Pharmaceutical Industry discussion, review, analysis, news and information.

Are you an experienced nurse or therapist? New to the profession and looking for experience? Maybe just looking for a different location to change things up. If so then check out 50StatesStaffing.com.

50 States Staffing is always looking for nurses, physical therapists, respiratory and occupational therapists that are willing to travel. Jobs last 13 weeks but can be renewed should you decide that you are really enjoying your new environment. 50 States Staffing boasts the highest salaries and offers free private housing and top benefits to its nurses.

The process of becoming a traveling nurse with 50 States Staffing is easy. Simply fill in an online application then a consultant will discuss your qualifications and preferred assignments. Once you find an assignment that suits you, your personal consultant will set up a phone interview with the hospital Unit Manager. Then it's up to you to decide if the position suits you or if you want your consultant to keep presenting new options. Here's a sample of a job description: Travel Nurse Job Profile.

50 States Staffing provides a detailed Frequently Asked Question page on their website that should take care of any questions you may have about Compensation, Licensure, Insurance, Continuing Education, Housing, and even retirement.

In a paper in the April issue of Neurology Dr Allison Pack details how research found that women taking the epilepsy drug dilantin showed a bone loss that was eight times higher than premenopausal women who had not taken any drugs for epilepsy.

"That suggests that if these women remain on this medication and have ongoing significant or accelerated bone loss that over time, they will be entering the peri-menopausal period with lower bone density and therefore a greater risk for low bone mineral density over time and therefore a higher risk of fractures," stated Pack.

According to Dr. R. Eugene Ramsay, director of the International Center for Epilepsy at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 90 percent of older people who have epileptic seizures are prescribed Dilantin due to the fact that it's more cost effective.

The research is important because it shows that the adverse affect of the drug on bone density makes it an undesirable choice for older patients who are already at a higher risk for bone loss.

[Source: MedlinePlus]

 

We've been following the heparin contamination story for a while now. We first reported that Baxter had voluntarily recalled specific batches of the drug, then followed that up with the story of how the contaminated heparin was causing allergic reactions in dialysis patients and then reported on how the FDA had found what had contaminated the batches of heparin.

Now we are sadden to report that the Baxter CEO Robert Parkinson stated in a written statement that was prepared for a congressional hearing into the contaminated heparin events that it appears that the contamination was deliberate.

"We're alarmed that one of our products was used, in what appears to have been a deliberate scheme, to adulterate a life-saving medication, and that people have suffered as a result," stated Parkinson.

Parkinson said that it was "clear" that the contaminant, an altered form of chondroitin sulfate, was added prior to the crude heparin material reaching Baxter's Chinese supplier, Scientific Protein Labs.  SPL also stated, in separate testimony, that the contamination appeared to be deliberate.

The FDA assures the public that all heparin entering the U.S. is now been tested and that the current supply is safe.

[Source: Reuters Health]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned Merck & Co. that it has 15 days to correct violations at its plant in West Point, PA.

The FDA issued a 9 page warning letter which requires Merck to detail how it plans to correct the violations or face the suspension of the plants manufacturing license and the possibility of the seizure of products.

The plant manufactures various children's vaccine and Gardasil, the vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. Last year, Merck was recalled 1.2 million vaccine doses due to a problem with sterility.

The entire waring letter, with all infractions, can be found on the FDA website. Warning letter to Merck & Co dated April 28, 2008.

It's been a while since I brought you a list of some of the more interesting website and blogs so I thought I'd make up a new list for you.

Some of these are directly related to pharma and some to health or the state of the healthcare system. Each is worth your time so give them a look!

• Natural News. Great articles! Most recently this one on Drug Testing caught my attention.
• PsychCentral. Check out the article about Parkinson's disease.
• Bizmology has interesting articles and opinions on healthcare and pharma.
• Medheadline's article on using antidepressants to stimulate immune function is a good read.
• The Wall Street Journal Health Blog has a great article on generics lobbying.

Enjoy and if you have any pharma/health blogs you think I should be reading (even if it's your own, lol) feel free to post a comment with the link. I'd be happy to check it out! As with most things in life a blog is a drop of information that comes into our lives and affects us each in a different way.

Affect me with your blog!!!!

