- Hospitals Mess Up Medications in Surgery—a Lot (bloomberg.com)
About half of all surgeries involve some kind of medication error or unintended drug side effects…There is a substantial potential for medication-related harm and a number of opportunities to improve safety…Drugs delivered during an operation don’t have the same safeguards that other medication orders do. In most parts of a hospital, prescriptions are typically double-checked by pharmacists and nurses before they reach the patient. Operating wards are riskier…some kind of error was made in about one in every 20 drug administrations. Several medications are typically used in each operation, from anesthesia to antibiotics, so that rate translated into some kind of error or adverse reaction in every other surgery...
- Chinese hackers said to target U.S. tech and pharma companies (fiercepharmaasia.com)
Chinese hackers linked to the mainland government attempted to gain entry into computer systems at 7 companies including two unnamed pharmaceutical companies, according to a U.S. cybersecurity researcher…the attacks began on Sept. 26, but were ultimately unsuccessful. News of the attacks came a day after President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed to stop any government attempts to penetrate corporate networks to support their respective domestic industries… Pharmaceutical companies are a natural target for hackers looking to help their clients or employers shave years and billions of dollars off the time and expense of creating modern drugs.
- Genetics help explain poor showing for GSK malaria vaccine (reuters.com)
Scientists have found a genetic explanation for why the world's first malaria vaccine is not very effective in protecting some African children against the deadly mosquito-borne disease… The analysis…comes at a critical time for the experimental shot from GlaxoSmithKline, when global experts are assessing how it might be deployed…Mosquirix is specifically designed for use by African babies and toddlers. While it has the potential to help prevent many cases of malaria, researchers have been disappointed by its limited efficacy…scientists have discovered that genetic variability in a protein found on the surface of malaria parasites may help explain the patchy response because, while the protein comes in different forms, GSK's vaccine incorporates only one variant.
- BMS’ Phelan: The digital drug launch is upon us (mmm-online.com)
Examples of big brands altering their commercial approach away from the rep-driven model have often involved mature products. Those in the sunset of their patent life provided drugmakers a haven for experimenting with alternative marketing channels: non-personal promotion, sophisticated CRM (customer relationship management)… we're in the middle of significant structural change…Digital transformation can be a key enabler of success in some really challenging and very fiercely competitive markets. But it's going to [require] us to do things very differently...
- 5 things to know now about coming OCR HIPAA audits (healthcareitnews.com)
Nothing sends a shock of fear through a hospital C-suite quite like the word audit. And the second phase of HIPAA audits is slated to being in early 2016…Those CIOs, CISOs, CEOs, General Counsel and privacy officers unfortunate enough to receive notification of an impending HIPAA audit from the Health and Human Services Department's Office for Civil Rights will invariably feel that pressure…While security is a crucial aspect to any health organization, it's another thing entirely to plan accordingly for an OCR audit.
…tips for healthcare organizations potentially facing an audit:
- OCR is moving forward with HIPAA compliance audit program
- Compliance audits expected to be in hundreds; not thousands
- OCR has been transparent on topics it will target
- Prepare now in case your organization is selected
- Educate staff and leadership on how your organization is preparing for an OCR audit
OCR will look into security, privacy and breach notification rules to analyze risk, safeguards and implementations, especially those associated with electronic health information and device encryption.
- Amgen wins EU green light for first virus-based cancer drug (reuters.com)
..first-in-class drug from Amgen based on a tumour-killing virus was given a green light by European regulators…paving the way for its approval within a couple of months…The decision is a further milestone for a technology that has long fascinated scientists but has previously proved difficult to harness…The European Medicines Agency said its experts had recommended approval of Imlygic, also known as talimogene laherparepvec or "T-Vec", for treating melanoma, making it another option among several new drugs for the most deadly form of skin cancer. Imlygic uses a herpes simplex virus...which has been modified to only infect cancer cells. It is injected directly into tumours where it replicates and causes cancer cells to rupture and die, also stimulating a system-wide immune response.
- Study: Outdated technology holding back retailers (drugstorenews.com)
Yesterday’s POS won’t cut it when it comes to providing a consistent experience across channels… retailers are struggling to unify their online and in-store experiences, with existing technology/infrastructure preventing them from moving forward with new omnichannel solutions… 77% of the surveyed retailers believe their legacy point-of-sale is preventing them from providing a consistent customer experience across channels…retailers…face significant challenges getting new technologies rolled out to stores and in helping employees respond to informed, smartphone-enabled shoppers. Key findings include:
- store and the digital experience must be brought together for a continuous, seamless experience
- getting new technologies rolled out to stores is a top challenge
- inventory insight across all channels is important
- real-time visibility into customer activity across all channels is important
- PSA welcomes key role for pharmacists in dispensing medicinal cannabis (psa.org.au)Position statement: Therapeutic use of cannabis (psa.org.au)
Victorian pharmacists will play a pivotal role under proposals announced by the Victorian Government to make medicinal cannabis available to some patients under exceptional circumstances…pharmacists will dispense medicinal cannabis after authorisation is provided by medical specialists…“Having pharmacists acknowledged as best-placed to dispense medicinal cannabis is welcomed as it ensures that medicines experts are available to advise and counsel patients using these products,”…there were specific eligibility requirements for the scheme based on conditions and corresponding symptoms. These were:
- Severe muscle spasms or severe pain resulting from multiple sclerosis
- Severe pain, nausea, vomiting or wasting arising from cancer, HIV/AIDS
- Severe seizures resulting from epileptic conditions where other treatment options have failed or have intolerable side effects
- Severe chronic pain with the approval of two specialists
- Transitional Chaos or Enduring Harm? The EHR and the Disruption of Medicine (nejm.org)
…complaints might be dismissed as growing pains, born of resistance to change. But transitional chaos must be distinguished from enduring harm…the EHR's limitations and why they've been largely ignored, one key barrier is that physicians who voice reservations are labeled "technophobic, resistant, and uncooperative." But in fact…most physicians recognize the potential of EHRs and appreciate such features as the ability to view data remotely. Nevertheless, the researchers found remarkable EHR-induced distress. They conclude, "No other industry, to our knowledge, has been under a universal mandate to adopt a new technology before its effects are fully understood, and before the technology has reached a level of usability that is acceptable to its core users."...What this surgeon and the rest of us need are patient records that communicate meaning and foster understanding of the particular patient in question. The blanks on our screens can be filled with words, but the process of understanding cannot be auto-populated. Perhaps life without the EHR will soon be unimaginable. But the technology will support and improve medical care only if it evolves in ways that help, rather than hinder, us in synthesizing, analyzing, thinking critically, and telling the stories of our patients.
- Pharmacy-physician partnership hikes efficiencies (drugtopics.modernmedicine.com)
Sharing electronic health records access between physicians and pharmacists can improve workflow efficiencies for both… that pharmacist involvement in patient’s medication therapy improves adherence and reduces costs. However, since it is not financially feasible for many physicians to employ full-time pharmacists, collaboration is often the best alternative…Sharing EHR access is one way that collaboration can benefit patients while simultaneously improving workflow efficiencies…Pharmacists were able to more readily collect data related to patients’ medical conditions, prescribed medications, lab data, and treatment plans. Communication between the pharmacists and providers was significantly enhanced...