Retail Clinics

PITTSBURGH — Mylan has launched a generic drug for fungal infections, the company said Tuesday.

Mylan announced the launch, through subsidiary Mylan Pharmaceuticals, of voriconazole tablets in the 50-mg and 200-mg strengths. The drug is a triazole antifungal agent.

The tablets are a generic version of Pfizer’s Vfend, which had sales of $186 million in 2010, according to IMS Health. Mylan launched its version of the drug under a settlement with Pfizer.

RENO, Nevada — St. Mary's Medical Group once again is teaming up with Walmart to open up a second retail-based health clinic in Nevada, according to local news reports.

According to reports, the second location is opening on Tuesday at the Walmart store on Kietzke Lane.

MIAMI — New research published in the Feb. 14 online edition of Pediatrics found that prolonged use of energy drinks by young people can lead to potentially adverse health outcomes.

Researchers at the University of Miami's Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine noted that in the United States, energy drinks were consumed by 30% to 50% of adolescents and young adults, according to self-report surveys. Additionally, adolescent caffeine intake averaged 60 mg/day to 70 mg/day and ranged up to 800 mg/day, the researchers said.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — AccuDial Pharmaceutical earlier this month announced it has developed a new patent-pending line of child-proof container enclosure systems, designed to reduce the accidental or unsupervised ingestion of liquid over-the-counter and prescription medications.

WASHINGTON — Recent restrictions imposed on flexible spending accounts appear to be the first piece of ObamaCare to be challenged by the new Congress.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, and Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., on Thursday respectively introduced The Patients’ Freedom to Choose Act, a bill that would repeal two provisions in the Obama healthcare law that limit a patient’s choice in how to use consumer-directed health savings plans, to the Senate and House of Representatives.

AMITYVILLE, N.Y. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved Hi-Tech Pharmacal’s generic version of a drug for eye infections.

Hi-Tech announced the approval of levofloxacin ophthalmic solution in the 0.5% strength, a treatment for bacterial conjunctivitis. The company plans to launch next month.

The drug is a generic version of Vistakon’s Quixin, which had sales of $2 million in 2010, according to IMS Health.

NORTH WALES, Pa. — Teva earlier this week announced it had submitted a request to the Food and Drug Administration to allow for the sale of the emergency contraceptive Plan B One-Step to women under the age of 17 years without a prescription, according to published reports.

ATLANTA — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measured a steady rise in influenza — both in number of cases and severity — for the week ended Feb. 5.

There are 19 states that now are experiencing high levels of influenza-like illnesses as measured by outpatient visits — a measuring stick that provides a sense as to how severe the flu might be in a community but not how prevalent it is. The proportion of outpatient visits for ILI was 4.6%, which is above the national baseline of 2.5%.