International Neuromodulation Society (INS) Meeting – Montreal
In June of this year, I attended a day of lectures at the International Neuromodulation Society Annual Meeting. One lecture made a particularly lasting impression. Dr. Joshua Prager gave an excellent presentation on Best Practices for Intrathecal Therapy and the [...]
Notations From Across The Pond: Two
(Top photo: William Stuart (second from right) at Hannover Re Group at its headquarters in Hannover, Germany. Bottom Photo: William Stuart (fourth from left) at JLT Towers Re in London.) I have written about my travels in the past, and this is another recitation [...]
Pain Lawsuit
The District Attorney of Orange County and the Office of Santa Clara County Counsel have filed suit against pharmaceutical manufacturers that produce pain medications. The complaint specifies violations of California false advertising law, unfair competition, and public nuisance for which [...]
Proposition 46
On November 4, 2014, residents of California will be voting on Proposition 46, an initiative that has the potential to greatly impact physicians and pharmacies in this state. According to the California Official Voter Information Guide, the Medical Malpractice Lawsuits [...]
Did You Know?
Pharmacy boards across the United States are rapidly and actively changing industry regulations in response to the New England Compounding Center tragedy of 2012. Some regulations are being altered on a monthly basis, and as a result, we have been [...]
Revisiting HR 3204: The Drug Quality and Security Act of 2013
In the past, I have discussed the recent passage of HR 3204, the Drug Quality and Security Act of 2013. I am still receiving calls from individuals who are confused with this law and how it affects their clinical practice. [...]
A Review: The 3rd Annual Cancer Pain Conference
I recently attended the 3rd Annual Cancer Pain Conference: Integrating Interventional Pain Management and Supportive Care in Patients Diagnosed with Cancer presented by Dr. Lisa Stearns and the Valley Cancer Pain Foundation in Scottsdale, Arizona. At this conference, I was [...]
Off-Label Drug Use Versus FDA-Approved Medications
In November 2012, Medtronic issued a warning letter regarding the use of off-label medications within its Synchromed II pain pump. This letter emphasized an increase of motor stalls within implantable infusion devices with unapproved drugs. This letter specifically stated, “The [...]
Bill HR 3204: The Drug Quality and Security Act
I wish to discuss with you the recent passage of federal legislation as it relates to sterile compounding. In November 2013, President Obama signed a bill – HR 3204, The Drug Quality and Security Act – in response to the [...]
Employee Highlight: Cesar Benavidez, Pharmacy Technician
Cesar Benavidez, Pharmacy Technician at Hartley Medical, has been a crucial part of Hartley’s pharmaceutical compounding team for over four years. With vast training from the Pharmacy Technician Training Institute, Cesar has invaluable knowledge of both sterile and non-sterile compounding. [...]