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When it comes to employee drug utilization reviews, one pharmacist is beating PBMs at their own game. If businesses and healthcare systems followed her lead, more would change than just the DURs.

Dimethyl fumarate (Tecfidera, Biogen Idec) oral delayed-release capsules, formerly called BG-12, was approved by the FDA on March 27, 2013 for the treatment of relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS). It is the third oral drug to be recently approved for the treatment of these types of MS.

In July of 2012, a provision in the newly ratified Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act, paved the way for the FDA to further assist drug manufacturers in expediting the development and introduction of new drugs demonstrating early signs of advancement in the treatment of key conditions. Known as the “breakthrough therapy” designation, this new tool is seen by many as yet another positive sign that the FDA is committed to ensuring that innovative drug products are brought to market even more quickly for the millions of patients with serious medical conditions, desperately in need of new therapeutic options.

Is your pharmacy ready for the new Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Omnibus Rules? New privacy rules took effect in March, 2013, and enforcement begins in September.

With her appointment as dean of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, Julie A. Johnson, PharmD, became the 7th dean in the school’s 90-year history and the first woman dean.

As a faculty trainer for the American Pharmacists Association’s Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery certification program and a pharmacist who offers immunizations, I have trained hundreds and vaccinated thousands of individuals. Here are some tips and experiences that will hopefully be beneficial to pharmacists in any setting who want to immunize patients.

The primary ethical obligation of a pharmacist is to avoid harm by filling each prescription correctly. For this reason, pharmacies, pharmacy organizations, and boards of pharmacy have adopted and espoused the principles of continuous quality improvement.

New HIV drug approved

FDA this week approved integrase strand transfer inhibitor dolutegravir (Tivicay, ViiV Healthcare , GlaxoSmithKline) to treat HIV-1 infection.

Surescripts this week announced it has added 19 state health information exchanges and health information service providers to its network, which is the largest in the nation.

Nearly all prescription drug websites geared toward Americans are operating out of compliance with U.S. pharmacy laws, according to a study by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

Here’s more front-line testimony that every bench pharmacist can relate to. One of these days, working conditions like these will be history. What’s it gonna take to get the ball rolling?

The Specialty Pharmacy Association of America is concerned about the language involving refill reminders and marketing in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ newly released revisions to HIPAA concerning the HITECH Act.

At its annual retail business conference in Seattle, Cardinal Health this week announced new services designed to make it easier for community pharmacies to improve patients’ access to specialty medications.

Illinois has become the 21st state to legalize some form of medical marijuana with the establishment of a 4-year pilot program that targets patients with chronic pain and debilitating conditions such as muscular dystrophy, cancer, and HIV.

Americans 65 and older spent nearly $93 billion on prescription drugs in 2010. That’s not surprising. What may be surprising is that nearly 7 out of 10 of those dollars were spent in only a handful of drug classifications.

And the winner is? According to the website ValuePeguin, with its low cost-of-living and plentiful recreation, Gadsden, AL. is the best city for pharmacists.

Walgreens this week announced its Smart90 program, which will allow Express Scripts customers the option of receiving a 90-day supply of some medications either through the mail or in-store.