Patient Safety

Human behavior has been all but ignored as the root cause for the failure of healthcare adherence, argues John Bitner, a design engineer who has studied human interaction with packaging for decades. “People are adverse to change,” he says. “Even when faced with a very bad disease, and they know a lifestyle change is essential to survival, for whatever reason, they cannot.”

FDA has approved SPRIX (ketorolac tromethamine), an intranasal formulation of the analgesic drug ketorolac, as an alternative to opioids. While the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory ketorolac has typically been given in hospitals as an injection for short-term pain, SPRIX has been approved as a nasal spray for outpatient use. The new drug uses a nasal spray pump from Aptar Pharma.

FDA is reviewing data from a long-term study concerning possible cardiovascular risks with the drug Avandia, following a recent report from the U.S. Senate Finance Committee that showed a link between the type 2 diabetes drug and thousands of heart attacks. Avandia is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, which is also undergoing scrutiny related to the safety of its asthma drug Advair.

BD Diagnostics’ (Franklin Lakes, NJ) newly launched Microtube for Automated Process (MAP) improves safety, accuracy, and turnaround time of capillary blood collection and testing in patients with fragile veins. The BD Microtainer MAP tube is the first microtube to be fully compatible with most automated hematology instruments, reducing turnaround time and costs associated with sample transfer and relabeling.

The Institute of Safe Medication Practices will hold a teleconference on insulin safety. "Preventing Errors from Insulin: A Multidisciplinary Approach" will explore the current trends in insulin therapy, barriers to optimal therapy and safety, and common errors that occur with insulin. Part Four of ISMP’s high-alert medication series, the program targets healthcare practitioners, but discussons on the sources of errors should interest professionals charged with designing insulin packaging and labeling. The event is scheduled for October 15 from 1:30 to 3:00 ET.