Drug Topics - October 15, 2007 - (Page 17)

www.drugtopics.com OCTOBER 15, 2007 DRUG TOPICS 17 pharmacies to add and mix various ingredients into an IV solution. The software malfunction allowed as much as an extra 50 ml of an ingredient to be added to the IV solution—which could be a deadly amount, particularly in newborns. The FDA notified Baxa customers by telephone of the software error on June 27 and also sent customers a faxed or e-mailed letter detailing the malfunction. Customers were given instructions to follow to prevent additional volume from being added to IV bags and received an express-mail letter reinforcing the importance of the recall. The FDA said Baxa distributed 32 updated software units to 14 U.S. customers and one foreign customer between June 4 and June 25. Thanksgiving. An extensive marketing campaign will break in the next few weeks. In other news, Sammons said Rite Aid is launching a diabetes awareness program and flu clinics in stores in October. For more Rite Aid news, visit www.riteaid. com/company/news/news_details.jsf?itemNumber=959. Pharmacy costs rise in Mid-Atlantic states According to a report by HealthLeaders-InterStudy, the average weighted pharmacy expenses for Middle Atlantic states’ health insurance plans rose from $26 to $33 per member, per month between 2004 and 2006. Most large commercial insurers saw pharmacy costs rise from 8% to 14%. The study analyzed health insurance plans in Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. As pharmacy costs have gone up, the report noted, several of the major health plans have pushed beneficiaries toward central fill and mail-order operations. “Health plans have approached the problem of high drug costs with creative strategies and innovative automation, but, ultimately, the solution to high costs in health care is a strong move toward wellness and prevention,” said Jan Shuxteau, market analyst for HealthLeaders-InterStudy. Agency gives nod to new loading dose of Plavix The FDA has approved a 300-mg tablet of clopidogrel (Plavix, Sanofi-Aventis/Bristol-Myers Squibb). A 300-mg loading dose was already approved by the agency for nonST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients to be given as soon as possible following hospital admission. The recently updated ACC/AHA treatment guidelines for UA/ NSTEMI and the AHA Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care guidelines for ACS patients also both recommend a 300-mg loading dose of clopidogrel in conjunction with aspirin. According to the manufacturers, the new 300-mg tablet is bioequivalent to four 75-mg tablets, the other available strength of clopidogrel. Integration of Brooks Eckerd stores by Rite Aid on track During Rite Aid’s recent second-quarter results conference call, chairman/president/CEO Mary Sammons reported that the company‘s integration of Brooks Eckerd is “off to an excellent start, and we’re seeing more cost-savings synergies from the acquisition than we initially expected.” In the second quarter, the company acquired 1,854 Brooks Eckerd stores. Sammons went on to say that nearly 50% of Brooks Eckerd stores have been converted to Rite Aid exterior signage. Rite Aid signage will appear on the remaining stores by http://www.drugtopics.com http://www.riteaid.com/company/news/news_details.jsf?itemNumber=959 http://www.riteaid.com/company/news/news_details.jsf?itemNumber=959

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Drug Topics - October 15, 2007

Drug Topics - October 15, 2007 Contents Drugs in the Pipeline for Diabetes Vanquishing Med Errors from Abbreviations What Pharmacy Schools Never Taught You The Week at a Glance What Kinds of Mistakes Do Pharmacists Make?

Drug Topics - October 15, 2007

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