March 2014

Are there too many schools of pharmacy?

Tbo-filgrastim (Granix) is FDA approved to reduce the duration of severe neutropenia in adults with non-myeloid malignancies receiving myelosuppressive chemotherapy with significant evidence of febrile neutropenia.

Recommendations for vaccinations vary by age and risk.

Symptomatic and disease-modifying treatment options for multiple sclerosis.

A 50-year-old male with a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus is admitted for a laparoscopic colectomy. The patient's surgeon requests a pharmacy consultation to develop a multimodal, opioid-sparing pain control regimen.

In the past year, more than 2200 hospitals have been penalized $280 million for "excessive" readmission rates under the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Readmissions Reduction Program, and the penalties will become more severe as the maximum penalty rises to 3% by 2014.