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Teva President and CEO Dr. Jeremy Levin resigned Oct. 30, just 20 days after the company announced an accelerated restructuring program that will result in 5,000 job losses worldwide.

Rude and disrespectful behavior including bullying and intimidation is a big problem in healthcare workplaces that erodes professional communication essential to patient safety, according to a recent study by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices.

FDA has approved hydrocodone bitartrate extended-release capsules (Zohydro ER, Zogenix) for the management of pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association is urging Congress to consider a series of policies it believes would save $100 billion in federal prescription drug spending and improve safety in Medicare and Medicaid.

Severe life-threatening allergic reactions are more common than many thought. Anaphylaxis very likely occurs in nearly 1 in 50 Americans (1.6%), and the rate is probably higher, close to 1 in 20 (5.1%), according to a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

The FDA is recommending to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that hydrodone combination products, such as Vicodin, be reclassified as a Schedule II product, placing tighter controls on the pain medications. Hydrocodone is currently a Schedule III drug, according to an FDA announcement.

An overestimation of future pharmacist jobs plus too many pharmacy schools will lead to a joblessness crisis for new pharmacy students, predicts a recent report in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education.

Vast majorities of people who see physicians for sore throats or acute bronchitis receive antibiotics, yet only a small percentage should, according to analyses of 2 major national surveys presented recently at the IDWeek Meeting in San Francisco

FDA approved macitentan (Opsumit, Actelion Pharmaceuticals) to treat adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a chronic, progressive and debilitating disease that can lead to death or lung transplantation.

Pennsylvania, which has one of the highest rates of overdoses in the country, is moving closer to an Rx database that would list all prescriptions of potentially habit-forming medications.

Whether a patient receives proven and effective medications or potentially harmful ones may depend on where they live, according to a report from the Dartmouth Atlas Project.

In the treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE) in North American patients, rivaroxaban (Xarelto) reduced length of hospital stay by 1 full day compared to conventional dual therapy, according to data presented at the American College of Emergency Physicians scientific assembly, October 14-17, in Seattle.

You get what you need

In an open letter to Jim Plagakis, a JP fan decides that even when a paradigm is shattered, there is still value to be had in picking up the pieces.

Friends, co-workers, and Auntie Alice are definitely not the folks to give you the best advice about drugs. And sometimes, neither is APhA.

Overweight diabetes patients often look for answers in their drugstores' weight-loss aisles, where so-called natural products are available OTC. Not all these products are safe, and many patients don't realize it.

With its interpretation, HHS effectively eliminated approximately $1.50 per reminder in payments made to pharmacies by drug manufacturers.

Drug-disposal options in the United States are still evolving, and patients often do not know proper procedures. As the most accessible of healthcare professionals, pharmacists have a responsibility to promote best practices.

Pharmacists speak out

The AMA raised a ruckus over "drug store intrusion into medical practice." Turns out, lots of folks may have missed the point.

When pharmacist step up communications with patients and other healthcare providers, they see improved medication adherence, better patient outcomes, and reduced healthcare costs.