Poison Control Centers Report Sharp Increase in Calls Related to Semaglutide Medications
Pharmacists and stakeholders should be aware of a significant increase in calls to poison control centers related to semaglutide products used for diabetes and weight loss. From January to November 2023, poison centers reported nearly 3,000 calls involving semaglutide, a more than 15-fold increase since 2019. The majority of calls resulted from dosing errors, with […]
Read More ›Tranexamic Acid Injection Added to ISMP’s List of High-Alert Medications
Tranexamic acid injections have been added to the Institute for Safe Medication Practices’ (ISMP’s) 2024 List of High-Alert Medications in Acute Care Settings. “High-alert” medications have an increased risk of causing significant harm to patients when they are incorrectly administered. ISMP recommends that practitioners implement safeguarding measures to minimize the risk of error when dispensing […]
Read More ›FDA Warns Pharmacies to Inspect Ozempic Product Information for Signs of Counterfeits
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning retail pharmacies, health care professionals, wholesalers, and patients to check their Ozempic® (semaglutide) products’ lot and serial numbers to avoid purchasing counterfeit versions. Products with the lot number NAR0074 and serial number 430834149057 should not be used or distributed. FDA testing revealed that the needles in the sampled products […]
Read More ›FDA Warns of Fraud Pertaining to Distribution of Ozempic, Other Medications
Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Office of Criminal Investigations has identified cases where wholesalers (licensed and unlicensed) are offering to sell Ozempic® with large discounts. In some instances, the investigation has revealed it to be a “No-Delivery Scheme,” where the purchaser would make payment and not receive the product. In other instances, the product offered […]
Read More ›Counterfeit Ozempic Found in US Retail Pharmacy
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Ozempic® (semaglutide injection), is alerting consumers that a counterfeit version of Ozempic, which reportedly contained insulin glargine instead of semaglutide, was purchased in a retail pharmacy in the United States. Ozempic is a diabetes treatment that has gained widespread popularity as a weight loss drug, spurring a black market for […]
Read More ›PCSC Warns of Additional Product Ordering and Recall Fraud Incidents
The information published in this column was provided by the Healthcare Distribution Alliance Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition. Healthcare Distribution Alliance Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition (PCSC) is warning the pharmacy industry of several product ordering/recall fraud incidents, several of which have resulted in losses. To help licensees be aware of current trends, PCSC notes the following: Several […]
Read More ›Warning For Prescribers – Risks of Dental Problems Associated With Buprenorphine
FDA is warning prescribers about dental problems connected to buprenorphine medicines dissolved in the mouth to treat opioid use disorder and pain. Some dental problems reported in patients include: Tooth decay, Development of cavities, Infections, and Erosion in teeth. FDA noted they are taking several measures to protect the public health, including requiring that a […]
Read More ›Beware of Three Unique Phishing Scams Impacting Pharmacy
The information published in this column was provided by the Healthcare Distribution Alliance Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition There are three types of phishing scams making the rounds within the pharmacy and pharmaceutical industries, according to Healthcare Distribution Alliance (HDA) Pharmaceutical Cargo Security Coalition (PCSC). Below are brief summaries of the three types of phishing schemes […]
Read More ›Nationwide Recall Issued for Acetaminophen Extra Strength Tablets Due to Mislabeling
A-S Medication Solutions, LLC (ASM) is voluntarily recalling 198,350 bottles of acetaminophen extra strength 500 mg tablets, 100-count bottles to the consumer level. The product, which was included in a Health Essentials Kit distributed by Humana to its members, contained an incomplete drug label rather than the required over-the-counter drug facts label. ASM has been […]
Read More ›Scam Targeting Pharmacists – DEA Warns
Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has issued a warning about a scam that is targeting pharmacists in different regions of the United States. In a recent case, a pharmacist received a phone call from an individual who claimed to be from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and told the pharmacist that their license was currently […]
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