WASHINGTON — Unless FDA knows of a potential drug shortage in advance, the agency is not very effective in preventing or controlling that shortage, according to a recent government report.

An Obama administration proposal that affects drug co-pays in TRICARE has raised
concerns from trade groups representing community pharmacies, which, in 2010, filled
40% of TRICARE prescriptions.

SILVER SPRING, MD — VA is not immune to the effects of drug shortages, and even small problems in the drug pipeline can have serious effects on the department’s ability to get the right pharmaceutical to the right patient, VA officials said at a recent public hearing.

WASHINGTON — FDA needs the authority to keep foreign manufacturers who do not comply with regulatory requests from importing their products into the United States, agency officials are telling legislators.

WASHINGTON — The number of drug shortages reported annually has nearly tripled over the last five years, with much-needed drugs such as chemotherapy, anesthetics and electrolytes disproportionately affected.

Please read this article and participate in this month's online opinion poll about whether pharmaceutical manufacturers should be required to inform FDA six months in advance if they are discontinuing any drug?

WASHINGTON — Since taking office, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, has pushed for science to play a stronger role in the agency, both in the rationale for its decision-making and in meeting its basic purpose.

WASHINGTON — An antipsychotic medication commonly used by VA to treat combat-related PTSD has been found to have no discernible benefit. Patients taking the drug risperidone (Risperdal) did no better than those taking a placebo, according to a recent VA-run study.

WASHINGTON — Gentian violet (pronounced jen-shen) is not a compound familiar to most modern medical practitioners. Developed in the middle of the 19^th century, this combination of pararosanilines used as a component in dyes was eventually discovered to have antiseptic properties. Through the early part of the 20^th century, it was prescribed by physicians for simple infections and commonly used by mothers to treat thrush in infants.

WASHINGTON — Despite widespread warnings by federal health agencies about the dangers of antibiotic resistance, there are significant gaps in how HHS monitors those infections, according to the Government Accountability Office.

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of the first draft of the human genome, which was officially completed in 2003 with the mapping of 3.1 billion base pairs.