FDA ACTIONS

New diet drug overwhelmingly endorsed by FDA committee

A new weight-loss medication got an overwhelming endorsement on Wednesday from FDA’s Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee. The committee voted 20-2 in favor of approving phentermine/topiramate (Qnexa, Vivus). » More

CLINICAL NEWS

Zinc plus antibiotics saves lives of children with pneumonia, study finds

Zinc used in conjunction with antibiotics significantly reduced mortality in children aged 6 months to 59 months with severe pneumonia when compared with antibiotics alone, according to the findings of a recent study done in Uganda. » More

Study: Most cases of CDI aren’t being spread by patients in same ward

A recent study challenges the conventional assumption about how Clostridium difficile infection spreads in hospitals, finding that almost three-quarters of the new cases aren’t transmitted by patients in the same ward. » More

No benefit of B vitamins or omega-3 on cancer outcomes, study finds

There are no beneficial effects of supplementation with relatively low doses of B vitamins and/or omega-3 fatty acids on cancer outcomes in individuals with prior cardiovascular disease, according to a study published online February 13 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. » More

Antibiotic amoxicillin no help in treating acute rhinosinusitis

No significant difference was found in treating patients experiencing clinically diagnosed uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis with antibiotic amoxicillin compared with patients who received placebo, according to a study in the February 15 issue of JAMA. » More

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Cardiometabolic disease: The pharmacist’s role in managing weight loss and medication adherence

Pharmacists can help with the management of weight loss through nutrition education, exercise counseling, and strategies for medication adherence.
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FDA ACTIONS

FDA acts to bolster supply of critically needed cancer drugs

FDA announced a series of steps to increase the supply of critically needed cancer drugs, including temporarily allowing 2 drugs to be imported. The moves are building on President Barack Obama’s executive order to help prevent future drug shortages, FDA said. » More

First medication approved by FDA for patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome

FDA has approved the first medication therapy, mifepristone (Korlym, Corcept Therapeutics), for endogenous Cushing’s syndrome, a condition that, left untreated, has a mortality rate of 50% after 5 years. » More

INTERPROFESSIONAL PRACTICES

AACP joins with other healthcare professions for education collaboration

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy has formally joined 5 other national health professions to create the Interprofessional Education Collaborative, a new national organization that will focus on improved integration and coordination of the education of pharmacists and other healthcare workers to provide more collaborative care. » More

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