Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pharmacy for January 2011. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
Tonofovir Appears Effective, Safe Long-Term for HBV
MONDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), which has been identified as superior to adefovir dipivoxil for treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) through 48 weeks, also appears safe and effective as a long-term monotherapy, according to research published in the January issue of Gastroenterology.
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Improvement of Behavioral Effects of Fragile X Syndrome
MONDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Evaluation of a selective metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) inhibitor in treating fragile X Syndrome (FXS) indicates improvement in patients with a fully methylated fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene, according to a study published in the Jan. 5 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Tocilizumab Reduces Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis is reduced by tocilizumab treatment, regardless of the measure by which it is evaluated, according to a study published in the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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C-Reactive Protein Level Does Not Modify Statin Benefit
FRIDAY, Jan. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration does not alter the benefit of statin therapy for high-risk patients, according to a study published online Jan. 28 in The Lancet.
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Few Older Adults Receive Herpes Zoster Vaccination
THURSDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Although the herpes zoster vaccine (HZV) was approved for prevention of shingles by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2006 and recommended for adults aged 60 and older, uptake for the preventive vaccine remains well under 10 percent, according to research published in the February issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
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CDC Issues Guidance on Drug for HIV Prevention
THURSDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Daily pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with an antiviral medication may reduce the acquisition of HIV in men who have sex with men (MSM), and interim guidance for health care providers on the use of PrEP is published in the Jan. 28 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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Trospium Treatment Effective for Overactive Bladder
THURSDAY, Jan. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with trospium chloride extended-release (XR) in men with an overactive bladder (OAB) is effective and safe, according to a study published in the January issue of Urology.
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Peginterferon Promising for Hepatitis Delta Virus
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Peginterferon alfa-2a, with or without adefovir, shows promise in the treatment of hepatitis delta virus (HDV), according to research published in the Jan. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Hemodialysis Catheter Locking Solution Improves Outcomes
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of catheter malfunction and bacteremia is reduced among patients undergoing hemodialysis with catheter locking solutions that include the addition of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) as compared to heparin alone, according to a study in the Jan. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Electronic Health Records May Not Improve Care Quality
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Electronic health records (EHRs) and clinical decision support (CDS) do not appear to improve the quality of clinical care, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Antioxidant Supplementation May Improve Male Fertility
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Antioxidant supplementation in subfertile men may increase the likelihood of pregnancy and live births for couples undergoing assisted reproduction techniques, according to a review published online Jan. 19 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
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Allegra Approved for Over-the-Counter Sale
TUESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Sanofi-Aventis' prescription non-drowsy antihistamine, Allegra (fexofenadine), has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for over-the-counter sale, the company said Tuesday.
National Library of Medicine
Substantial Source of Dosing Error Found for Pediatric Patients
MONDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Current equipment does not permit accurate volume measurements of less than 0.1 mL; consequently there is a substantial risk of dosing error in intravenous medication doses that require small volumes to be administered to pediatric patients, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Anti-Estrogens May Slow Lung Cancer Progression
MONDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Women with breast cancer who are treated with anti-estrogens have a lower lung cancer mortality rate than the general population, according to a study published online Jan. 24 in Cancer.
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Viibryd Approved for Major Depressive Disorder
MONDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Viibryd (vilazodone hydrochloride) tablets have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adults.
National Institute of Mental Health
Biologics Effective, but Pricy, to Treat Juvenile Arthritis
MONDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Biologics are more effective than methotrexate (MTX) in achieving a short-term response in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who have had previous suboptimal response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, according to research published in the January issue of Arthritis Care & Research.
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Pharmacist Involvement Improves Disease Management
MONDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- When pharmacists are added to primary care teams, patients with type 2 diabetes achieve better blood pressure control, according to a study published in the January issue of Diabetes Care.
