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The USP has submitted to CMS its Medicare Rx drug benefit model guidelines that Part D drug plans can use for formulary development during the 2007 benefit year. Version 2.0 of the guidelines reduced the number of unique drug categories and classes from 146 to 133 and increased the formulary key drug types from 118 to 141.

Publix Super Markets and The Little Clinic LLC have signed an agreement to open medical clinics within Publix stores. The first clinics will be located in the Atlanta and the Miami, Orlando, and Tampa, Fla., markets in the first half of 2006.

Merck's Rotateq, an oral, live, pentavalent vaccine, has received FDA approval for the prevention of rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants, an illness that causes vomiting, watery diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain and results in 55,000 hospitalizations annually. Clinical studies of the vaccine included more than 72,000 healthy infants and closely examined the risk of intussusception, a serious life-threatening condition in which the intestines become twisted.

Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical announced two newly available formulations of Abilify (aripiprazole)-a 2-mg tablet strength and a nonrefrigerated oral solution (1 mg/ml). The 2-mg tablet equips physicians with another dosage strength to help them titrate patients to an effective dose.

A coalition of seven drug companies is working on a way to help low-income Medicare beneficiaries pay for their medicines when they hit the Part D coverage donut hole. The Bridge Rx plan would offer certain low-income beneficiaries at least 50% off their drugs during the gap when Part D does not cover them.

Walgreens Health Initiatives (WHI), the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) subsidiary of Walgreen Co., has added Medicine Shoppe and Rite Aid to its Advantage90 network. Of the 56,000 pharmacies in the WHI network, more than 31,000 participate in the Advantage90 network.

C.B. Fleet Co. has changed its corporate identity from Fleet Pharmaceuticals to Fleet Laboratories and has changed its logo. Headquartered in Lynchburg, Va., C.B. Fleet is a leader in the development and distribution of healthcare and personal care products.

Humalog Mix 50/50 has been launched by Lilly to give patients another option in their fight against diabetes. The premixed product contains 50% insulin lispro protamine suspension and 50% insulin lispro injection (rDNA origin) and is designed to give blood sugar control both between meals and at mealtime.

The FDA has issued a public health advisory for aprotinin injection (Trasylol, Bayer), a drug used to prevent blood loss during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery, after it was linked to a higher risk of serious side effects, including kidney problems, heart attacks, and strokes, in two different studies. The agency said it is evaluating the potential risks to determine whether there is a need for further action and plans to convene an advisory committee this year to discuss the existing data. In the meantime, the FDA recommends that healthcare providers carefully monitor patients receiving the drug for the occurrence of toxicity to the kidneys, heart, or central nervous system and report any findings to the drug manufacturer or the FDA Medwatch program.

Human plasma and flu vaccine distributor FFF Enterprises plans to launch Verified Electronic Pedigree (VEP) to track products through the supply chain. Hosted by SupplyScape, VEP will allow hospitals, pharmacies, and physicians to view and authenticate e-drug pedigrees.

H.D. Smith, a Springfield, Ill.-based distributor, plans to launch what it claims is Florida's first drug pedigree tracking system in April 2006. This will purportedly make the company's Pompano Beach distribution center the first warehouse in Florida to be in compliance with Florida's deadline for drug tracking, called pedigree regulations, which are slated to become effective in July.

NABP announced that CVS/pharmacy's distribution center in Indianapolis and US Oncology Inc.'s Fort Worth facility have completed the association's Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors (VAWD) program's comprehensive criteria and on-site inspection to earn distinction as the first two wholesale distributors accredited by NABP.

CMS has instructed Medicare Part D Rx drug plans that they must provide a 30-day supply of any drug a beneficiary was taking prior to Jan. 1 and that they must not charge poor beneficiaries more than $2 for covered generics or $5 for brands. Fearing political fallout from the rocky launch of its drug program, the Bush Administration is working to clear up snafus that have led at least 20 states to step in to pay for medications for Medicaid patients who were switched to Part D but were not listed on the rolls.

Pharmacists and physicians now have free access to Medicare Part D Rx plan formularies via their mobile devices or the Web, courtesy of Epocrates Inc.

The biggest institutional pharmacy (IP) in the country, Omnicare, bought up three rivals in 2005. Independent long-term care (LTC) pharmacists are uneasy, but Omnicare's customers, its chain rivals, and the Federal Trade Commission do not admit to having any qualms about the industry giant snapping up it its No. 2 competitor, NeighborCare.

A program using claims and refills data to identify diabetes patients who are adhering to their medication regimens but not lowering their blood glucose levels could lead to improved pharmacy care in 54,000 community pharmacies. "We are working to get pharmacy, medical, and lab claims data back to our pharmacists so they can utilize that information along with the refill data they have on hand," said Thom Stambaugh, R.Ph., chief pharmacy officer for Cigna Pharmacy Management, the pharmacy benefit management company for six million Cigna health plan members.

As Medicare Part D gets under way, attention has largely focused on the prescription drug benefits offered through stand-alone prescription drug plans, or PDPs. Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans (MA-PDPs) are an alternative that could provide seniors an opportunity to save on premiums and co-pays for hospital and doctor fees in addition to gaining a prescription drug benefit.

A few years ago, I was approached by a customer at the pharmacy for assistance in finding a specific product. I decided to go out on the sales floor in order to assist him.