FEND Off Fentanyl Act Signed Into Law
The Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence (FEND) Off Fentanyl Act has been signed into law. This bill is a sanctions and anti-money laundering bill that is intended to strengthen United States government agencies to disrupt illicit opioid supply chains and punish those facilitating fentanyl trafficking. Specifically, the FEND Off Fentanyl Act would declare international trafficking […]
Read More ›DEA’s April Drug Take Back Day Collects 670,000 Pounds of Unneeded Medications
More than 670,000 pounds (335 tons) of unneeded and expired medications were collected during Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) biannual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Since 2010, about 18.6 million pounds of unneeded medications have been collected nationwide for proper and safe disposal as part of DEA’s Drug Take Back Days. In addition to disposing […]
Read More ›ISMP: Practitioners Can Reduce and Prevent Errors Involving ‘Look-Alike’ Bottles by Using Purchasing Decisions and Barcode Scanning
This column was prepared by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), an ECRI affiliate. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) has recently received multiple reports of different manufacturer bottles with similar appearances that have contributed to errors. In one case, a mix-up occurred between prasugrel 10 mg tablets and flecainide 100 mg tablets, […]
Read More ›ISMP Safety Brief: Prevent Additional Patient Harm and Deaths From Accidental Daily Methotrexate Dosing
This column was prepared by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), an ECRI affiliate. Methotrexate is a folic acid antagonist that was originally approved to treat a variety of cancers. Used for oncologic indications, methotrexate is administered in cyclical frequencies and in variable doses based on body surface area and the type of cancer […]
Read More ›Critical Truvada Stability Information Not Provided in Package Insert
This column was prepared by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), an ECRI affiliate. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is used to prevent HIV infection in an HIV-negative person who has had a recent high-risk exposure to HIV. PEP is classified as nonoccupational (eg, sexual contact, injection drug use) or occupational (eg, needlestick injury). Centers for […]
Read More ›ISMP Safety Brief: Changes In Dosing Frequency Not Matched by Dispensed Amounts
A specialty pharmacy was preparing a refill for Entyvio® (vedolizumab) 300 mg vial for intravenous (IV) injection. Entyvio is a humanized monoclonal antibody that is used to treat Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. During pre-verification for the refill, the pharmacist noticed the dispensed quantity was two, with the directions to inject 300 mg (1 vial) […]
Read More ›Drug Shortages Reported for Adderall, Amoxicillin
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declared a shortage of Adderall® as pharmacies across the nation are struggling to fill patients’ prescriptions. FDA published a list of the manufacturers and product strengths that are still available and will continue to monitor the supply. With this ongoing issue, the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) warns patients […]
Read More ›ISMP: Common Workaround Contributes to Override of Barcode Alert
This column was prepared by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP), an ECRI affiliate. A specialty pharmacy filled a prescription for Jakafi® (ruxolitinib) 5 mg tablets with 15 mg tablets by mistake and shipped it to the patient. Jakafi is a kinase inhibitor used to treat myelofibrosis and polycythemia vera in adults, and graft-versus-host […]
Read More ›CDC Releases the 2022 CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has published the 2022 CDC Clinical Practice Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Pain (2022 Clinical Practice Guideline) as part of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. This clinical tool includes new recommendations to help clinicians and patients weigh the benefits and risks of tapering or continuing opioids, additional […]
Read More ›FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Dietary Supplements
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the availability of a draft guidance aimed at increasing the amount of safety information the agency has about the dietary supplement marketplace by providing the industry an opportunity to submit late new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications. The agency intends to exercise enforcement discretion, for a limited time and in […]
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