Legal Updates
Heparin Stayed On Hospital Shelves Despite Recall
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
On October 2, 2008, a state agency said that almost 100 pharmacists and the hospitals they work for face fines for failing to remove Heparin, a blood thinner from their shelves after a federal recall last winter. The recalled drug Heparin was found 94 times in inspections of all 533…
Spiriva Handihalers Linked to Heart Problems & Deaths
Monday, October 06, 2008
Millions of people with emphysema and bronchitis who use inhaler drugs may slightly raise the risk for heart attacks and even death, according to results released from a new study on September 23, 2008. The results aren't conclusive and inhalers provide significant relief for these patients struggling to breathe. But…
Hospitals to Enforce Stricter Policies for Blood Thinners
Thursday, September 25, 2008
On September 24, 2008, a regulatory group instructed hospitals to adopt firm measures to prevent errors involving blood thinners including Heparin mistakes that have been made nearly 60,000 times and led to dozens of deaths in recent years. The Joint Commission issued a safety alert saying hospitals need to adopt…
Trial Reports of FDA Medications Frequently Unpublished
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
On September 23, 2008, University of California, San Francisco researchers stated that more than half of all supporting clinical trials for U.S. FDA approved drugs remain unpublished five years after permission has been given to sell the drugs in the United States. They combed the medical literature to determine the…
VA Ineffective In Protecting Veterans
Sunday, September 21, 2008
On September 19, 2008, an internal review found that the Veterans Affairs Department was responsible for numerous "unacceptable failures" in ensuring safeguards for soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder who were enrolled in a medical experiment to help them quit smoking. Despite the stinging report, the agency has decided to proceed…
Pfizer Relaunches Chantix Ads
Sunday, September 14, 2008
On September 14, 2008, Pfizer will restart TV advertising for its Chantix anti-smoking drug nine months after voluntarily putting the campaign on hold as worries about a link between the medicine and suicidal thoughts and actions grew. The spots run 90 seconds, which is 30 seconds more than the ones…
