Mixing medications with dietary supplements, such as vitamins and herbal products, can be dangerous, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned. Certain dietary supplements can boost the effects of other medications as well as change how the human body processes medications, according to the FDA, thereby changing the blood levels of that medication. “[Patients] may be getting either … Read More
Genelex named top-10 fastest-growing business in Seattle
A national business magazine has named Genelex the 10th fastest-growing private company in Seattle. In the fifth such listing for Genelex this year, Inc. magazine has included the Seattle-based company at the number 10 spot in its list of the top-10 fastest-growing private companies in Seattle. Genelex is the only healthcare software and genetic testing company included on the list. … Read More
Study: 32 percent of people with cancer have anxiety or other mental health disorder
A recent study has found that just more than 30 percent of people with cancer in Germany also experienced some form of clinically relevant mental health disorder. The article, published earlier this month in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that 32 percent of people with cancer, or about one in three, had also experienced a clinically meaningful level of … Read More
The Pharmacist’s Corner: What roles can pharmacists play in pharmacogenetics?
By Rachel Sass, PharmD What is your perception of a pharmacist? Someone in a white coat at the local pharmacy who fills your prescriptions, answers your questions and helps you pick out the right over-the-counter medicine? This is how pharmacists have historically been remembered, and while this area of pharmacy is still critical to the field, the pharmacist’s role has … Read More
Genelex named to top 100 fastest-growing businesses list for 2014
For the third time since Genelex was founded, the Seattle-based company leading the way in DNA sensitivity testing to help combat adverse drug events has been named one of Washington’s 100 fastest-growing private companies. The Puget Sound Business Journal has released its list of the state’s fastest-growing companies, and Genelex is included for the second year in a row. The … Read More
Celebrate pharmacists during the month of October
From maintaining a near-encyclopedic knowledge of potentially harmful drug interactions to easing the worries of first-time medication takers, pharmacists play a vital role in modern medical care. In honor of the many contributions pharmacists make to communities nationwide, the American Pharmacists Association has dubbed October American Pharmacists Month. The goal of American Pharmacists Month is to recognize the commitment that … Read More
DEA reschedules hydrocodone medications
The federal government has placed new restrictions on the prescribing of medications containing the opioid hydrocodone. Effective Oct. 6, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has published a final rule reclassifying hydrocodone combination products (HCPs), defined as medications combining hydrocodone and another drug, from Schedule III to the more restrictive Schedule II. The proposed rule follows the recommendation of a … Read More
Genelex honored in 2014 Tech Impact Awards
Genelex’s progress toward eliminating adverse drug events has been honored by Seattle Business magazine with a 2014 Tech Impact Award. At the September 18 awards event, Genelex was given the silver award in the health category of the magazine’s 2014 Tech Impact Awards. Genelex joins both small and large tech luminaries, including Microsoft and T-Mobile, in being recognized as … Read More
New rule offers providers Meaningful Use flexibility
Health care providers have been granted a bit of flexibility in how they use certified electronic health records (EHR) technology in meeting federal Meaningful Use requirements for 2014. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have announced that providers will be allowed to use EHR technology certified to 2011 Meaningful Use standards to meet Stage-2 requirements, but for 2014 … Read More
Study finds opioid use common amongst disabled Medicare recipients
A recent study illuminates the prevalence of opioid painkiller use in a particularly vulnerable population: disabled Americans on Social Security disability insurance. The article, published in the September edition of the journal Medical Care, found the percentage of Social Security disability insurance (SSDI) recipients younger than 65 receiving any amount of opioid prescriptions rose from 43.9 percent in 2007 to … Read More