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The four episode series, you can choose how many you want, addresses clinical effectiveness of the vaccine, new vaccine formulations including the quadrivalent vaccine and proposed ACIP changes.  Each is good for 0.5 ACPE CEU.  For details and a link, visit our Educational Resources page.

Clinical Update for the 2013-2014 Flu Season  - Expert Interview Digest

A reported record number of attendees were present at the annual meeting in Denver.  Full details of the half day meeting of lectures, awards and the reception will be forthcoming.  The new board was installed with Joseph Kuti of Hartford Hospital and the Center for Antiinfective Research and Development taking the role as incoming President.  For a full review of the board roster visit the About Us tab.  Don't forget to sign up for committees in the meantime.

The SIDP-endorsed Rapid Diagnostic Test certification program is being offered in Lansing, Michigan on October 1st and 2nd, and a train-the-trainer program is scheduled for October 2nd.  These programs will benefit any pharmacist that is interested in learning about Rapid Diagnostic Tests and their use in pharmacy practice.  Content from the programs will also benefit those looking to incorporate this material into their pharmacy curriculum.  Interested participants may register via the link below.  For more information contact Michael Klepser (klepserm@ferris.edu).

 

Program Registration: http://michiganpharmacists.org/eventDetails.php?x=1029 

Washington D.C. – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Dianne Feinstein, and Susan Collins today introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at combating antimicrobial drug resistance.  The Antimicrobial Data Collection Act calls for increased data collection by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), enhanced transparency and public awareness of antimicrobial drug use in agriculture and strengthened FDA accountability regarding unsafe antimicrobial drug use. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that, each year, antimicrobial resistance costs taxpayers $20 billion in excessive healthcare and results in more severe illness and a greater risk of death for infected patients. Currently, there are at least six multidrug resistant major human pathogens. 

 

“Antimicrobial resistance is a public health concern that needs to be adequately addressed,” said Senator Gillibrand.  “Increased data collection, transparency, and accountability are part of a comprehensive solution that will help protect American citizens from drug resistant microbes, saving lives and tax dollars.” 

“Our bill would not create any new reporting requirements for drug companies, feed mills, or farmers.  It would only require the FDA to provide more transparency in reporting the antimicrobial data which is already being reported to it,” said Senator Collins.

 

Specifically, the legislation requires a pilot program to look into new data sources on antibiotics used on food producing animals.  The FDA will create a comprehensive data collection strategy, based on the new data sources, in order to increase data availability to the public, increasing the FDA’s transparency.  The FDA’s increased transparency would shed light on information about antimicrobial drugs used in agriculture that are not currently made public, such as dosage form, strength and targeted animals.  The Government Accountability office will then audit the FDA to determine if the data collection for antimicrobial resistance programs is effective in protecting public health.

 

SIDP strongly supports the ADC Act and encourages members to contact their congressmen and women to promote passage of this bill.

   

Summary of Antimicrobial Data Collection Act Bill                                                         

1. Increase Data Collection by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
   • Requires a pilot program to look at new data sources to collect more data on antibiotic use in food animals. 
   • Requires FDA to then develop a comprehensive data collection strategy to increase data available to the public and scientists. 
2. Enhance Transparency and Public Data on Antimicrobial Drug Use in Agriculture
   • Requires FDA to make more detailed information available to the public on antimicrobial drugs used in agriculture which is not currently made public, such as dosage form, strength, and target animals.
3. Strengthen Accountability for the Food & Drug Administration to Protect Public Health
   • Requires FDA to implement and annually publically evaluate compliance with its draft policies to reduce injudicious antimicrobial use, including those used for growth promotion purposes. 
   • Requires a GAO audit to determine if FDA data collection and antimicrobial resistance programs are effective for protecting public health. 

SIDP is soliciting ID pharmacotherapy research proposals from SIDP members who qualify as young investigators [£5 years from completion of their terminal training (e.g., residency, fellowship, graduate degree)].  The primary purpose of the research award is to provide funding for research projects that will contribute to the further development of the principal investigator’s research career and improve their competitiveness for future extramural funding.  Favorable consideration will be given to research proposals which focus on current pharmacotherapy issues surrounding the prevention and management of infectious diseases.  Applications must be submitted no later than 5PM E.S.T on Friday, August 9, 2013.

 

Application instructions:

2013 YIRA RFP

CDC has entered into a public-private partnership with Walgreen Company (a.k.a Walgreens pharmacies, a national retail pharmacy chain) to develop and implement a patient-centered HIV care model that integrates community pharmacists with primary medical providers.  Walgreens has agreed to provide expanded Medication Therapy Management services to 1000 HIV-infected clients, either currently or newly initiated on ART, at 10 project sites (~100 persons per site) throughout the country and to work with medical clinic providers to implement the service model.  Specific activities, of the cooperative agreement, are broadly categorized into three areas:  work with CDC and Walgreens to develop a patient-centered HIV care model; implement the patient-centered HIV care model; and monitor the performance of the model program and adjust the model as needed. 

The FOA can be located at:

http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=GhK0Rd2bsBXgf3Dsnw91KhT4K6TK8dqGCy8gJyGWxByqp2X5LLy4!1962156644?oppId=228813&mode=VIEW

 

Have you ever wondered how breakpoints are established?  Do you know what the recommendations say about how to prepare an antibiogram?  Do you need a refresher on antibiotic susceptibility testing AND want FREE CE???

