Industry News

All adults who smoke cigarettes or have asthma should be vaccinated against pneumococcal disease, according to newly updated recommendations for the use of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV23) vaccine.

FDA today issued a reminder to health care professionals to consider drugs other than tigecycline for the treatment of patients with severe infections.

Starting this flu season, all Americans age six months or older without a contraindication are advised to get vaccinated against influenza annually, but the dosing schedule for young children is a complex legacy of the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus that emerged last spring.

Two thirds of the way into the year, 2010 shows signs of being the worst 12-month period ever in which the demand for certain drug products has outstripped supply.

FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want health care professionals, whenever possible, to use a point-of-care blood glucose meter or International Normalized Ratio instrument on one patient only, according to a notice issued today.

After much deliberation, FDA on July 23 approved the first generic version of enoxaparin, the drug that has topped the list of highest pharmaceutical expenditures by nonfederal hospitals for the past four years.

Thirty-one lots of Octagam 5% liquid i.v. immune globulin product are being withdrawn from the market because of an increased number of reported episodes of thromboembolism, according to a notice circulated today by FDA's MedWatch program.

FDA announced today that an agency-conducted meta-analysis found a small increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and cardiovascular-related death in patients who received carbidopa–levodopa–entacapone therapy instead of the standard combination of carbidopa and levodopa. But that finding, the agency noted, did not hold up when data from one study were eliminated from the 15-study meta-analysis.

For Greensboro, North Carolina, primary care physician Art Green, the addition of a clinical pharmacist to the patient care team has brought essential services to some of the practice's sickest patients and reduced overall medical costs.

FDA officials in July engaged with dozens of stakeholders, including pharmacists, who want to ease the burden placed on the health care system by risk evaluation and mitigation strategy (REMS) programs for medications.

FDA yesterday released a proposal to withdraw the marketing approval for Shire Development Inc.'s midodrine hydrochloride product, Proamatine.

Watson Pharmaceuticals on Friday announced the approval of ulipristal acetate oral tablets for emergency contraception after unprotected intercourse or a known or suspected contraceptive failure.

The federal government in July revealed the details of its plan to get hospitals and physicians to adopt and meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology, including computerized prescriber order entry.

FDA today announced that the labeling for lamotrigine is being revised to warn that cases of aseptic meningitis have been reported in patients who used the antiseizure medication.

Amphastar Pharmaceuticals Inc., the parent company of International Medication Systems Limited, announced today that it is bringing back to the market the emergency-drug syringes that had been discontinued at the end of last year.

Influenza H3N2 viruses have made their appearance earlier in the season than usual, with two small July outbreaks confirmed in Iowa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced yesterday through the agency's health alert network.

Merz Pharmaceuticals announced today that FDA approved the marketing of the company's incobotulinumtoxinA product, Xeomin, for the treatment of cervical dystonia or blepharospasm in adults.

Lundbeck Inc. on Friday recalled the only two lots of NeoProfen ibuprofen lysine for i.v. injection currently available to U.S. prescribers, according to a notice on FDA's website.

FDA on July 28 approved the labeling for alcaftadine ophthalmic solution for use in patients with allergic conjunctivitis.

Pharmacists and other health care professionals in June urged FDA to standardize how medications are named and simplify labeling and packaging to help reduce medication errors.