfizer and Glaxo signed a ten year deal to provide vaccines at a reduced cost to poor, developing nations. The deal sets the supply of pneumococcal vaccines at 60 million per year for a ten year period. The deal was set up by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) […]
