‘Bath Salts’ Linked to Nearly 23,000 Emergency Room Visits in 2011
A group of drugs known as “bath salts,” containing synthetic cathinones, an amphetamine-like stimulant, were linked to an estimated 22,904 visits to hospital emergency departments in 2011. The data is from a new report (PDF) from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the first national study that tracks bath salt drugs linked to […]
Read More ›Threat of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Growing, CDC Warns
A new report from CDC warns that there is a growing threat of antibiotic-resistant strains of infectious diseases. CDC ranks specific infections by urgency, and identifies Clostridium difficile, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and Neisseria gonorrhoeae as the most urgent threats. It also detailed four steps to address the threat: preventing infections and the spread of resistance, tracking […]
Read More ›Counterfeits Make Up Large Percentage of Online Viagra Sales
Over the last year, evidence has been mounting that rogue online drug sellers are peddling dangerous counterfeit Viagra® (sildenafil) to many people who bought the medication online, Forbes reports. Researchers at the 2012 World Meeting on Sexual Medicine presented on findings that 77% of the supposed Viagra obtained from 22 Web sites was fake. The […]
Read More ›NABP Shares Online Pharmacy Safety Information at International Pharmaceutical Federation World Congress
At the 2013 International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) World Congress hosted in Dublin, Ireland, NABP presented information on online pharmacy safety and rogue online drug sellers to delegates at a session dedicated to online health. NABP shared its finding with delegates that almost 97% of more than 10,000 Internet Web sites selling drug products and reviewed […]
Read More ›Prescription Drug Abuse Rates Rise Overall, Remain Lower Among 12 to 17 Year Olds
The number of people abusing prescription medications in 2012 rose to 6.8 million users from 6.1 million users in 2011, a 10% increase, as indicated in the latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This annual report provided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also indicates that prescription drugs continue […]
Read More ›Updated PTCB Certification Exam to Be Administered Starting November 2013
The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) will introduce an updated Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) on November 1, 2013. In a press release, the organization indicated that the exam updates were based on the PTCB’s most recent Jobs Analysis Study of more than 25,000 pharmacy technicians from every state and practice setting. Based on results […]
Read More ›Amid Continuing Inspections, Two Massachusetts Compounding Pharmacies Closed
Medi-Son Solutions of Norwood, MA, and its sister company, CarePro, in Quincy, MA, have been closed at the order of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy. Following a surprise inspection of Medi-Son on April 2, 2013, the pharmacy was found to be noncompliant with Board regulations, including requirements pertaining to verifying prescriptions, drug inventories, […]
Read More ›New Jersey Authorizes Medical Marijuana for Children Despite Criticism
Following a controversial conditional veto by Governor Chris Christie, New Jersey has become one of several states that allow children with issues like seizures, autism, and cancer, legal access to an edible form of medical marijuana. The New Jersey program requires parents of qualifying children to get approval from two doctors – a pediatrician and […]
Read More ›Georgia Implements Prescription Monitoring Program
The state of Georgia became the second-to-last state to implement a prescription monitoring program (PMP), which allows pharmacists and physicians to submit and check patient controlled substance prescription medication history in order to help them make the most appropriate treatment decisions. The Augusta Chronicle reports that nearly 2,000 pharmacists and prescribers have already signed up […]
Read More ›Risks of Buying Prescription Drugs from Illegal Online Sellers Highlighted in NBC Connecticut Report
The risks of ordering medications online and of receiving dangerous counterfeit products are highlighted in a recent NBC Connecticut report. In the segment, NBC Connecticut’s investigative troubleshooting team, along with global pharmaceutical security experts from Pfizer explain that many counterfeit drugs contain dangerous ingredients, are created in unsanitary environments, and may not even contain the […]
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