Be Invited to Speak at Outlook 2011!
Are you a university professor, informal educator, pharmacy practitioner, or other member of the “community of pharmacy” interested in receiving an invitation to speak at the largest state-wide pharmacy convention? If so, the Pharmacy Foundation of California and California Pharmacists Association ask that you submit a request to be invited to present an educational lecture or hands-on workshop at Outlook 2011 in Palm Springs, California, February 10 - 13. Please visit www.PharmacyFoundation.org/ce-proposal to review the proposal guidelines and complete the online Outlook 2011 CE Speaker Invitation Request Form. For full consideration, all materials must be received by June 4, 2010.
Patient Medication Lists Reduce the Risk of Error
May 7, 2010
A recent study conducted at Northwestern Memorial Hospital found that almost 50 percent of medication discrepancies were related to a failure to understand all of the prescription medications patients were taking at the time of hospital admission. If these errors went undetected, 52 percent were rated as potentially requiring intervention to preclude harm and 11 percent were rated as potentially harmful. These findings highlight the need for healthcare providers to strongly encourage patients to keep a comprehensive and up-to-date list of all medications they are taking. To view the full study, please click here
US lawmakers seek data from FDA on J&J recall
Reuters - May 6, 2010
Lawmakers on Thursday requested information about Johnson & Johnson's recall of Children's Tylenol, etc., saying the company's repeated recalls "point to a major problem" with production. The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform has opened an investigation after J&J recalled 40 widely used children's pain and allergy medications, saying some may have a higher concentration of their active ingredients, while others may be contaminated. Lawmakers said they were questioning the adequacy of the FDA's inspection procedures and whether J&J's McNeil unit failed to investigate consumer complaints that could have identified the contamination problems.
Home medication errors common among children with chronic conditions
Pediatric Academic Societies - May 3, 2010
Researchers visited homes of 83 children ages 6m - 20yrs and reviewed 544 medications as well as observed the administration of 166 drugs, finding 128 medication errors (73 with potential to injure the child, 10 errors that actually caused injury). Examples of errors included chemotherapy labels with incorrect dosing instructions (e.g., label said to give six tablets once a day when the child was supposed to take seven tablets once a week) and significant under doses of NSAIDs. To see the abstract, click here