P H A R M A G R A M    

                       ...an educational memo from your Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee

 October, 2004

Formulary Denial:

Teriparatide (Forteo®), a parenteral drug indicated for the treatment of osteoporosis, was denied Formulary addition due to the forecast of low usage, limited dosage forms available and cost.

Who Wrote That Order?... Use Your IDX User Number and Signature:

There has been much discussion about how to identify the author of written orders other than by a (sometimes unreadable) signature.  This issue was raised in the July PharmaGram, with several people responding and offering their thoughts and opinions. The final administrative decision was made in favor of using the IDX USER NUMBER, along with the prescriber’s signature. Each physician has been assigned their own individual IDX User Number, which is cross-referenced in the IDX CareCast System. 

Information On Drug Shortages:

For information on drug shortages check the Saint Francis Medical Center Pharmacy’s webpage at http://library.osfsaintfrancis.org/druginfo.asp. A link to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Drug Product Shortages Management Resource Center is available with information that is updated regularly. This site lists drug products which are in short supply, the manufacturer’s reason(s) for the shortage, the anticipated resupply date, and possible alternative choices. 

Dangerous Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Drug Product Names:

The following is a list of drugs that have commonly been confused with one another because their names either look or sound alike. Through the National Patient Safety Goals, the Joint Commission now requires each healthcare institution to outline procedures to avoid medication errors resulting from similar product names. Many procedures have already been implemented and future issues of the PharmaGram will offer additional suggestions to physicians, nurses and persons who may handle these drug products. 

Cisplatin (Platinol®)                                                    Carboplatin (Paraplatin®)

Ephedrine                                                                    Epinephrine (Adrenalin®)

Fentanyl (Sublimaze®)                                               Sufentanil (Sufenta®)

Hydromorphone (Dilaudid®)                                       Morphine

Insulin glargine (Lantus®)                                           Insulin Zinc suspension (Lente®)

Lilly Human Insulin products (Humulin®)                   Insulin Lispro (Humalog®)

Novo Nordisk Human Insulin products (Novolin®)     Insulin Aspart (Novolog®)

Paclitaxel (Taxol®)                                                      Docetaxel (Taxotere®)

Glimepiride (Amaryl®)                                                Galantamine (Reminyl®)

Rosiglitasone (Avandia®)                                           Warfarin (Coumadin®)

Terbinifine (Lamisil®)                                                  Lamotrigine (Lamictal®)

Olanzapine (Zyprexa®                                                Cetirizine (Zyrtec®)

Simvastatin/ezetimibe (Vytorin®)                               Acetaminophen/hydrocodone (Vicodin®)

Celecoxib (Celebrex®)                       Citalopram (Celexa®)                         Fosphenytoin (Cerebyx®)

ADE (Adverse Drug Event) Hotline: 655-6805