Comments on: Avandia Fallout: Veterans Affairs Limiting Usage http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/avandia-fallout-veterans-affairs-limiting-usage/ News, Comment and Conversation Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:56:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Simon Passanante - Veterans Affairs curbs Avandia use http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/avandia-fallout-veterans-affairs-limiting-usage/#comment-22955 Simon Passanante - Veterans Affairs curbs Avandia use Tue, 23 Oct 2007 13:43:34 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/avandia-fallout-veterans-affairs-limiting-usage/#comment-22955 [...] The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs conducted their own review into the effects of the diabetes drug Avandia and decided earlier this month to limit dispensing the drug to their patients, Pharmalot reports. [...] [...] The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs conducted their own review into the effects of the diabetes drug Avandia and decided earlier this month to limit dispensing the drug to their patients, Pharmalot reports. [...]

]]> By: Pharma News 10_19 « Impactiviti blog http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/avandia-fallout-veterans-affairs-limiting-usage/#comment-22480 Pharma News 10_19 « Impactiviti blog Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:43:02 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/avandia-fallout-veterans-affairs-limiting-usage/#comment-22480 [...] VA scraps most use of Avandia. [...] [...] VA scraps most use of Avandia. [...]

]]> By: Michael D. Miller, MD http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/avandia-fallout-veterans-affairs-limiting-usage/#comment-22415 Michael D. Miller, MD Thu, 18 Oct 2007 17:12:16 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/2007/10/avandia-fallout-veterans-affairs-limiting-usage/#comment-22415 The VA has a long track record of denying access to medicines based on cost, and in doing so putting patients at risk by not providing adequate follow-up or therapeutic alternatives. What is not generally known about the VA is that VA pharmacists acting under VA derived "guidelines" can (and in some cases must) switch patients medicines without a new prescription from a VA physician. (Such switching is illegal under state laws.) Also, as is pointed out in the article, taking someone off a medicine that is adequately treating their diabetes because there might be a risk is not good medical practice since poorly controlled diabetes is absolutely a great risk factor for cardiovascular events. I have an acquaintance who was taken off Avandia by their physician, and their blood sugar levels quickly rose to >300. They obviously became quite ill and luckily they didn't have any a heart attack or other CV event, but it took several months to get their diabetes under control again. However, I also wonder if those months of increased blood sugar levels increased his risk for eventually having a CV event, or retinal or kidney problems? The VA has a long track record of denying access to medicines based on cost, and in doing so putting patients at risk by not providing adequate follow-up or therapeutic alternatives. What is not generally known about the VA is that VA pharmacists acting under VA derived “guidelines” can (and in some cases must) switch patients medicines without a new prescription from a VA physician. (Such switching is illegal under state laws.)

Also, as is pointed out in the article, taking someone off a medicine that is adequately treating their diabetes because there might be a risk is not good medical practice since poorly controlled diabetes is absolutely a great risk factor for cardiovascular events. I have an acquaintance who was taken off Avandia by their physician, and their blood sugar levels quickly rose to >300. They obviously became quite ill and luckily they didn’t have any a heart attack or other CV event, but it took several months to get their diabetes under control again. However, I also wonder if those months of increased blood sugar levels increased his risk for eventually having a CV event, or retinal or kidney problems?

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