06/05/2018

Recent Oncology Related Drug News

URGENT: Important Safety Information - Notice of New Special Handling Instructions due to Potential for Cracked Needle Hubsand Particulate in Multiple Carpuject Luer Lock Glass Syringe Products 

May 31 2018 - Hospira, a Pfizer company, released a letter last week, in coordination with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), detailing instructions for handling certain drugs and lot numbers of CARPUJECT glass syringes that may have cracked needle hubs and/or contain particulate matter. The list includes certain strengths and sizes of heparin, labetalol, LORazepam, morphine, and HYDROmorphone.  READ MORE

June 1 deadline for new prescribing requirements: 5 readiness tips

Beginning June 1, key changes in the law are slated to take effect that will impact the prescribing practices of Michigan's physicians and other prescribers including interaction with the Michigan Automated Prescription System. Here are five tips to make sure physicians and other prescribers are compliant with the upcoming requirements.  READ MORE 

ACTION REQUIRED: Survey on legislation mandating ePrescribing

MSMS has learned that it is very likely the Michigan lawmakers will consider legislation to mandate the electronic prescribing (electronic transmittal directly to a pharmacy) of some or all controlled substances. Many pharmacies already have this capacity, but not every physician office currently has the technology required to comply with such a requirement. It would be very helpful to understand the potential impact of such legislation on MSMS members — those who are already using this technology and those who have yet to adopt it. Please take a few short minutes to answer this eight-question survey: ePrescribing Survey. READ MORE 

Unexpected Costs at Pharmacy Counter

What patients pay for medications is soaring. Michigan families don’t need to watch the news, read newspapers, or follow financial trends to know this; they just have to show up to the pharmacy counter.  READ MORE

BLINCYTO® REMS Safety Update

(ASCO in Action) May 16, 2018 - ASCO has been notified about a recent safety update relating to the drug BLINCYTO® (blinatumomab) under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. READ ARTICLE

FDA Chief Outlines New Ways To Speed Cancer Drug Approvals

(Reuters) June 2, 2018 - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is taking steps to streamline the approval process for cancer drugs, reviewing clinical trial data up front to make sure applications companies submit are complete.  READ ARTICLE