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Using Biologic Agents in Older Patients With IBD Poses Risk
MONDAY, Jan. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment of patients older than 65 years of age with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors is associated with a high rate of severe infections and mortality, according to a study published in the January issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Apolipoprotein A-I Synthesis Inducer Moderately Successful
FRIDAY, Jan. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Administration of a novel oral inducer of apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) synthesis appears to result in increases of apoA-I levels and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, according to research published online Jan. 19 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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Quitting Antiplatelets Early After Stents Tied to CV Risk
THURSDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Early discontinuation of antiplatelet therapy in patients following drug-eluting stent implantation is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events, including stent thrombosis and death, according to a study published in the Jan. 15 issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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Vulnerable Populations Have Poor Access to Trauma Care
THURSDAY, Jan. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Difficult access to trauma care is not uncommon among specific segments of the U.S. population, and warfarin use in trauma patients has increased and is associated with a higher mortality risk, according to two articles published in the January issue of the Archives of Surgery.
Abstract - Hsia/Shen
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Evidence Limited on Statins for Primary Prevention
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- There is not enough evidence to support the widespread use of statins in individuals with no history of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a review published in The Cochrane Library.
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Bisphosphonates May Improve Survival in Duchenne MD
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- When combined with steroid treatment, bisphosphonate use may improve survival rates in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), according to research published online Jan. 17 in Pediatrics.
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Malaria Vaccine Offers Children Long-Lasting Protection
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The lead candidate malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01E, offers long-lasting protection against clinical malaria in healthy African children, according to a study published online Jan. 14 in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.
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Escitalopram Successfully Reduces Hot Flashes
TUESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Menopausal women treated with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor escitalopram have fewer, and less severe, hot flashes than women taking a placebo, according to a study published in the Jan. 19 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapies Offer Similar Survival
TUESDAY, Jan. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Adjuvant breast cancer therapy with an aromatase inhibitor (exemestane) alone, or used following tamoxifen, offers similar disease-free survival rates but different side-effect profiles, according to a study published online Jan. 18 in The Lancet.
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Macrolides Mixed With BP Drugs Can Lead to Hypotension
MONDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Simultaneous use of calcium-channel blockers and some macrolide antibiotics may result in hypotension, which may require hospital admission, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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FDA: Severe Liver Injury Tied to Dronedarone (Multaq)
MONDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has notified health care professionals and patients of the risk of acute liver failure associated with the heart medication dronedarone (Multaq).
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Exenatide Reduces CVD Risk for Patients With Diabetes
MONDAY, Jan. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Patients suffering from type 2 diabetes who are treated with exenatide have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) events and hospitalization, according to a study published in the January issue of Diabetes Care.
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Low Medication Adherence After Myocardial Infarction
FRIDAY, Jan. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Long-term adherence to medications following myocardial infarction (MI) in elderly patients is poor, and it is significantly worse among those with kidney dysfunction, according to a study published online Jan. 13 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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CDC Report Highlights Important Health Disparities
THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Among Americans, disparities in income, race and ethnicity, gender, and other social attributes have an impact on whether an individual is healthy or ill or will die prematurely, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released as a supplement to the Jan. 14 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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FDA Limits Acetaminophen in Combo Prescription Products
THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requesting that manufacturers of prescription combination products containing acetaminophen limit the amount of acetaminophen to a maximum of 325 mg in each tablet or capsule to reduce the risk of liver toxicity. In addition, the agency is directing manufacturers to update labels of all prescription combination products to warn consumers of the possible risk for severe liver injury.
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Anti-Epileptic Drugs Increase Risk of Fractures
THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) may increase the risk of nontraumatic fractures in patients aged 50 and older, according to a study published in the January issue of the Archives of Neurology.
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Combination Therapy Bests Monotherapy for BP Control
THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- In individuals with high blood pressure, a combination drug therapy given initially appears to result in better blood pressure control than monotherapy, and patients who undergo the two-drug treatment after taking the single-drug therapy also experience better blood pressure outcomes, though not at the same level as those who began with the combination treatment, according to research published online Jan. 13 in The Lancet.
