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During a four-hour hearing Nov. 14 led by the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg was asked if the FDA could have prevented the recent fungal meningitis outbreak.

Patients with cancer who use statins regularly may have a lower risk of cancer-related mortality, according to a study published Nov. 8 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Thousands of patients who attended one of 65 health fairs held throughout the United States were educated about the ABCS of heart health, thanks to $35,000 in grant money from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation.

James D. Coffey, RPh, director of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy, has been removed from his position after allegedly failing to follow up on a complaint about the New England Compounding Pharmacy (NECC) from the Colorado Board of Pharmacy in July.

With President Obama’s re-election, implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will move forward, full speed ahead, according to one industry expert.

Investigators from the Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided an aggressive public health response following a single case of Aspergillus fumigatus meningitis in an immunocompetent adult who had received an epidural injection of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate at a clinic in Tennessee, according to a report published Nov. 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

FDA has approved tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Pfizer) to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to, or who are intolerant of, methotrexate.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has approved revisions to the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine recommendations for individuals with HIV infection, for those with evidence of immunity, and for those at high risk who have been exposed to measles, according to a report published by Medscape Medical News.

Smoking cessation before the age of 40 reduces the excess risk of lung cancer mortality and overall mortality by 90% compared to individuals who continue to smoke, according to a prospective study of women in the United Kingdom followed for 12 years.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) has updated its clinical practice guidelines on use of antiplatelet drugs during heart surgery.

Topical ivermectim provided a good degree of cure in patients with head lice infection with one simple and easy to-use application, according to a study published in the Nov. 1 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

FDA has expanded the approved use of oral anticoagulant rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Janssen) to include three new indications: treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE), and reducing the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following initial treatment.

An automated online self-management program may help employees with prehypertension or hypertension achieve adequate blood pressure control, according to a study published in the October issue of American Heart Journal.

Bleeding rates associated with new use of dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) do not appear to be higher than bleeding rates associated with new use of warfarin, according to an FDA safety review of post-market reports of serious bleeding events.

Two recalled products manufactured by the New England Compounding Center (NECC), Farmingham, Mass., have tested positive for bacterial contamination, according to an FDA update.

Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced legislation Nov. 2 that he believes will strengthen FDA's authority to oversee compounding pharmacies.

The United States may be the world's last bastion of customer service. Inherent in our national psyche is the expectation that when we pull out our wallets to purchase something, whether a product or a service, we have a right to satisfaction.

A look at how both chain pharmacies and independents are working on providing better diabetes care.

Metformin is one of the most important pharmacologic agents for diabetes, but patients need more to maintain optimal HbA1c levels.

While MTM is proving to be effective, a different version, collaborative drug therapy management could be the best model for diseases like diabetes.

Blood glucose control is the focus of diabetes care, but a holistic approach is needed to meet all of a patient's needs.

Blood glucose meters have come a long way and the newest models can track patterns, in addition to the standard monitoring.

This Nov. 10 marks the 40th anniversary of the pharmacy stamp that was issued to commemorate the profession.

The safe disposal of drugs helps more than just patients.

Medication therapy management offers pharmacists a chance to provide more patient care. MTM also provides a way to compensate pharmacists for these services.

A pharmacist muses on how being successful can lead to not questioning the status quo.

FDA approved a single shared Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for all mycophenolate-containing prescription drugs at the end of September.

The results of a recent survey may come as no surprise to many pharmacists-that time constraints can have an effect on the community practice setting and patient safety.

The Massachusetts Department of Health (DPH) announced Oct. 28 at a press conference that it will be adding five more inspectors to the Board of Pharmacy to continue its investigation of the New England Compounding Center, the Ameridose pharmacy, and other unannounced inspections at compounding pharmacies that prepare sterile injectables.

Cleansing laxatives approved for prescription use before colonscopy