Medication Errors In Hospitals Reduced By e-Prescribing - A study published in this week's PLoS Medicine shows that commercial electronic prescribing systems (commonly known as e-prescribing, in which prescribers use a computer to order medications for their patients through a system with the help of prompts, aids, and alerts) could substantially reduce prescribing error rates in hospital in-patients...      |      Drug Compliance Undermined By Affordability, Canada - According to an investigation by researchers from the University of British Columbia, University of Toronto and the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal), the cost of prescription medication affects 1 in 10 Canadians, and 1 in 4 individuals without medication insurance cannot afford to have their prescriptions filled...      |      Antidepressants Tied To Higher Risk Of Falls In Nursing Home Residents With Dementia - Compared to similar people who don't take them, nursing home residents with dementia who take average doses of a class of drugs used to treat depression are three times more likely to have an injurious fall. These are the findings of a new study from The Netherlands published online in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology on Wednesday...      |      Fake Antimalarial Medications Undermine Africa Malaria Drive - Fraudulent and substandard antimalarial drugs could be wrecking the chances of winning the war against malaria in Africa, researchers from the Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford University Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration reported in the Malaria Journal...      |      Study Reveals 1 In 10 Canadians Cannot Afford Prescription Drugs - One in ten Canadians cannot afford to take their prescription drugs as directed, according to an analysis by researchers from the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto. The study, published in the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) is the first to examine the relationship between drug insurance and the use of prescription drugs in Canada...      |      Novartis' Troubles With Packaging Continue - Novartis Consumer Health announced earlier today a recall on certain OTC medicines that were badly packaged and might have broken or chipped pills, as well as incorrect product mixed into bottles of pills. Rather worrying for consumers with risks of possible wrong or overdoses of their medicine...      |      Novartis Recalls OTC Products Excedrin And NoDoz - Complaints of chipped and broken pills as well as inconsistent packaging have promoted Novartis Consumer Health Inc. (NCH) to recall certain lots of its products. Whilst there have been no reports of adverse effects to patients so far, Novartis has also warned of possible mixing of product. They have asked consumers to dispose of the product or return unused bottles...      |      Majority Of Smokers Do Not Appreciate The Risks - The majority of smokers do not appreciate the risks of their habit, according to new research from the NHS in England, which has launched a new Smokefree campaign to help smokers quit this New Year. The NHS commissioned research and consulting organisation YouGov to carry out the research. They surveyed 1,000 smoking adults in England between 8th and 12th December 2011...      |      FDA's Gobburu Joins University Of Maryland School Of Pharmacy Faculty - Joga Gobburu, PhD, MBA, FCP, a leading U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist for more than a decade, has joined the faculty of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, where he will establish a research and education program in the emerging field of pharmacometrics...      |      Commentary Calls For Awareness Of Internet Pharmacies' Role In Prescription Drug Abuse - Efforts to halt the growing abuse of prescription drugs must include addressing the availability of these drugs on the Internet and increasing physician awareness of the dangers posed by Internet pharmacies...      |      During Pregnancy, Majority Of B.C. Women Take Prescription Drugs - Almost two-thirds of women in British Columbia filled at least one prescription at some point in their pregnancy, including drugs with potential risks, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers. The study, published online in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, is the first of its kind in Canada...      |      Addressing Drug Shortages In The USA - Statement By GPhA - The GPha (Generic Pharmaceutical Association) in the USA has put forward a proposal to minimize key drug shortages - an ever-growing problem in the country. The GPhA says its multi-stakeholder initiative will speed the recovery of vital medications when there is a shortage, so they can more readily reach patients when they need them...      |      When Planning For Terrorist Chemical Weapons, Pharmacists May Be Crucial - Terrorist attacks with chemical weapons are a real possibility, according to a study that appears in the online open access Journal of Pharmacy Practice, published by SAGE. Thanks to their extensive knowledge of toxic agents, and how to treat those who have been exposed, pharmacists are an invaluable resource in the event of an actual or potential chemical weapons attack...      |      Medical Disinformation On The Internet - Spam advertising of pharmaceutical products is leading patients to seek out information about prescription drugs online, according to a report to be published in the International Journal Business and Systems Research. If those drugs are not available to the internet user through their physician there is a risk that they may obtain such products via illicit means...      |      New Study Involving The School Of Pharmacy Raises Concerns Over Foster Children On Antipsychotic Meds - The authors of a unique and revealing study of children in foster care receiving antipsychotic medication are calling for better oversight of such medications for youths...      |      E-Prescribing Is Safe And Efficient, But Barriers Remain - Physician practices and pharmacies generally view electronic prescribing as an important tool to improve patient safety and save time, but both groups face barriers to realizing the technology's full benefit, according to a study funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)...      |      Thousands Of Seniors Hospitalized Due To Diabetes Drugs And Blood Thinners Annually, USA - Diabetes drugs and blood thinners cause two-thirds of the 99,628 US senior hospitalizations each year because of drug adverse events, researchers from the CDC reported in NEJM (New England Journal of Medicine)...      |      Taking Antibiotics For Viral Infections Can Do More Harm Than Good, CDC - Did you know that taking antibiotics when you or your child has a virus may do more harm than good? According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where children are concerned, antibiotics are the most common cause of emergency department visits for adverse drug events...      |      OTC Vitamin D (D3) More Effective Than Prescription Vitamin D (D2) - John J. Cannell, M.D writes that he receives numerous questions from individuals who ask, "My doctor prescribed Drisdol, is that OK?" Drisdol is vitamin D2 in a form that doctors write prescriptions for. Sun exposure does not produce vitamin D2 in the body, the vitamin is produced by plant matter and irradiating fungus. When consumed, numerous metabolic forms of D2 can be traced in the body...      |      Following Canada's Common Drug Review Fewer Drugs Listed On Public Drug Plans But Faster Listing For Coverage - A new study published in CMAJ discovered that, since the 2003 introduction of Canada's Common Drug Review, the number of drugs covered by public drug plans has considerably decreased. There are 19 public drug plans in Canada. In 2010, these plans accounted for approximately 39% of the projected $31 billion in drug-related costs...      |      Pharmacy Model For Medication Therapy Management Improves Patient Health, Instructs Students - Student pharmacist Samuel Akinyele noticed on her chart that Maria's blood sugar was too high. He suspected that her insulin dose was too low. Akinyele reviewed her medications with volunteer pharmacist Faramarz Zarfeshan, RPh, who brought a physician and other team members into a huddle...      |      Distinguishing Candy From Medicine A Challenge Kids And Teachers - At least one in every four children and one fifth of teachers had a problem telling medicines from candy in a new study carried out by two seventh-grade students. Casey Gittelman and Eleanor Bishop presented their study at the American Academy of Pediatrics National conference Exhibition, Boston, Mass...      |      New Research Shows $6.7 Billion Spent On Unnecessary Tests And Treatments In One Year - Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found that $6.7 billion was spent in one year performing unnecessary tests or prescribing unnecessary medications in primary care, with 86 percent of that cost attributed to the prescription of brand-name statins to treat high cholesterol...      |      Fake And Substandard Drugs Entering Legitimate US Supply Chain, Authorities Warn - A preliminary report warns of potentially serious threats to the legitimate US drug supply chain of counterfeit and substandard drugs, say the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), NABP (National Association of Boards of Pharmacy) and some pharmaceutical companies. The FDA warns of serious risks and vulnerabilities in the drug supply chain in the USA...      |      Popular Painkillers Linked To Increased Heart Attack Risk - A new international study finds that popular painkillers or anti-inflammatories knows as NSAIDs can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke by a third, with some having a much stronger effect than others, and size of dose also making a difference...      |