Today, the American Hospital Association (AHA), the Federation of American Hospitals (FAH), and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) released a new report finding that continued rising drug prices, as well as shortages for many critical medications, are impacting patient care and putting strains on hospital budgets and operations. The report was prepared based on analysis conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago, an independent research institution. See the full press release.
Information Available on Shelf Life of Certain Baxter IV Solutions
FDA has posted instructions on applying an “extended shelf life” to several IV solution products from Baxter Healthcare Corporation.The agency said it does not require or recommend relabeling those products with their new use dates.
AHFS Patient Medication Information Update – October 2017
The October update to the AHFS Patient Medication Information (PMI) database has been published. Highlights of the update include:
New PMI Monographs
- Fosaprepitant Injection (Emend®)
- Fosaprepitant injection is used along with other medications to prevent nausea and vomiting in adults that may occur within 24 hours after receiving cancer chemotherapy treatment. It is also used along with other medications to prevent delayed nausea and vomiting that may occur several days after receiving certain chemotherapy medications.
- Enasidenib (Idhifa®)
- Enasidenib is used to treat a certain type of acute myeloid leukemia (AML; a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells) that has worsened or come back after treatment with other chemotherapy medications.
- Inotuzumab Ozogamicin Injection (Besponsa®)
- Inotuzumab ozogamicin injection is used to treat certain acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL; a type of cancer that begins in the white blood cells) in adults who have not responded to previous cancer treatments.
- Glecaprevir and Pibrentasvir (Mavyret®)
- The combination of glecaprevir and pibrentasvir is used to treat certain types of chronic (long-term) hepatitis C infection (swelling of the liver caused by a virus).
FDA MedWatch Alert Revisions
- Obeticholic Acid (Ocaliva®)
- FDA is warning that the liver disease medicine obeticholic acid is being incorrectly dosed in some patients with moderate to severe decreases in liver function, resulting in an increased risk of serious liver injury and death.
- Methadone (Dolophine®) & Buprenorphine (Subutex®)
- FDA is advising that the opioid addiction medications buprenorphine and methadone should not be withheld from patients taking benzodiazepines or other drugs that depress the central nervous system (CNS).
