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CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, praised the components of the ACA that have already been rolled out and emphasized that a number of provisions have already made in impact. He spoke at a September 10 gathering at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Children who miss diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine doses are at more likely to develop whooping cough, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics.

FDA expanded the approved uses of paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension, albumin-bound (Abraxane, Celgene) to treat patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Walgreens has reached agreement with privately held Kerr Drug to acquire its retail drugstores and specialty pharmacy business, which last year had sales of about $381 million.

Poor medication adherence causes more frequent hospitalizations and emergency department visits among children and adolescents who have a chronic medical condition, such as asthma and type 1 diabetes, according to a study recently published in Pediatrics.

In hopes of decreasing opioid abuse, addictions, and overdose deaths, FDA this week announced safety-labeling changes for all extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics used to treat pain. FDA has also added new postmarket study requirements for opioids such as morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl.

Jim “Goose” Rawlings, a popular Drug Topics contributor, shares a little story from his student years that packs a big punch.

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.

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.

Drinking more than 28 cups of coffee per week may be unhealthy for people younger than 55, according to a recent study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

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.