On November 2, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to treat deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms (PE), as well as to reduce the risk of DVT and PE after a surgery or treatment.  

DVT is a serious type of clot that occurs when blood thickens in a deep vein of the body.  These types of clots are most common in the lower leg and the thigh and are extremely dangerous if they break off.  They can travel to an artery in the lungs and can restrict blood flow—possibly leading to the PE which is deadly.  

The drug was already approved by the FDA and used after knee and hip replacement surgeries.  The drug was also used to reduce the risk of stroke in people with an irregular heartbeat called non-valvular atrial fibrillation.  

Richard Pazdur, M.D., states: “Xarelto is the first oral anti-clotting drug approved to treat and reduce the recurrence of blood clots since the approval of warfarin nearly 60 years ago.  Pazdur is the director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products at the Drug Evaluation and Research Center for the FDA.  

Other drugs that are approved to reduce the risk of blood clots include the following: Lovenox (enoxaparin), generic enoxaparin, Arixtra (fondaparinux), Fragmin (dalteparin), Coumadin (warfarin), and heparin.  

In clinical studies, only about 2.1 percent of patients taking Xarelto and 1.8 percent to 3 percent of patients taking enoxaparin and other combinations had a recurrent DVT or PE.  A specific study showed that 1.3 percent of patients taking Xarelto had a recurrent DVT or PE compared to 7.1 percent of patients taking a placebo.  

The main side effect of Xarelto is bleeding or uncontrolled bleeding.  These side effects are common with anti-clotting medicine.  

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

On November 7, 2012, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that Agustin Lozano was sentenced to 10 years in prison for leading a drug trafficking organization that ran drugs between Mexico and Chicago.  The investigation was led by ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the DEA, the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division, and the Indianapolis Metro Drug Task Force.  

Lozano is a Mexican national, and he was sentenced on November 6, 2012 before U.S. District Judge William T. Lawrence with the Southern District of Indiana.  Lozano pleaded guilty to drug trafficking and money laundering, and he’ll be turned over to the ICE after he serves his prison sentence to face deportation.  

Starting in July of 2010, undercover agents started working with Lozano.  An undercover agent bought three grams of cocaine for $150 initially.  It took eight months to coordinate the investigation and gather information between agencies, and 48 kilograms of cocaine were eventually confiscated on December 15, 2010.  The cocaine had an estimated street value of $1.5 million.  Authorities confiscated 4.4 pounds of methamphetamine as well.  The methamphetamine had an estimated street value of $80,000.  

Throughout the investigation, it was found that the criminal organization distributed about five pounds of methamphetamine and 10 kilos of cocaine throughout Indianapolis every month.  184 pounds of marijuana, $69,500 in cash, and 18 firearms were confiscated during the investigation as well.  

U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Hogsett stated, “This sentence is an example of proactive and cooperative anti-drug police work at its finest.  A drug bust of this significance occurs only once every couple of years.  Let the message be heard loud and clear to all those who seek mayhem by trafficking in illegal narcotics – you will be identified, you will be investigated and you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

A Brief Overview of the Advair Diskus 250 50 price

Patients with respiratory conditions such as emphysema or asthma may be prescribed Advair Diskus. Although expensive, several pricing options must be considered to achieve a lower Advair 250 50 price.

Before prescribing this medication, a physician's office will contact your insurance company if you are uncertain as to whether your policy can cover part or all of the Advair Diskus 250 50 price. Depending on your policy, the total cost incurred by the Advair 250 50 price may be covered completely or up to a certain point. If you suffer from asthma, keep in mind that this drug is only indicated for short-term use. Therefore, you may be able to determine the final bill for a fixed course of treatment after learning what the Advair Diskus 250 50 price is from a trusted provider.

While patients who live in an area with multiple pharmacies may be quoted more than one Advair 250 50 price, these may not be low enough to fit their budget. Likewise, patients in rural areas  may wish to shop online to locate a pharmacy which lists its Advair Diskus 250 50 price. Buying medication online is not a process to be undertaken casually. Consult with your physician to see if they are aware of any reputable online pharmacy which may list a suitable Advair 250 50 price.

