A bipartisan group of legislators in the House of Representatives reintroduced a bill to allow Medicare to cover state authorized pharmacist services. The bill, known as the Pharmacy in Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, makes the same changes to the Social Security Act proposed by HR 4190, first introduced last year. The text of the […]
At the end of January, the FDA announced approval for Bexsero, a Novartis vaccine designed to protect against invasive meningococcal disease caused by the serogroup B bacteria, Neisseria meningitidis.
Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in America, and the second leading cause of death from cancer. It affects people across all racial and ethnic groups, but is most commonly found in people over age 50. If all patients over age 50 were screened on a regular basis, 60% of deaths from colorectal […]
In late December 2014, Valeant Pharmaceuticals voluntarily recalled a single lot of ribavirin powder, sold under the brand name Virazole, because there were concerns with the stability of the product. The FDA is aware of the recall and is working with the company to facilitate it. The company says that 12-month testing of Lot 340353F […]
In mid-December, Baxter International recalled two lots of Sodium Chloride Injection. This particular recall affected 100-ML mini bags and containers of 0.9% sodium chloride. The recall was made voluntarily after the company received reports of particulate matter in the product.
DeeDee Hu and Sapana Desai had no idea that on their flight from Houston to Los Angeles in mid-December would save a fellow passenger’s life. A passenger on the flight lost consciousness and had no pulse, but thanks to a pair of pharmacists onboard who work at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston, […]
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) made a revision to the list of hazardous drugs found in health care facilities. The latest update, made in late November, now accounts for workers’ exposure risks, and now categorizes drugs by type.
January 1 marks the beginning of phased-in implementation of the FDA’s tracking and pedigree regulations for medications, while the first major pharmacy requirements go into effect in July. Beginning this month, drug manufacturers and distributors must provide pharmacies with specific transaction information. They must provide a transaction history and statement that indicates product shipments down to […]
