News and Press Releases

10/23/2014

Hospira Recalls Dozens of Product Lots

Hospira recently announced the recall of one lot of lidocaine hydrochloride injection (PDF) and multiple lots of 12 injectable products packaged in flexible i.v. containers (PDF) . According to Hospira, lot 40-316-DK of 1% lidocaine hydrochloride injection packaged in 30-mL single-dose vials, was

10/22/2014

FDA, Advisers Mull "Polypill" for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

The decade-old concept of combination therapy packaged in a so-called polypill for patients with cardiovascular disease received a mostly favorable reception in September from FDA officials and agency advisers. "I think, really, it should be widely used for secondary prevention," said Stanford Un

10/22/2014

DEA Reschedules Hydrocodone, Makes Changes to Controlled Substance Disposal

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in late August successfully concluded its 10-year campaign to move hydrocodone-containing combination products from Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act to the more tightly regulated Schedule II. DEA stated that the change affects several hundred

10/20/2014

Nintedanib Approved as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Treatment

FDA last week approved the marketing of nintedanib, or Ofev, for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The disease, which worsens over time, damages lungs to the point that patients commonly are short of breath and have difficulty engaging in everyday activities, the agency said. Patie

10/16/2014

Pirfenidone Approved for Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

FDA on October 15 approved the marketing of pirfenidone, or Esbriet, for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The disease impairs lung function and has no cure, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. In three placebo-controlled studies involving a total of 1247 pa

10/16/2014

New Resource Center, Connect Community Pull Together Ebola Preparedness Materials

ASHP has created a new resource center to help pharmacists contribute to the emergency preparedness efforts at their practice sites in the wake of the recent Ebola outbreak. The site includes links to resources available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National

10/14/2014

FDA Approves Contrast Agent to Enhance Echocardiograms

FDA on October 10 approved the marketing of sulfur hexafluoride lipid microspheres for use during echocardiography to improve images of the left ventricular chamber and endocardial border in patients whose previous echocardiograms of those areas have been suboptimal. The product, by Bracco Diagnos

10/14/2014

Winckler Shares Views on Pharmacy's Rules of the Road

For pharmacy practice in today's evolving healthcare landscape, both the journey and the destination matter, says Susan C. Winckler, managing partner of Leavitt Partners in Washington, D.C., and the presenter of the 2014 William A. Zellmer Lecture. The destination Winckler referred to is a health