Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Software “glitches” that lead to medical mishaps and prolonged infusions of drugs such as heparin administered to patients at Veterans Affairs hospitals throughout the U.S., which was reported by the Associated Press earlier this week, have raised concerns from the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, according to a new report by AP. Nearly one-third of the country’s 153 VA hospitals reported problems with the electronic medical records.

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The New England Journal of Medicine reported that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a study titled “Outbreak of Adverse Reactions Associated with Contaminated Heparin,” has confirmed the cause of serious adverse reactions in late 2007 were due to heparin contaminated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate (OSCS). In the study, the CDC also determined that the contaminated heparin was linked to 152 adverse reactions in 113 patients from 13 states from Nov. 19, 2007 through Jan. 31, 2008.

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The FDA announced today that it will launch a voluntary two-year pilot program to help promote the safety of drugs and active drug ingredients made outside the U.S. As part of the Secure Supply Chain program, the FDA will select 100 volunteers to maintain control over drug products beginning with when they are produced until it enters the U.S.

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Medical mishaps including prolonged infusions of drugs such as the blood thinner heparin were given to patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers throughout the U.S., potentially putting their lives in danger, according to the Associated Press. The errors, which occurred between August 2008 and December 2008, were blamed on “software glitches” that interfered with patients’ electronic health records. Nearly one-third of the country’s 153 VA hospitals reported seeing problems with the electronic medical records.

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Meet Allie Beaty. As a diabetic, her life depends on insulin. She wants to make a difference for others like her, make “the world safer for people with diabetes,” she says on her Web page, Alliesvoice.com. So Allie established a diabetes think group and shares ”Love Diabetes” videos on YouTube to push her mission.

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Blood thinners, like heparin, are routinely administered or prescribed to patients to help prevent blot clots that can lead to heart attacks or strokes. But if a patient taking blood thinners bumps his head, he is at greater risk for undetected brain bleeds and death, according to Emax Health.

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New blood-thinning medicines are in the works and to offer doctors more options in treatment and prevention of blood clots, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg reports that at least six companies are working on blood thinners to take advantage of a growing need. According to Datamonitor, a London-based research company, the anticoagulation drug market is expected to reach $20 million by 2012.

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Clinical tests conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association comparing brand and generic cardiovascular drugs show that generic drugs are bio-equivalent to the drugs they are patterned after. And, the FDA adds, generics are far less expensive than brand-name drugs. However, U.S. News & World Report raises questions about the quality of the generic drugs.

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Scientists at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have learned to modify the human enzyme that produces heparin, which may lead to a more effective synthetic version of the blood thinner, according to Newswise Medical News.

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A recent Time magazine story gives us a glimpse into a family affected by the contaminated heparin tragedy: Leroy Hubley’s wife of 48 years, Bonnie, suffered from polycystic kidney disease, a genetic kidney disease in which cysts grow in the kidneys, causing them to fail. She received a kidney transplant in October 2007, but her body rejected it, leaving her in need of regular dialysis treatments.

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