Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is instructing health care providers to contact patients taking unapproved thyroid medications and help transition them to FDA-approved medications. Thyroid hormone replacement medications require administering the appropriate dosage based on the patient’s thyroid hormone levels, as a dose that is too high can cause side effects, and a dose that […]

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is requiring that all labels for opioid pain analgesics clarify the risks associated with long-term use. The updated labels will include the following: Additionally, the phrase “extended treatment period” will be removed to avoid the misinterpretation that taking opioids over an indefinite period is safe. More information is available on […]

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This column was prepared by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), an Emergency Care Research Institute affiliate. An outpatient pharmacy received an e-prescription for “traZODone HCl 50 mg oral tablet, take one to two tabs at bedtime” (Figure 1). Unfortunately, a pharmacy technician mistook the “l” in HCl for the number “1” and processed […]

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed a “green list” import alert aimed to stop glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) from unverified foreign sources, which could pose safety risks, from entering the United States supply chain. The green list will record the GLP-1 APIs produced by facilities that comply with FDA’s standards. FDA […]

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Compounded topical finasteride products have been associated with serious potential risks, warns Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a news release. Between 2019 and 2024, 32 reports were submitted to the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System regarding patients experiencing symptoms such as erectile dysfunction, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and brain fog associated with using compounded versions […]

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InFLIXimab-dyyb is the nonproprietary name for both Inflectra® and Zymfentra®.  This column was prepared by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), an ECRI affiliate.   Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two brand-name biologics with the same nonproprietary name and four-letter suffix, inFLIXimab-dyyb; however, they are not biosimilars or interchangeable with each other. Inflectra […]

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There were 98 drug shortages in 2024, with 89% of those drugs first reported in shortage in 2023, according to the new drug shortage report published by United States Pharmacopeia (USP). The USP Annual Drug Shortages Report: Long-Standing Drug Shortages Persist in 2024 notes that the average duration of a drug shortage was more than […]

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On January 10, 2025, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published its first collaborative, multisectoral, and transdisciplinary plan to tackle zoonotic diseases. The National One Health Framework to Address Zoonotic Diseases and Advance Public Health Preparedness in the United States guidebook explains the One Health framework, which is intended to protect people, animals, and […]

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Individuals ordering what they believe to be prescription medications from online pharmacies are taking a potential public health risk, according to a new statement released by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The statement, aimed at public health officials, clinicians, and patients, mentioned a recent indictment against individuals orchestrating illegal online pharmacies. CDC also […]

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This column was prepared by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), an ECRI affiliate. A pharmacist reported that a medication was entered incorrectly into their pharmacy dispensing system from an electronic prescription. The prescriber had ordered “mometasone 100 mcg-formoterol 5 mcg inhalation.” However, the pharmacy technician entered “mometasone 100 mcg inhalation.” Fortunately, a pharmacist […]

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