In order to help pharmacists answer these questions and more, members of SIDP, along with the ACCP ID PRN, joined together with the Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) for a special inaugural webcast entitled "Making Sense of Susceptibility: Breakpoints and Cumulative Antibiogram Reports".

This webinar was originally broadcast March 7, 2013, but has been archived for later use by our members.  Members of SIDP will get the fee waived as an added membership benefit and will receive CE credit for participating. 

Program Details

Link to Free Registration Code for Members

Request for Proposals

Pfizer invites investigators to apply for the 2013 ASPIRE Awards in Adult Vaccine Research through submission of innovative research proposals that evaluate the epidemiology and burden of pneumococcal disease in adults with underlying disease comorbidities and/or those living in long-term community settings.

 

Applicants

 

The 2013 ASPIRE Awards in Adult Vaccine Research are open to all investigators (senior and junior) provided that specific eligibility requirement are met. Applicants currently enrolled in a fellowship or postdoctoral program are eligible provided the applicant identifies an experienced mentor.  Applicants currently enrolled in a residency program are NOT eligible.

 

Available Awards

Pfizer is funding awards up to a maximum of $100,000 USD* each (including direct costs, institutional overhead costs, and indirect costs) for one year.

Independent, External Review Committee

The ASPIRE applications will be reviewed by an independent, external review committee comprised of medical and scientific experts.  Grants will be awarded based upon: 

• Scientific merit of the research proposal

• Qualifications of the applicant

• Relevance of proposed research to the program's mission

• Evidence of the applicant's commitment to an academic research career

• Evidence of a suitable research environment

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by 11:59pm EST on July 2, 2013.

For more information about this and other competitive research grant programs, please visit http://www.aspireresearch.org.

 

2013 ASPIRE Award brochure 

Thank you to members Joe Kuti and Katie Suda for representing SIDP in the CDC/Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy/Robert Wood Johnson Foundation tele-briefing to release the "Joint Statement on Antibiotic Resistance".  SIDP was one of four organizations (IDSA, SHEA, SIDP, Pew) that were on the call to answer questions.  Approximately 50 different health and non-health media outlets were on the call including CBS, Wired Magazine, and The Lancet.  Links to the audio recording and to the CDC "Get Smart About Antibiotics" webpage are below.

 

Joint Statement Tele-briefing

 

CDC Get Smart

Dear SIDP Members:

Below please find updated information from the CDC regarding the Fungal Meningitis Outbreak, including a new telephone consultation network and unusual complications associated with the outbreak.

 

We are writing to request your organization’s assistance in sharing the following information about the ongoing multistate outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections: 

1. the availability of a new telephone-based Clinicians Consultation Network service to assist clinicians treating patients who received injections with the contaminated steroid medication; and
2. recent indications of two unusual clinical complications – epidural abscess and arachnoiditis – among a portion of patients undergoing treatment for meningitis associated with injections of a contaminated steroid medication, preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate.

Clinicians Consultation Network

 

Beginning on November 6, CDC is establishing a volunteer Clinicians Consultation Network of experts in fungal disease treatment and management to assist physicians who are directly involved in the treatment of patients associated with the current outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections. Through this service, doctors who are treating patients will be able to consult by telephone or email with one of a group of participating infectious disease medical experts.  To access the service, physicians should call 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) and then select the appropriate prompts (e.g., “1” for English, “1” for Clinician).  A CDC-INFO call agent will verify each physician’s role in direct patient management.  After this verification, the calling physician will be referred to the Clinicians Consultation Network.  The Network consultants have entered into volunteer agreements with CDC to provide this consultation service to treating physicians. There is no charge for the consultation.  The consultants will report their findings to CDC, which may provide valuable information for the response to the outbreak.  Operating hours for the service are the same as those for CDC-INFO:  8:00 am to 8:00 pm Monday through Friday (Eastern Time), except federal holidays.  

 

If you have questions about the Clinicians Consultation Network, please contact CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).  

 

New Information on Clinical Course

 

During the course of this investigation, CDC has worked closely with a group of fungal infectious disease experts who provided their individual input to help CDC develop interim guidance and other information about clinical aspects of the outbreak, including patient management and treatment.  The guidance documents have been updated regularly as CDC and its partners have learned more about the outbreak; the latest versions are available on CDC’s outbreak-related Clinician Guidance webpage at http://www.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/clinicians/index.html.  CDC has also advised that healthcare providers involved in the treatment of these patients consult with an infectious disease medical specialist because of the diagnostic and clinical challenges presented by these fungal infections. 

 

CDC has recently become aware of reports of epidural abscess and arachnoiditis among a number of patients undergoing treatment for fungal meningitis associated with injections of contaminated steroid.  Spinal epidural abscesses are characterized by inflammation and a collection of pus around the spine, sometimes resulting in swelling of the infected areas (though several recently reported patients with this condition had no detectable swelling).  Arachnoiditis is caused by inflammation of the arachnoid, one of the membranes that surround and protect the nerves of the spinal cord.  Both conditions are normally rare but serious disorders that require prompt medical attention.   Most of these early reports have been for patients in Michigan and Tennessee, but other states have reported patients with these conditions as well. CDC is working with clinicians and public health officials to obtain more information and refine its clinical guidance as needed.  

 

For additional information about the outbreak of fungal meningitis and other infections, see CDC’s website at http://wwwdev.cdc.gov/hai/outbreaks/meningitis.html.   

 

Best Regards,

 

Erika Ernst

President, SIDP