King Pharmaceuticals, the manufacturer of INTAL® Inhaler (cromolyn sodium inhalation aerosol) has announced that it will discontinue production of the inhaler. Currently, orders for INTAL inhalers will be accepted until the manufacturer’s supply is sold out, so the exact date of unavailability isn’t known. Read the rest of this entry »

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently advised people not to use three over-the-counter intranasal products that contain zinc: Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel, Gel Swabs and Kids Size Swabs, saying they can damage users’ sense of smell. For refunds, call 877-942-2626 or visit www.zicam.com.

El aire que respiramos contiene millones de partículas de polvo, alérgenos, químicos, contaminantes y otras pequeñas moléculas microscópicas. Y mientras el polen y la contaminación exterior se llevan toda la atención, estudios realizados por la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés), indican que el nivel de contaminación al interior de hogares y edificios es dos a tres veces más alto que el de espacios abiertos. Read the rest of this entry »

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning healthcare professionals and the public about a shipment of a nebulizer medication that was recently stolen. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) and Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA) urge patients using the nebulizer medication Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution 0.083% to check the medication’s lot numbers (see “What to look for,” below).

Police reported that on approximately Aug. 5 a tractor-trailer containing a 35,760-carton shipment of Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution 0.038% belonging to the RiteDose Corporation was stolen in McKinney, TX. Anyone who comes across this product should notify the authorities immediately (see contact information below). The product is now illegal and may not be safe for human use because it might not have been stored in the proper temperature-controlled environment after it was stolen.

What to look for:

The stolen medicine included cartons of generic albuterol sulfate unit-dose vials for use in nebulizers. If you come across this product, look for the National Drug Code (NDC) number 49502-697-29. Each carton displays the brand name “DEY,” is labeled “Albuterol Sulfate Inhalation Solution 0.083%, 2.5 mg/3 mL” and contains 30 3-milliliter single-dose vials. The lot numbers of the stolen products are 9G01 and 9FE2.

Click here to visit the Dey website.

What to do:

• If you have purchased or received an offer to purchase this product, contact:
  FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations (OCI)
  (800) 551-3989
  http://www.fda.gov/ICEC/CriminalInvestigations/ucm1230325.htm.
• If you have any information about this case, contact:
  Officer Rutledge, McKinney Police Department (Be sure to mention the incident number 094587309C) 
  (972) 658-4234 or grutledge@mckinneytexas.org

You’ve been to the allergist. You know what you’re allergic to. But is it lurking in your home? And if so, to what degree?

How can you tell?

Now there’s a way to find out: an easy-to-use kit developed and serviced by National Jewish Health (NJH), the nation’s leading respiratory hospital center — and offered in partnership with AANMA at a special discount to members. The Family Air Care® Indoor Allergens & Mold Test Kit allows you to sample dust from areas of your home and receive reports on levels of common indoor allergens, including mold, cockroaches, dust mites and cat and dog dander. (For additional information about the air in your home, click here for AANMA’s Indoor AIRepair kit.)

“AANMA is committed to helping people minimize asthma and allergy symptoms and eliminate needless death and suffering,” says Nancy Sander, AANMA’s president and founder. “The first step in preventing asthma episodes is to identify and eliminate known allergens and irritants. Allergy proofing the home can now be strategic and focused on allergens that affect you the most.”

How it works:
To use the Family Air Care kit, you simply attach a small capture device to your vacuum cleaner hose, collect a sample of dust from a small area of your home, then mail the collection device to NJH in a prepaid envelope. You will receive test results in a secure e-mail, detailing specific levels of allergens along with how your home compares with others across the U.S.

Advanced Diagnostic Laboratories, a referral laboratory within National Jewish known worldwide for its excellence in specialized testing, will measure, analyze and report on the allergens and mold found in the collection device. The mold analysis results are displayed in a relative moldiness index developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

AANMA members receive a special discount on Family Air Care kits ordered through our www.aanma.org website. To get your discount coupon number, check your August AANMA e-mail or contact memserve-at-aanma.org. Then, simply click here to go to AANMA’s Family Air Care website for ordering.

Click here for information about AANMA’s Indoor AIRepair kit.

Thank you to all of our PRECIOUS Breathers (TM) volunteers! We’re thrilled to report that many AANMA members generously responded to our call for volunteers to distribute information about this new program for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. Now we’re ready for the next step–to get the word out about this valuable new resource for parents. Stay tuned and check our website for more news as the program takes off!

We’re always looking for volunteers! Although we have the support we need to help us distribute informational items about the PRECIOUS Breathers program–AANMA has numerous opportunities for people to volunteer in their communities. To get involved with AANMA’s Outreach Service Coordinator (OSC) program, please contact Andrea Holka at aholka (at) aanma.org.