Independent pharmacists will be better prepared for their new role to enhance patient care and help health plans improve their ratings under the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Star Rating system after attending this year’s ThoughtSpot 2014 meeting, Good Neighbor Pharmacy and AmerisourceBergen’s annual meeting in Las Vegas.
The California State Board of Pharmacy is considering new regulations that would require pharmacies throughout the state to provide translated labels on prescription drug bottles.
Here's what pharmacists were reading, talking, posting, and tweeting about throughout July 2014.
A patient’s chance of being prescribed highly addictive painkillers such as OxyContin and Vicodin can depend on where they live, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With evidence that more people are using it a recreational drug, the Kansas Board of Pharmacy has recommended adding promethazine with codeine syrup to the list of drugs tracked by the state.
It’s been more than four decades since FDA approved naloxone, which can restore breathing in people overdosing on opiate drugs such oxycodone, hydrocodone, and heroin.
The University of South Carolina has won an $11.3 million federal grant to research drugs to treat diseases from diabetes to cancer, the school recently announced.
FDA gives the nod to Purdue Pharma's Targiniq ER.
At the recent McKesson ideaShare 2014 meeting in Orlando, Health Mart introduced four new courses designed to help its independent pharmacies market their services.
For newly fledged pharmacists, a few solid tips on how to honor your patients, your profession, and yourselves.
A Montana pharmacist recently pled guilty to federal charges that he illegally distributed Vicodin and other drugs that resulted in the overdose death of a 24-year-old woman, according to the Associated Press.
Kermit Crawford, employed by Walgreens in various capacities over the past three decades, is retiring as the chain’s president of pharmacy, health, and wellness, the company announced today.
At least two U.S. senators believe so. They’ve promised to introduce legislation that would require veterinarians to provide written prescriptions so customers can competitively shop for pet medications.
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) announced that pharmacy residency programs have increased by 77% and pharmacy technician programs by 131% over the last seven years.
McKesson's new Adherence Performance reporting solution will provide actionable data to identify patients more quickly than pharmacies can do using a manual method.
As part of the retail chain’s new Balance Rewards for healthy choices initiative, select Walgreens pharmacists and online chat agents will receive behavior-change training based on noted psychologist B.J. Fogg’s methodology.
Colchicine therapy, an effective anti-inflammatory agent for gout, is a promising treatment for preventing recurrent pericarditis. However, some patients have discontinued its use because of gastrointestinal intolerance, according to a report published online for the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, which will appear in the August 1 edition.
Patients who received the combo along with statin therapy did not experience higher rates of prevention of major vascular events compared with those taking placebo and statins.
That’s the objective of many healthcare providers. Brian Isetts, a pharmacy professor at the University of Minnesota and a former policy fellow at CMS, addressed the topic at the PPSI Annual Breakfast Meeting in Orlando.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has begun shipping next season’s influenza vaccines to U.S. healthcare providers. GSK expects to supply 28-33 million doses for the 2014-15 flu season.
First Google. Now FedEx. The shipping giant was recently indicted by a federal jury in San Francisco for "knowingly and intentionally” conspiring to distribute substances from unauthorized pharmacies.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently launched a new webpage urging pharmacists to take a lead role in the government’s smoking cessation efforts.
CVS Caremark announced that it plans to purchase the Miami-based Navarro Discount Pharmacy chain, which includes 33 retail drug stores and a special pharmacy known as Navarro Health Services.
Members of the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP) recently released a new resource document that details the patient care process. The document was developed over a two-year period and aims to “promote consistency in patient care service delivery across the profession.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) ruled this week that the pain reliever tramadol is now classified as a Schedule IV controlled substance (CS).
A New York City pharmacist was recently charged with stealing 193,000 painkiller pills worth an estimated $5.6 million on the black market.
Rite Aid recently agreed to pay $498,250 to settle charges that some of its California pharmacists frequently did not provide patient consultations required by law.
Written by a pharmacist who has endured through thick and through thin, these 10 tips remind pharmacy professionals that they have plenty to take pride in.
As specialty pharmaceuticals consume more of the healthcare dollar, the role of managed care pharmacy will be critical.
Go ahead. Blame Obamacare. It won't make any difference.