No matter how low the listed Advair Diskus 250 50 price, do not purchase medication from any online pharmacy which does not require a prescription to make a sale. Websites which offer Advair 250 50 price without a prescription are not operating in accordance with the law. Because they have already demonstrated a willingness to break the law, they cannot be trusted with your credit card information.

To help decrease the Advair Diskus 250 50 price, the manufacturer is currently offering a coupon which removes $10 from every monthly purchase. This coupon to lower the Advair 250 50 price must be printed out and presented along with a prescription at a pharmacy. Additionally, at this time the manufacturer is currently offering a free 30-day trial dose to patients with a prescription. Such offers of assistance in lowering the Advair Diskus 250 50 price are constantly changing and contain many restrictions. You should also ask your doctor if they have any coupons which can lower the Advair 250 50 price.

You should be confident that you are receiving what you paid for regardless of the Advair Diskus 250 50 price. If medication you purchase turns out to be incorrectly dosed or otherwise defective, a pharmacy may be liable for damages if adverse effects ensue. Maintain receipts of any purchase recording the Advair 250 50 price paid. These will be necessary for a lawyer to determine how much compensation you should seek if litigation is likely to result in success.

On November 8, 2012, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced that HIV-infected women may benefit from the vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV)—even if they were already exposed to HPV.  

The NIH reports that HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection throughout the world.  The virus can infect the genitals, mouth, and throat of males and females, and the virus is a leading cause of cervix cancer.  Because women with HIV are more likely to develop conditions associated with the HPV virus, they vaccine may help prevent types of cancer and other conditions.  

Jessica Kahn, M.D., with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine stated: “Health care providers may hesitate to recommend HPV vaccines after a girl starts having sex.  However, our results show that for a significant number of young women, HPV vaccine can still offer benefits.  This is especially important in light of their HIV status, which can make them even more vulnerable to HPV’s effects.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that any girl from 11 to 26 should have the HPV vaccination.  HPV-16 and HPV-18 are responsible for 70 percent of all cervical cancers, and HPV-6 and HPV-11 are responsible for 90 percent of genital warts.  

During medical studies, researchers drew blood and tissue samples from 99 women between the age of 16 and 23 who were HIV-positive.  75 percent of the women were also infected with HPV, and 54 percent tested positive for a type of high-risk virus.  Only 25 percent of the women were infected with HPV-18 and did not show evidence of a previous exposure.  

Dr. Kahn continued on to note, “Even among women who test positive for one type of HPV, the vaccine may effectively prevent infection with others—especially high-risk forms that cause cancer.  It’s important that doctors don’t withhold the vaccine in these cases, thinking that it’s too late for a vaccine to be effective.”

Source: National Institutes of Health

Let’s admit it.  Dogs and cats can eat some gut-wrenchingly disgusting items and act like nothing ever happened.  However, pets can face serious complications if their owners provide the wrong medication.  The Food and Drug Administration is asking pet owners to take steps to protect their animals.  

Linda Kim-Jung, PharmD with the CVM’s Division of Veterinary Product Safety states, “Unclear medical abbreviations are a common cause of medication errors we find.”  Many veterinary students are taught to use abbreviations, and a non-standard abbreviation and poor penmanship can cause prescription errors for your pet.  

Another common type of error is a transcription error.  Kim-Jung explains a common transcription error: “So, a 5 mg dose written with the trailing zero as 5.0 mg can be misread as 50 mg, or a 0.5 mg dose written without the leading zero as .5 mg can easily be mistaken for 5 mg, potentially resulting in a 10 times overdose if the order is not clearly written.”

A pet owner can easily administer the wrong medication as well.  Pets may have to take different medications at different times of the day, and the wrong medication can potentially lead to an overdose.  

