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A recent IOM report indicates that the adoption of new technology is needed to reduce healthcare waste.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation has invited General Colin L. Powell, the former U.S. Secretary of State and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as the keynote speaker for the 2012 NACDS Foundation dinner, which will be held in New York City on Nov. 27.

A look at the conditions that led to the recent fungal meningitis outbreak illustrate missed opportunities.

Among older adults with atrial fibrillation, persistence with warfarin therapy is generally lower than what has been reported in clinical trials, according to an online study in Archives of Internal Medicine.

The cost of medication for conditions that are the result of normal aging is greater than the cost of medication for most chronic conditions, according to a recent study from Express Scripts.

The FDA recalled the Symbiq pump touchscreen (Hospira Inc.) on Oct. 29. The screen may not properly respond to user selection, may have a delayed response, or register a value other than the one selected by the user, an FDA press release said.

The state Boards of Pharmacy have been lax in regulating the practices of compounding pharmacies, like the New England Community Center, Framingham, Mass., implicated in the fungal meningitis outbreak.

There is a famous proverb in foreign policy that states "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." This also rings true in a recent proposed settlement between retailers and credit card companies.

The National Community Pharmacists Association, other retail associations, and retailers, including Walmart and Target, are more than disappointed by the proposed settlement of a lawsuit that they brought against Visa, MasterCard, and several of the largest U.S. banks for allegedly conspiring to fix their credit card swipe fees.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its recommendations for managing asymptomatic cases associated with the meningitis outbreak that has sickened 317 patients and been linked to the deaths of 24 in 17 states.

A Port Washington, N.Y. company recently had several dietary supplements and drugs seized by U.S. Marshals after the FDA determined the products had misleading labels and were not approved, according to an FDA press release.

The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend the use of Meningococcal Groups C and Y and Haemophilus b Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine (MenHibrix, GlaxoSmithKline) in infants at increased risk for bacterial meningitis.

FDA posted New England Compounding Center’s customer list, including all that received its products that were shipped on or after May 21 from its Framingham, Mass. facility, according to an FDA statement.

Patients with breakthrough cancer pain (BTCP) may want to consider intranasal fentanyl spray over oral agents to treat their breakthrough pain because of improved onset of analgesia and avoidance of nausea and vomiting, according to a report published online September 25 for The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

Cardiac transplant patients may be at a higher risk for hospitalization due to drug-related problems than the general population, according to the report from a single cardiac transplant center, published the October issue of The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

Long-term treatment of folic acid and vitamin B6 and vitamin12 had no statistically significant effect on colorectal adenoma among women who were at high risk for cardiovascular disease, according to recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Sleep restriction may contribute to poor health, including an increased risk for insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. In addition, fewer hours of sleep can adversely affect molecular metabolic pathways in peripheral human adipocytes, according to a clinical study published in the October issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

Numerous health and safety violations related to the practice of pharmacy at the New England Compounding Center, Framingham, Mass. have been documented by investigators of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and FDA, according to Madeleine Biondolillo, MD, in a press conference Oct. 23.

FDA has approved perampanel (Fycompa, Eisai), an AMPA receptor antagonist, as an adjunctive treatment of partial-onset seizures with or without secondarily generalized seizures in patients aged 12 years and older who have epilepsy.

FDA has warned patients of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), a serious blood disorder, resulting from misuse of oxymorphone hydrochloride extended-release tablets (Opana ER, Endo).

In a preliminary report of the meningitis outbreak, researchers warn physicians and their patients who possibly received contaminated drug injections to be alert for the symptoms of meningitis beyond 6 weeks following the steroid treatment.

An 11-month undercover operation by the New York Police Department's Manhattan South Narcotics division resulted in the indictments and arrests of 21 people accused of illegally selling prescription drugs on Craigslist.com.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has updated its recommendations for pneumococcal vaccine in high-risk adults.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported as of October 18 that 247 patients have developed fungal meningitis and 19 have died after receiving epidural steroid injections with contaminated methylprednisolone acetate, which was recalled from New England Compounding Center (NECC) on Sept. 26.

Two lawmakers are asking the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to open a criminal investigation to determine if the New England Compounding Center (NECC) violated any state or federal laws, directly contributing to the contamination of steroid products that were distributed to more than 20 states.

Use of concurrent sedating agents provides rapid sedation and reduces the need for resedation in acutely agitated patients, according to clinical trial results published online September 14 in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

Independent community pharmacists are very valuable, said Lonny Wilson, National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) president, during his speech at the NCPA annual convention Sunday.

Another drug could be contaminated and may be the cause of a meningitis case, the FDA says.