CLEVELAND, May 4 /PRNewswire/ -- The ad hoc committee of the Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee at The Cleveland Clinic met today regarding the use of Natrecor for patients with congestive heart failure. The committee consists of a multi-disciplinary team of experts from pharmacy, pharmacology, cardiovascular medicine, critical care medicine, and drug information.
The meeting resulted in 8 recommendations including: 1. Natrecor will remain on the formulary at The Cleveland Clinic. 2. Natrecor will be used for decompensated congestive heart failure patients only. 3. Natrecor will be used in the FDA approved dose. 4. It should be used in accordance with the current FDA package insert. 5. Natrecor will be prescribed by the cardiovascular or critical care physicians. 6. Consistent with current policy, inpatients should be treated on appropriate inpatient floors within the hospital with training and education of support staff, including nurses. 7. The committee is aware that there will be an independent review and assessment of data associated with Natrecor chaired by Eugene Braunwald, M.D. of Harvard Medical School, in the near future and are awaiting their findings with interest. 8. The Cleveland Clinic will continue to gather and analyze our own data on the use of Natrecor.
The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
CONTACT: Angela Calman, +1-216-445-1546, or Cole Hatcher,+1-216-445-1991, both of The Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Web site: http://www.clevelandclinic.org/