In order to prevent medication errors, pet owners should take the following steps:

•    keep a list of all drugs and supplements your animal is taking, even over-the-counter drugs
•    talk with your vet about any adverse reactions you pet had to a medication
•    keep pet medications and human medications in different areas
•    do not share a pet’s medication without another animal before talking with your vet
•    do not give any human medications to your pet without talking with your vet

Pet owners should also talk with a vet about side effects of certain pet medications.  Knowing the signs of an adverse reaction to medication can save time and save your pets life in some cases.  

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration has recently announced that Ameridose, LLC, has voluntarily recalled all of its products that are currently in circulation.  All of the recalled products are magnesium sulfate products.  

The FDA is currently inspecting Ameridose’s main facility in Westborough, Massachusetts.  During the preliminary inspections, the FDA became concerned because there was a lack of sterility as the products were being produced and distributed.  The majority of the recalled products were injectable medications, and the FDA states that unsterile injectables can pose a serious health hazard to patients and even lead to life-threatening injuries.  

No infections have been reported in association with Ameridose products, but the FDA recommended the recall as a precautionary step.  The FDA reports that health care professionals do not need to examine patients who received an Ameridose product at this time.  Health care professionals should stop using unexpired products immediately and return the products to Ameridose.  

The FDA warns that some of the products were on the critical shortage list.  Thus, the voluntary recall will impact the shortage even more.  Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., states, “The agency is taking all steps within its authority to help prevent or alleviate shortage situations and to minimize the impact this recall may have on drug supplies.”  

The inspection of Ameridose products was an extension of an investigation into the fungal meningitis outbreak.  The FDA reports that Ameridose shares management with the New England Compounding Center (NECC)—a firm that was tied to the outbreak of fungal meningitis.  

Health care professionals and patients can call the FDA’s Drug Information Line at 855-543-DRUG to get updated information on the recall and speak to a pharmacist.  Information about the recall and a list of all recalled products is listed on Ameridose’s website.  

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration

What is Depo-Provera?

Depo-Provera is the brand name of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate which is a drug that prevents pregnancy. It is manufactured and distributed by the Pfizer Corporation. It is administered via an injection and protects against pregnancy for three months. It is highly successful at preventing pregnancy and requires less drug interaction than once-daily birth control pills. For this reason, Depo-Provera’s status a as long acting reversible contraceptive is highly desirable for many that cannot maintain a contraceptive regimen such as with birth control pills.

Where can I get a Depo-Provera shot?

Most medical providers and some organizations such as Planned Parenthood have the shots available. It is the responsibility of the patients to regularly schedule the shots and to be aware of the potential risks of using the shot. In addition to the benefits, there are side effects that may prohibit some women from taking this shot.

How does Depo-Provera work?

The Depo-Provera shot works by releasing the hormone progestin into the body which works on the ovaries to prevent them from releasing egg and increasing vaginal mucous to inhibit pregnancy. This is effective for 99 out of 100 women that receive the shot. There are some side effects including irregular menstrual periods, depression, dizziness and acne and most importantly, loss of bone density.

What is the controversy around the use of the Depo-Provera shot?

As Depo-Provera has been found to decrease bone-density women with a history of or risk factors for osteoporosis should not receive this shot as it will exacerbate this condition. All women will need calcium and vitamin D while on this shot. Still, others have made the claim that the bone density loss that accompanies the shot is not articulated properly to women that receive the shot and that the bone density loss is irreversible.

What should I do if I have experienced bone density loss?

Bone density loss can lead to a number of injuries and an increase of potential injuries. If you feel that you were not provided adequate notice of the dangerous of bone loss, you may be able to hold the provider or manufacturing company liable for damages. As in all liability cases, the victim must prove that that injury or harm was on cause on the part of the provider and that the provider was aware of the potential harm but chose not to inform the plaintiff about the danger. Especially in cases with bone loss, the harm is potentially irreversible and imperils their ability to have children or live a healthy life.

Speak with an attorney if you feel you have not been adequately warned or you feel your medical provider is liable for failing to inform you of the potential risks of using this medication.