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Editorial: I'm on my way!

In one of the "Little Rascals" episodes, the following discussion occurs:
     Spanky: Where are you going?
     Stymie: I don't know but I'm on my way!

Ever been to a class reunion�especially those that occur later in life? Many discussions occur about what might have been, what you could have done, why you did certain things, etc. Many high-school classmates you thought would be so successful may not have been; those you might have thought didn't show much promise, have turned out to be very successful!

Right after graduation from high school, we really thought we were ready to go and conquer anything that stood in our way. On we went to college and then found out that we didn't know as much as we thought we did. After graduation from college, we thought we had it made, but there were still a lot of obstacles and alternate pathways to follow. Also, pharmacy practice did not always happen the way we thought it would�so we had to change somewhat on our journey.

Even as an "adult," changes continue to occur, and we change to cope with what we confront while we are "on our way." Actually, one of the most important values of an education that is not often discussed is the ability to adapt and learn new technologies, facts, etc. In college, you don't learn everything you are going to use the rest of your life. As an example, many of the drugs available 50 years ago are not available now. Most of the drugs available now were not marketed back then.

The value of an education is to "learn how to learn" and be flexible. Even after all these years, we may be like Stymie and say "I'm not sure where we are going, but we are well on our way, making changes as we go!"


Loyd V. Allen, Jr., Ph.D., R.Ph.
Editor-in-Chief

CCH is the only conference designed specifically for compounders to meet with elected officials and educate them about the importance of protecting compounded medication. With the recent elections and significant changes in state leadership, it's even more important that your home state be personally represented to ensure we don't lose any momentum on the Hill. Don't assume that your new representatives will know about compounding. It's up to us to continually educate and help guide them about customized medications.

This year marks the 17th time that compounders will gather in D.C. and go to the Hill en masse to meet with their state reps. I love participating in this event, and it's a thrill to see all of the white lab coats in our nation's capitol. CCH is an amazing event, and you absolutely should not miss it.

I'm going to CCH and urge you to do the same. For more information about IACP's Annual Meeting & Compounders on Capitol Hill as well as hotel, CE info and other details, visit IACP's website - www.iacprx.org/cch. See you in D.C.!

Pulmicort PMDI to be Discontinued by AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca will discontinue the production of PULMICORT (budesonide) 100- and 200-mcg/dose HFA pMDI (pressurized metered dose inhaler) due to complex manufacturing issues related to technical aspects of the device. This issue concerns only the device and is not related to the active ingredient, budesonide
http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=766171&categoryid=9&newsletter=1

NICE Rejects Lucentis for Diabetic Macular Edema Due to Costs
Britain's NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) announced it is not recommending Lucentis for treating diabetic macular edema because it isn't worth the money. NICE is charged with deciding if drugs should be reimbursed on the state health service; it decided it did not believe Lucentis offered good value for the money for the condition.

Lucentis is a $1.5 billion-a-year seller for both Roche and Novartis, both of which hope that new uses of the medicine, including diabetic macular edema would lead to increased sales. Lucentis prospects are uncertain, however, because Roche's cancer drug Avastin, which works in a similar way, appears to be an effective alternative and the tiny amounts needed in the eye offer a cost a fraction of the price. Lucentis costs $1,208 per injection in Britain (considerably less than the U.S. price of $1,950), whereas injections of Avastin suitable for the eye cost around $50.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/04/novartis-lucentis-britain-idUSLDE7221XI20110304

Genzyme's Chief to Get $160 Million From Sale
Genzyme chief Henri Termeer will score nearly $160 million -- about 80 times his annual salary -- when the Cambridge company is acquired by Sanofi-Aventis.

The payout, revealed in a regulatory filing, shows the longtime CEO will get $145.9 million in cash for his stock holdings and grants, plus a $12.5 million "change in control" award after Sanofi's $20.1 billion takeover. Termeer, whose salary was $1.7 million in 2009, has been CEO since 1985.
http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=766403&categoryid=9&newsletter=1

Editor's Note: It seems the only ones to benefit from "mergers" are the top executives. Many workers lose their jobs and in a few years the merged companies start "spinning off" other smaller units as new companies because mergers don't always work.

Eisai's Cuts Focused in U.S., with 600 Jobs to Go
Eisai has announced five years' worth of job cuts totaling 900 positions. The Japanese drugmaker's U.S. operations will slice 20 percent of its work force in the U.S., or 600 jobs, by April 1. Citing the loss of patent protection on its lead drug, the Alzheimer's treatment Aricept, the company predicted flat sales over the next several years. To accommodate this, Eisai cut back its payroll by 900 positions by 2015. Cuts would be spread over Japanese, U.S., and European operations, but the pain won't be shared quite equally across those regions.
http://www.fiercepharma.com/story/eisais-cuts-focused-us-600-jobs-go/2011-03-08?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Japan Drops Two Vaccines After Four Deaths
Japan's Health Ministry has suspended the use of two vaccines after four children died after receiving them. The ministry decided to stop administering the Hib vaccine to prevent bacterial meningitis and a vaccine to protect against streptococcus pneumoniae. Although no direct causal relationship has been established between the vaccines and the children's deaths, the ministry intends to convene an expert panel in the coming days to look into the issue.
http://pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=766162&categoryid=9&newsletter=1

U.S. Sees No Problem with Pfizer, Sanofi Vaccines
U.S. health agencies have not found new safety concerns or unusual reporting patterns in children given Pfizer's or Sanofi Aventis vaccines to prevent meningitis and pneumonia, an FDA spokesperson said. Both the FDA and CDCP are aware of the death of four children in Japan. The agencies will continue to monitor the vaccines for safety in the U.S., she added.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/07/us-japan-vaccine-usa-idUSTRE72651Y20110307

Waivers to Health Care Law Given by DHHS Top 1,000
The DHHS has approved 126 new waivers to the healthcare law bringing the total number granted to 1,040. The waivers are one-year exemptions to the law provided to businesses that cannot meet new annual coverage limits in 2011. Typically, these waivers are granted to firms that offer "mini-med" plans with a lower annual coverage limit and cannot meet the new annual floor of $750,000 for 2011.
http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/hhs-waivers-to-health-care-law-top-1-000-20110307

Pharmacy in Public Health
Krska J, ed.
Pharmaceutical Press
December 2010; Paperback; 296 pages; $49.99

A compilation of 14 chapters included in three sections: (1) Overview of public health, (2) Developing pharmacy public health services, and (3) Improving public health through pharmacy, this book provides a comprehensive presentation of public health and the role pharmacists can play.

Public health is defined as "The science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals." Although primarily written for the UK, the principles are applicable to many countries worldwide. Public health is involved at local, regional, state, national, and international levels. Pharmacy is described as having potential involvement in most of the activities, and pharmacy will potentially see more opportunities in the future. Case studies bring the relevant material into practical application. This is a book that will broaden one's perspectives of the practice of pharmacy.

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Library
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