Julia Talsma, Content Channel Director

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) is providing quality improvement strategies for pharmacy practice settings across the continuum of care.

Pregnant women exposed to environmental phthalates are at an elevated risk of preterm delivery, according to a recent study in JAMA Pediatrics.

Collaborative care with pharmacists helped to boost medication adherence in patients with acute coronary syndrome after hospital discharge. However, after 12- month follow-up, the proportion of patients who achieved blood pressure and LDL-cholesterol goals were not significantly different from patients treated under usual care, according to a recent study published online for JAMA Internal Medicine.

Statin therapy is now recommended for approximately 33 million Americans who don’t have cardiovascular disease (CVD), but have an estimated 10-year CV risk of 7.5% or higher. These individuals also have LDL cholesterol between 70 mg/dL and 189 mg/dL, according to new guidelines issued Nov. 12 by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

Technology-based messaging support for at-risk and diabetic patients is being tested in 17 communities across the country. Three of the participating programs have released their evaluations and conclusions.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association have endorsed legislation that would restore the ability of consumers to purchase OTC medications using pre-tax dollars from flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts without obtaining a doctor’s endorsement.

Healthcare delivery in the United States has evolved as more patients visit their neighborhood retail clinics for acute and preventive care.

RxAlly has launched a new Performance Network of more than 20,000 pharmacies nationwide, with a core mission to generate measurable improvements in patient health outcomes and healthcare costs.