DrugInfoZone report that ‘long-term treatment with high doses of anti-inflammatory steroids appear to be at increased risk of developing heart disease.’ This was restricted to oral steroids. No evidence suggests that inhaled or topical steroids are a risk. The story is also reported by the BBC with the rather simplistic [...]
One of the solutions to prevent dispensing errors is increasing the use of automated systems. An interesting news report, though brief and not explaining the systems involved in detail, does show that technology may not eliminate all errors. CNN reports how a power-outage at a hospital chain’s computer center led to thousands of patients [...]
The US Institute of Medicine’s immunisation safety review committee has been investigating whether the influenza vaccine might carry a risk of the demyelinating disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome.
Medication errors: The US Pharmacopeia, an independent non-governmental organisation that monitors drug safety, has now made a series of recommendations aimed about medication errors.
More from BMJ about the SSRI review.
Seemingly threatening behaviour from a pharmaceutical company. Dr Franklin, 41, said he had been working as a "medical liaison" employee for Parke-Davis for only four months when a company executive warned that he "couldn’t guarantee what is going to happen to you or your career" if Dr Franklin continued to challenge the marketing scheme. [...]
As coalition forces prepare to liberate Iraq, there is the potential of undeclared anthrax being deployed against them. Unfortunately almost half of UK service personal choose not receive the vaccine, due to fears that it may have been responsible for Gulf War Syndrome. However, a recent study suggests just 11% of military [...]
A meta-analysis in JAMA studies the safety of Ephedra and Ephedrine for weight loss and athletic performance. ‘Use of ephedra or ephedrine and caffeine is associated with increased risk of psychiatric, autonomic, or gastrointestinal symptoms, and heart palpitations.’
It took two and a half days for the jury to return a verdict, but Bayer have been cleared in a court case regarding the withdrawal of cerivastatin (know as Lipobay in the UK). The first of 8,000 cases was lost by an 82 year-old engineer, Mr Haltom, who claimed that Bayer did [...]