Have you ever passed over a leftover prescription painkiller to a friend? "Borrowed" a prescription antihistamine from a family member?

Well, if so you are not alone. A recent study by Richard Goldsworthy of Academic Edge showed that 27% of people interviewed had borrowed prescription medication and 23% had given their medication to someone else.

Twenty two percent claimed to have shared pain medication, 7 percent had shared mood-altering medication and about 25% had shared allergy medication. However, perhaps the most concerning statistic was that almost 21% reported sharing antibiotics.

While sharing one or 2 painkillers with someone isn't a major deal, people on antibiotics should not have any "extra" to "share". Antibiotics are a full course medication that patients are required to take the complete prescribed dose. There is already concern regarding the overuse of antibiotics and not finishing the prescription can lead to antibiotic resistance.

"Don't share antibiotics," Goldsworthy advised. "You shouldn't have any leftover. You should have finished them all yourself."

[Source: YahooNews]

A study by Dr Sabina Cauci of the University of Uldine, Italy suggests that newer "third generation" oral contraceptives may increase levels of the inflammatory protein C- reactive protein (CRP) which has been linked to heart disease. This potentially places the women at higher risk for blood clots and heart disease.

While both second and third generation oral contraceptives contain estrogen coupled with progestin the difference between the pills is the type of progestin they contain. Newer contraceptives contain either desogestrel or gestodene while older pills contain levonrgentrel or norgestrel. Desogestrel and gestodene were introduced as a means of combating the adverse cardiovascular effects of oral contraceptives however, Cauci's research shows that they may not decrease the risks but in fact increase them.

"Our study showed that many young, healthy, normal-weight oral contraceptive users have elevated concentrations of high-sensitivity CRP and thus they are potentially at higher cardiovascular disease risk than nonusers," Cauci's team writes. They add, "Because this low-grade inflammatory condition is asymptomatic, it is not normally recognized and/or investigated."

The report indicates that of the women tested for CRP levels were significantly higher (27.3 % vs. 8.5%) in women using contraceptives than nonusers.

[Source: MedlinePlus]

 

 

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that lubiprostone, brand name Amitiza, has been approved as the only prescription drug therapy FDA approved treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Constipation (IBS-C) in women over 18.

"For some people IBS can be quite disabling, making it difficult for them to fully participate in everyday activities," said Julie Beitz, M.D., director of the Office of Drug Evaluation III, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, FDA. "This drug represents an important step in helping to provide medical relief from their symptoms."

IBS symptoms include cramping, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation and diarrhea and the illness seems to affect 2x the number of woman as men.

The safety and efficacy studies of Amitiza involved 1,154 patients previously diagnosed with IBS-C over a period of 9 to 13 months. 92% of the patients were women and 8% men. The medication was not conclusively shown to be effective on male patients and thus the approval was granted only for women.

Amitiza is manufactured by Sucampo Pharmaceuticals and Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

 

People suffering from high blood pressure may need to start taking higher doses of medication during the winter months. A study conducted at the University of Guadalajara's Cardiovascular Research Unit, by Dr. Salvador Fonseca-Reyes and José Parra-Carrillo, found that only 32% of patients they were monitoring had controlled blood pressure during the winter months. This was compared to the 50% who were found to have controlled blood pressures during spring and summer. Due to this, it may now be necessary to increase doses of blood pressure medications during the winter months, the coldest months of the year.

Temperatures in Guadalajara can range from 6 degrees C (during the winter months) to 34 degrees (during the summer months). The highest blood pressure levels were found in autumn and winter. Weight gain or different adherence to pharmacological treatments during the winters months as a reason for having found higher levels of blood pressure have been not been found and therefore have been disregarded until future evidence is found.

Previous studies have found that the timing of taking hypertension medication may be a factor in keeping down blood pressure and these findings could lead to an increase in prescriptions during fall and winter months for those with high blood pressure. 

[Source: Reuters]

Valacyclovir has been proven to be an effective treatment for the herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV2), or the virus more commonly known as genital herpes. (HSV1 is the outbreak of cold sores or fever blisters.) Genital herpes, HSV2, can be effectively treated with a one-day course of the drug, valacyclovir, brand name Valtrex, and offers new hope to those suffering from the virus. This virus hides in the nervous system and is a lifelong virus.