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Antibiotics Benefit Acute Ear Infections in Young Children
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Children with acute otitis media appear to benefit from antimicrobial treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanate, according to two articles published in the Jan. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment Less Effective for Smokers
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who smoke are less likely to respond to treatment with methotrexate (MTX) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors, according to a study published in the January issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Splitting Tablets Can Result in Dose Deviations
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Common methods of splitting tablets result in dose deviation and weight loss in the resulting parts, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
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Analysis Supports Cardiovascular Concern With NSAIDs
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death, according to a meta-analysis published Jan. 11 in BMJ.
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Candesartan Associated With Lower Mortality Than Losartan
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Among heart failure patients with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, those taking candesartan had a lower one-year and five-year mortality risk than those taking losartan, according to a study published in the Jan. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Vaccine Reduces Risk of Herpes Zoster
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Receipt of the herpes zoster vaccine among immunocompetent community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older is associated with a reduced incidence of herpes zoster, ophthalmic herpes zoster, and hospitalizations for herpes zoster, according to a study published in the Jan. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Aspirin Use in High-Risk Individuals Is Suboptimal
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Among individuals at increased or high risk for coronary heart disease, fewer blacks, Hispanics, and Chinese adhere to a regular aspirin regimen than do whites, and regular aspirin use overall is relatively low, according to a study published in the January issue of The American Journal of Cardiology.
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FDA Warns of Morphine Sulfate Oral Solution Overdose
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Roxane Laboratories have notified health care professionals of serious adverse events and deaths associated with accidental overdose of morphine sulfate oral solutions, especially with the high potency (100 mg per 5 mL) product. In most cases, solutions ordered in milligrams (mg) were mistakenly interchanged for milliliters (mL) of the product.
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Corticosteroid Use May Shorten Children's Hospital Stays
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- The use of adjunct corticosteroids in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is associated with shortened lengths of stay (LOS) in the hospital, especially those patients who receive concomitant β-agonist therapy, according to a study published online Jan. 10 in Pediatrics.
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Statins May Be Inadvisable After Hemorrhagic Stroke
TUESDAY, Jan. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Statin use for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular events may be inadvisable in patients with a high risk of recurrent intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), according to a study published online Jan. 10 in the Archives of Neurology.
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Burnout Levels Particularly High in Residents
MONDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of burnout and risk for burnout are high in physicians, particularly residents, and more than a quarter of anesthesiology chairs meet criteria for high burnout, according to two articles published in the January issue of Anesthesiology.
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Fluoxetine May Improve Post-Stroke Motor Function
MONDAY, Jan. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with moderate to severe motor deficit who are given the antidepressant fluoxetine shortly after suffering an ischemic stroke may experience improved motor function, according to research published online Jan. 10 in The Lancet Neurology.
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FDA: Triad Alcohol Prep Pads, Swabs, Swabsticks Recalled
FRIDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Triad Group have notified health care professionals and consumers of a recall of all lots of alcohol prep pads, alcohol swabs, and alcohol swabsticks manufactured by the company but sold as private labels at the consumer level due to concerns regarding potential contamination with Bacillus cereus.
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FDA: One Lot of Metronidazole Tablets Recalled
FRIDAY, Jan. 7 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Teva Pharmaceuticals have notified health care professionals and consumers of a recall of metronidazole tablets (250 mg, lot #312566, expiration date 05/2012), as the tablets may be underweight and not contain the full amount of active ingredient and patients may not receive the prescribed dose.
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Bright Light Treatment Improves Nonseasonal Depressive Disorder
THURSDAY, Jan. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Bright light treatment (BLT) may improve mood, sleep efficiency, and melatonin level in older adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), but adding a cholinesterase inhibitor, donepezil, to antidepressant treatment may have no benefit in preventing cognitive impairment, according to two studies published in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
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Rifaximin Improves Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The use of rifaximin for the treatment of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) without constipation appears to improve relief of IBS symptoms, according to research published in the Jan. 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Severe Skin Lesions Can Cause IBD Patients to Quit Therapy
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Severe skin lesions cause patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to discontinue anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) therapy, according to research published in the December issue of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
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Bevacizumab Tied to Congestive Heart Failure Risk
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Bevacizumab appears to be associated with a significantly increased risk of congestive heart failure (CHF) among patients with breast cancer, according to research published online Jan. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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