❃
The Pharmacist’s News Source
pharmacypracticenews.com
Volume 37 • Number 4 • April 2010
Printer-friendly versions available online
McMahon Publishing
Taxane a ‘Game Changer’ in this issue Front For Late Prostate Cancer Up Events NCI pharmacist supports FDA approval San Francisco—A drug that few oncologists have even heard of may soon provide an option for treating men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who have progressed after docetaxelbased chemotherapy. Cabazitaxel (Sanofi-aventis) improved median overall survival by approximately 2.4 months compared with standard therapy in this patient population, according to a study presented at the 2010 annual American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO-GCS) (abstract 9). “Cabazitaxel demonstrated a statistically and clinically significant overall survival improvement compared with mitoxantrone,” said Oliver Sartor, MD, Plitz Professor for Cancer Research at Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, who led the study. “The overall survival benefit was consistent across subgroups. The safety profile was predictable and manageable.” The news created quite a buzz at the ASCO-GCS
•
see CABAZITAXEL, page 14
It’s Safe Handling Awareness Month: Do you know where your cytotoxic agents are?
4
Las Vegas—Bariatric surgical procedures can reduce serious cardiovascular and other health risks associated with obesity, but the anatomic changes in the gastrointestinal tract that the surgery creates also can make it more difficult for patients to take and absorb certain forms of medicine and essential vitamins. To avoid these complications, clinical pharmacists at two different hospitals collaborated with physicians, nurses and other health professionals in developing strategies to optimize medication therapy and nutritional absorption in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. The results of their efforts were detailed in separate poster studies at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting. One study, carried out at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Loma Linda Healthcare System, in California, was led by Susan Jacob, PharmD.
•
see BARIATRICS, page 29
Economic Crisis Doesn’t Faze Two Health Systems One survival tactic racks up $4.2 million in cost avoidance through pharmacist interventions
Operations & Mgmt
Medication Safety More lean strategies to boost pharmacy performance.
8
Clinical
Hem/Onc Pharmacy Trastuzumab improves gastric cancer survival without compromising quality of life.
12
Educational Review Strategies for managing EGFR-induced dermatologic toxicity.
16
Policy
Research Ethics
Pharms Can Help Bariatric Team Optimize Nutrition And Medication Therapy
❃
Fospropofol studies pulled over problems with PK/PD data.
32
Opinion Recognizing—and fixing— the signs of job misery.
Las Vegas—In the current harsh economic climate, health care organizations ranging from large academic medical centers to small safety net hospitals have been challenged to find ways to bolster revenues and reduce losses in an effort to maintain vital patient services. However, survival tactics have sometimes resulted in staff reductions and service cutbacks, at the risk of patient safety. In response to a recent survey by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices, for example, four out of 10 pharmacists and nurses reported that the economy had had a negative impact on medication safety— and patient safety in general (https://ismp.org/pressroom/PR20100114.pdf ). Two reports from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Midyear Clinical Meeting illustrate how some pharmacies have used very different strategies to help improve their institutions’ financial picture
•
34
Better coverage urged for organ transplant drugs.
38
Educational Review
Prevention of Medication Errors
Insert after page
24
see SURVIVAL TACTICS, page 6
ACC late-breaker:
For BP, When Is Low Too Low? Atlanta—Getting systolic blood pressure down to below 130 mm Hg does not benefit patients with diabetes and documented coronary artery disease (CAD) and may actually be harmful, investigators said in a latebreaking trial at the 59th annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology (ACC). “Current guidelines suggest that lower is better when it comes to managing
blood pressure in patients with diabetes and CAD,” said Rhonda M. CooperDeHoff, PharmD, MS, associate professor of pharmacy and medicine at the University of Florida, Gainesville. “However,” she added, “there really is no evidence-based information in the literature suggesting that less than 130 systolic is beneficial.” The finding that the more aggressive BP target can be harmful
•
see INVEST, page 28
New Product American Health Packaging launches new unit-dose Indomethacin capsule and Potassium Chloride tablet See page
39