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After another child died recently from exposure to a transdermal fentanyl patch, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices has created a new brochure on the pain medication for patients.

At least one quarter of the 800,000 deaths annually attributed to cardiovascular disease could be prevented if people stopped smoking, reduced salt intake, and adopted other healthy habits, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A majority of Medicare beneficiaries said they would oppose mandatory mail order if it would lead to closure of their local community pharmacy, according to a new study.

Children and youth on antipsychotics appear to have a 3-fold increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a study published by JAMA Psychiatry.

Knowing which patients are most at-risk for adverse drug events would help hospitals direct pharmacist-led counseling services to those who need it the most. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Foundation is funding research it believes will make it easier to identify those patients.

Walgreens officially began a 10-year distribution agreement through which all of Walgreens’ brand-name drugs will be sourced through AmerisourceBergen.

Dennis C. Wagner, a national and international leader in healthcare quality improvement, the environment, and social marketing, will present the fourth annual William A. Zellmer Lecture on September 17, 2013, during the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Policy Week in Bethesda, Md.

The Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), a group charged with overseeing pharmacy technician education and training programs, will begin operation next year.

Eleven states have reduced antipsychotic use in nursing home residents by at least 15%, meeting a CMS partnership goal set last year.

Last year, Indiana held the dubious distinction of being the state with the most pharmacy robberies in America. Yet there was not a single pharmacy robbery in 2012 in St. Joseph County, Indiana, which includes South Bend.

An audit by the Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found the TRICARE mail-order pharmacy program to be “more efficient and effective than retail programs” and less error-prone.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report released this week provides guidance for physicians about the use of psychotropic drugs, substance abuse treatments, narcotics, galactagogues, herbal products, and vaccines in breast-feeding women and the potential effects on the breast-feeding infant.

Insulin pumps control blood sugar in children with diabetes better than insulin injections, according to a new study.

Pharmacists in Canada were recently given broader responsibilities including, in certain provinces, prescribing privileges, vaccination abilities, and the ability to order and interpret laboratory tests. This newly expanded role for Canadian pharmacists can benefit both patients and physicians, according to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

In response to the federal crackdown on Rx fraud, CVS Caremark has told physicians it believes overprescribe controlled substances to take their business elsewhere.

One in 10 Americans admit taking someone else’s Rx, according to an ongoing Reuters/psos online survey. About a quarter of those people used the prescription drugs to get high, according to the survey.

FDA calls for Drug labels and Medication Guides for all fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs to be updated with better descriptions of the serious side effect of peripheral neuropathy in arms or legs.

New study shows that simultaneous treatment of alcohol dependence and PTSD is more effective than either treatment would be alone.

Despite last season’s flu outbreak, less than half the people surveyed (46%) by CVS/pharmacy said they were more likely to get a flu shot this year.

Alabama has targeted so-called “doctor shopping” and Rx diversion with three bills designed to stop such lawbreakers.

The majority of antibiotics prescribed for adults in ambulatory care settings are broad-spectrum agents, most commonly fluoroquinolones and macrolides. These are frequently prescribed for conditions where no antibiotic therapy is needed at all, such as for bronchitis and colds, which are caused by viruses, according to a study published online July 25, 2013, in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

As the Drug Enforcement Administration increases scrutiny of pharmacies dispensing controlled substances that are sometimes illegally diverted, new policies designed to curb Rx abuse are pitting pharmacists against physicians.

A severe decline in the use of estrogen therapy (ET) due to misunderstanding the findings of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Estrogen Plus Progestin Trial has particularly affected hysterectomized women in their 50s, leading to excess mortality, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Public Health.

Voices-Letters to the Editor

New Rx, indications, generics, and OTC

A recent OIG study reveals that in 2009, Medicare Part D paid $5.4 million to massage therapists, dieticians, and other individuals who clearly lacked authority to prescribe drugs

It's cheaper to prevent chronic diseases than to treat them. Through promotion of health literacy, medication adherence, health screenings, and tertiary care, pharmacist can have a real impact on public health.

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.