BACKGROUND Fabry disease is a rare X-linked lysosomal disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase A. This deficiency results in progressive accumulation of glyco-sphingolipids, especially globotriaosylceramide (GL-3), in numerous tissues, particularly in the vascular endothelium throughout the body. Clinical manifestations of GL-3 accumulation include skin lesions; hypohidrosis; neuropathy; gastrointestinal problems, including diarrhea and [...]

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He Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) new rule regarding changes to the content and format of drug package inserts (patient information sheets) is aimed at reducing medication errors by providing clearer, easier-to-understand information to physicians. However, some critics are complaining that one provision of the rule—that drug companies cannot be sued in state courts if [...]

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It’s one thing to overlook a single lapse in performance, especially if the most qualified staff members in an organization have been involved and the patient hasn’t been harmed. However, a survey conducted by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) tells a different story when it comes to dealing with people who have made [...]

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Befuddled by yet another medical acronym? Bar-coded medication administration (BCMA), a powerful technology with the goal of preventing medical errors, is worthy of a recent detailed analysis by The University HealthSystem (UHC) Consortium in Oak Brook, Illinois. I would like to discuss the highlights of a recent UHC-sponsored review of BCMA, and I encourage P&T [...]

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Ethics and the Pharmaceutical Industry is a timely and thoughtful addition to the growing literature on this controversial subject. The book is a collection of varied topics written by authors with diverse perspectives and experiences. Its authors hold positions in government; industry; academia; and medical, scientific, and advocacy organizations. The aim of these “stakeholders” in [...]

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Medication errors are on the “front burner” again, thanks to the latest report from an Institute of Medicine (IOM) committee. In July, the committee estimated that 1.5 million Americans are being harmed every year because they are being given the wrong drugs. The report drops a broad agenda in the laps of federal regulatory agencies [...]

Continue reading " Medication Errors Return to the Forefront "

In the February 2006 issue of P&T (“NICEly Done!”), I discussed the United Kingdom’s approach to rationalizing drug therapy, namely, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). I’m sure that many of our readers questioned the operationalizability of the NICE guidance. That is, exactly how were clinicians in Britain going to make this program work? [...]

Continue reading " STHFT Happens! "