FDA Approves Abstral to Stop Misuse

The U.S. FDA has approved the use of Fentanyl (Abstral) tablets for opioid-tolerant cancer patients to help manage initial pains that occur suddenly and require a temporarily higher dose of a patient's usual opioid schedule. The drug keeps “breakthrough” pain under control and bearable for adult cancer patients.

It was approved under the speculation that it would lower the abuse and misuse of the drug, but the FDA isn’t conceding without regulation. Doctors practiced in the use of Schedule II opioids are the only ones able to prescribe the product, and furthermore, any facilities that provide the drug to patients directly will be required to enroll in a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program, that is meant to lower the chances of misuse and abuse.

Abstral's safety was tested in several clinical studies that involved 311 opioid-tolerant cancer patients who suffered from breakthrough pain. Some common side effects include nausea, constipation, drowsiness and headache. FDA also warned that death, while uncommon, has and may occur, but only due to improper patient selection and improper dosing. They hope that the required class now associated with the drug will help eliminate those issues.

Promising Multiyear Advances in Health-Systems

What if pharmacists could have allotted each and every achievable distributive task to certified pharmacy technicians, each one having completed accredited training programs before sitting down in the certification exam room. All pharmacists offering drug therapy management services have finished credited residencies, or have like expertise, and each fully certified via the Board of Pharmacy Specialties in their area of expertise. All of the patients in health systems have access to the clinical services of pharmacists. Keeping an eye out for financial realisms, pharmacists decide on a basis of care by means of something called a patient medication complexity index, which was used primarily as a reference.

Given the voters of the latest Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative Summit get what they want, scenarios like this will be realized in just a few short years-with accredited tech training being absolutely necessary as soon as 2015. The group pushed toward a full consensus on nearly all, leave a few of the 200 statements on overarching principles, certain services, use of technology and technicians, and paths for implementing change.

The Pharmacy Practice Model Initiative, or PPMI, is a multiyear initiative from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, or ASHP, and the ASHP Research and Education Foundation to drastically advance the health and wellness of patients by creating and distributing a revolutionary practice model that helps promote the more effective uses of pharmacists, which would be as direct patient care providers. In addition to the summit, held November 7-9 in Dallas, PPMI consists of social advertising and marketing efforts and plan evaluations.

Blood Pressure Monitor Released for iDevices

New from Withings, the designer and manufacturer who brought us Internet-connected bathroom scales and other such digital personal health care products, comes a brand new blood-pressure monitoring system just released for Apple mobile products, including iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. It has a traditional strap with a dock connector at the end to plug into whichever iDevice you have. This new step into technology allows the user to not only monitor their blood pressure but even share it electronically with their doctor. And they aren’t the only one who is climbing on this technology bandwagon. There is a plethora of new advancements in the development of mobile health care products, and it seems blood-pressure and heart rate systems are taking the spot light.

IHealth Lab's iHealth blood-pressure monitoring system allows users to measure and record both heart rate and blood pressure using a simple arm cuff. It also offers you a blood-pressure history in a 2D chart – great for monitoring progress. The companion iHealth Application includes an easy-to-use interface with data and graphics that allow the user to view, track and run reports on their blood pressure numbers. Being able to access previously recorded data sets can help a person notice patterns and trends by date or time of day and create custom graphs and charts to become more of a partner in their health care.

The idea is to empower people to handle their own personal health care, and what better media than the growing technology of smart phones. The health care management of these products allows users to track vitals on a daily basis, allowing people to be more proactive about their individual health.