P H A R M A G R A M    

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

June, 2006

 

 

Formulary Additions:

Rotavirus vaccine (RotaTeq®) is a new oral vaccine, recommended for children at 2, 4, and 6 months of age.  Side effects may include diarrhea, vomiting and bronchiolitis.

 

Mumps, Measles, Rubella, Varicella (ProQuad®) is a new combination vaccine which may eliminate an extra injection in selected children.  Possible side effects include fever, rash and injection site reactions.

 

Formulary Denials:

Ketorolac ophthalmic solution (Acular LS®) was denied Formulary addition. Diclofenac (ophthalmic solution (Voltaren®) is currently available and provides similar efficacy at a lower cost.

 

Sorafenib (Nexavar®) and sunitinib (Sutent®) are two recently FDA approved agents used in certain chemotherapy regimens. Information available indicates these drugs will mostly be used on an out-patient basis and anticipated usage is expected to be very low.

 

Formulary Deletions and Autosubstitutions:

Methenamine mandelate (Mandelamine®), a urinary antibiotic, was approved to be removed from the Formulary and allow the pharmacist to substitute Uroquid #2, which is a combination of methenamine mandelate 500mg and a urinary acidifier.

 

Imipenem/cilastin (Primaxin®), which had been available on Formulary to treat pancreatic cyst infections, has now been removed from the Formulary. Meropenem (Merrem®) will continue to be used as a substitute for imipenem/cilastin.

 

Pharmacy Warfarin Dosing Service:

When requesting Pharmacy to dose warfarin, the target INR is not always specified in the physician order.  The Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee agreed that an INR range of 2-3 may be used by the pharmacist in these situations and that this target is indicated on the Warfarin Flow Sheet and in the progress notes.

 

We Need Prescribers IDX Numbers When Writing Orders:

For easier identification of prescriber names, IDX numbers need to recorded with all in-patient orders.  When the pharmacist encounters an illegible signature and/or a lack of an IDX number, the attending physician’s name will be used by the pharmacist when entering medication orders.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

ADE (Adverse Drug Event) Hotline: 655-6805

Drug Information Service (Mon-Fri): 655-2382

Visit the Pharmacy Website for past issues of the PharmaGram: http://library.osfhealthcare.org/Pharmacists.asp