Wednesday, February 25, 2004

States ask drug firms to report gifts to individual physicians
Story at American Medical News - "...state legislators across the country are putting the doctor-detailer relationship under the microscope in hopes that this scrutiny will eventually lower prescription drug costs. The first step state lawmakers are taking is requiring companies to report how much sales representatives are spending and what they're spending it on. Sponsors of these bills acknowledge that they may not immediately lower costs, but new laws could cause a budget shift with less spent on marketing and more spent on samples, medical education support and research and development."  
  

Safety and Tolerability in Psychiatric Medications: An Expert Interview With Eduard Vieta, MD, PhD
An interview in Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health with Eduard Vieta of the University of Barcelona, Spain, at the International Congress of Biological Psychiatry last year. [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Antipsychotic drugs raise obesity, diabetes, heart disease risks
Health & Medicine Week story reprinted at the NAMI web site - "People who take antipsychotic drugs for the treatment of a variety of mental illnesses may be at increased risk for obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol - all of which can lead to heart disease. Because of this, a joint panel of the American Diabetes Association, American Psychiatric Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and the North American Association for the Study of Obesity has issued a consensus statement asking doctors to carefully screen and monitor patients on these medications for signs of rapid weight gain or other problems that could lead to diabetes, obesity and heart disease and refer them to specialists if necessary..."  
  

Lilly Warns Of Zyprexa Risk For Elderly
AP story at InteliHealth - "Eli Lilly and Co. said it had warned doctors and psychiatrists that elderly patients suffering from dementia face a higher risk of stroke if they use the company's top-selling drug, the anti-psychotic Zyprexa. Lilly made the warning in a letter sent nationwide on Jan. 15 based on findings from recent clinical trials of Zyprexa, Lilly spokesman Dan Collins said Friday. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration did not require the warning, he said..."