|
Potential Tamiflu Errors
The FDA issued a Public Health Alert to notify prescribers and pharmacists about potential dosing errors with Tamiflu (oseltamivir) for Oral Suspension. U.S. healthcare providers usually write prescriptions for liquid medicines in milliliters (mL) or teaspoons, while Tamiflu is dosed in milligrams (mg). The dosing dispenser packaged with Tamiflu has markings only in 30, 45, and 60 mg. The Agency has received reports of errors where dosing instructions for the patient do not match the dosing dispenser. Healthcare providers should write doses in mg if the dosing dispenser with the drug is in mg. Pharmacists should ensure that the units of measure on the prescription instructions match the dosing device provided with the drug.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts
/ucm183714.htm
AstraZeneca Denied Drug's Diabetes Link Years After Warning
AstraZeneca internal documents show that a salesperson working for AstraZeneca told a U.S. doctor the antipsychotic Seroquel didn't cause diabetes almost four years after the company warned Japanese physicians about the drug's links to the disease.
The salesperson, Nancy White, and a colleague met with a physician in July 2006 who reported "getting a lot of flak" from patients about Seroquel's diabetes links, according to a note unsealed as part of a lawsuit. In November 2002, AstraZeneca had written to Japanese doctors that it received a dozen reports of diabetes-related cases tied to Seroquel "where causality with the drug could not be ruled out."
Ms White said in the 2006 note that she told the physician that "there has been no causative effect" found between Seroquel and diabetes. The physician responded and "said he would not quit writing" prescriptions for Seroquel "because of this at this time," White reported.
The London-based AstraZeneca has been sued by more than 15,000 patients claiming the company withheld information about links between diabetes and Seroquel.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aTC6jrBl_mwM
At Least 130 Fundraisers for Members of Congressional Health Committees Hosted by Health Industry Lobbyists This Year
Health industry lobbyists have hosted at least 130 fundraisers this year for members of Congress who sit on the five key committees responsible for the healthcare overhaul, according to an analysis released today by the nonpartisan Consumer Watchdog. The Political Action Committees (PACs) of the health industry donated $30.7 million to members of those committees over the same period of time. This money clouds the debate, says Consumer Watchdog.
The Consumer Watchdog group has called on members of Congress to cancel upcoming fundraisers sponsored by the healthcare industry and return any campaign contributions received from the industry until health reform legislation is complete.
http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=653297&categoryid=9&newsletter=1
Children's Tylenol Lots Recalled by J&J
Johnson & Johnson's McNeil unit said Thursday it is voluntarily recalling 57 lots of infants' and children's liquid Tylenol products because of possible bacterial contamination.
The products include: Children's Tylenol Suspension 4 oz. Grape, Infants' Tylenol Grape Suspension Drops 1/4 oz., and Children's Tylenol Plus Cold/Allergy 4 oz. Bubble Gum. The reason for the recall is that an inactive ingredient didn't meet internal testing requirements, the company said. B. cepacia bacteria were detected in a portion of raw material that went unused in the finished product.
No bacteria were found in the finished product, according to the company, and the likelihood of a serious medical event is remote. However, the company decided to recall the products after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
A full list of the 21 recalled products and their lot numbers can be seen at: http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?idtylenol/news/subpchildinfantnews.inc
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jkwp2_vSSmgZ4Gfcucbb
feq1kM6wD9AU1JO01
AstraZeneca Loses Price Inflation Lawsuit Appeal
An appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court's ruling that AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. inflated the "average wholesale price" of expensive drugs in the state of Massachusetts. The London-based AstraZeneca was ordered to pay $12.9 million in damages and New York-based Bristol-Myers was ordered to pay $695,594 in damages.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i_yNizSQv25jx
6Qrv9rInk08SJPAD9ATS0H81
| 
