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Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 09-01-2008
Quote of the day: You probably wouldn't worry about what people think of you if you could know how seldom they do. Olin Miller
Good morning! ON VACATION Will resume next week. This week's news links follow.
=================================================== ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Ducky... just ducky!" ------------ 1) Anti-gout drug has surprising effect on teens Twenty of 30 teens with high uric acid levels and high blood pressure had their blood pressures reduced when taking therapeutic doses of allopurinol. May shed some new light on hypertension treatment. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/26/AR2008082602359.html
2) Aranesp rebates abated Amgen will stop offering rebates to oncology clinics. Buying group rebates should not be affected. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/28/business/28amgen.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin
3) Medicare pays more than retain initially When brand name drugs go generic Medicare continues to pay at a rate higher than if they were paying retail. The article makes it sound like something shading is happening but the drugs are being paid based upon a strict Mediare formula. Expect congress to force a change in that formula. (Just a guess). http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2008/08/27/report-medicare-pays-too-much-for-some-new-generics/
4) Stop statins: Die Those patients who took statins after a “heart attack” were more likely to die after they stopped the statin than patients who never began statins at all. Compliance pays. http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssHealthcareNews/idUSN2749202520080827
5) Antipsychotics double stroke risk. The risk of stroke for patients taking antipsychotics is twice that of those without the drugs. Diagnosis of dementia increased stoke by 3.5 times! http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssHealthcareNews/idUSLS53912720080828
6) Not thin enough The journal STROKE just revealed some surprising stats. Only 40% of atrial fibribilation patients were taking warfarin. Of those taking the drug 75% were under treated. Sounds like a great place to start therapeutic monitoring. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/28/AR2008082802303.html
7) Bird flu vaccine closer Vaccine to neutralize H5N2 (bird flu) virus worked in 94^ of patients receiving 2 injection of the experimental vaccine, With many countries stockpiling http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/26/AR2008082602785.html
Have a SUPER-FANTASTIC week. Steve
Disclaimer: "Pepin's Pharmaceutical Prattle" (AKA "The Prattle") is the property of PHARMWORKS, LLC and Steven M. Pepin, Pharm. D. The opinions expressed are those of the bald-headed author. To start or stop any drug without the advice and supervision of your physician would be stupid. So don't do anything based upon what you read here without professional advice. To be added to or removed from the distribution list please e-mail your request to spepin@pharmworks.com . All insightful comments from readers are thoughtfully considered (the rest are callously discarded). Copyright 1998-2009 PHARMWORKS, LLC all rights reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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