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A new technology add-on payment for Dificid (fidaxomicin) for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea was recently approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The new EpiPen 2-Pak holds two EpiPens plus a training pen, meant for training patients and their family members. In one hospital, however, a training pen was being stored in the emergency department’s automated dispensing cabinet.

Qualitest, a subsidiary of Endo Health Solutions, has issued a voluntary, nationwide retail-level recall for one lot of hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen tablets, USP 10 mg/500 mg.

Matthew Burriesci was appointed as the new director of development for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation on August 20.

Adults are more likely to successfully quit smoking if they take bupropion, varenicline (Chantix), or a nicotine patch, than those who attempt to quit without medication, according to the results of an ongoing prospective cohort survey published by the journal Addiction.

A fixed-dose combination of azilsartan medoxomil plus chlorthalidone (Edarbyclor, Takeda) was statistically superior to azilsartan medoxomil coadministered with hydrochlorothiazide at reducing and maintaining systolic blood pressure, according to the results of a phase 3 study published online August 31 in The American Journal of Medicine.

Tricare, the health plan for military personnel, retirees, and dependants, has decided not to put Walgreens back in its retail pharmacy network.

This year's International AIDS Conference looked toward a generation free of AIDS.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has added a National Prescription Drug Take Back Locator to help consumers find the sites where they can drop off unused prescription drugs.

An FDA advisory panel voted 13 to 1 that there was adequate evidence of efficacy and safety to support the use of tobramycin inhalation powder (Novartis) for the management of cystic fibrosis in patients whose lungs contain bacteria called Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

There is considerable discrepancy among caregivers and pharmacists regarding the appropriate dosage of acetaminophen for overweight and obese children, according to a recent study published online August 20 in the European Journal of Hospitality.

Early administration of intravenous aspirin, in addition to alteplase, does not improve functional outcome at 3 months for patients with acute ischemic stroke, but increases the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, according to a study published online August 25 in The Lancet.

Anticoagulant therapy, particularly the use of aspirin, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality in men treated with radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy for prostate cancer, according to a study published online August 27 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

FDA has granted priority review to bedaquiline, or TMC207 (Johnson & Johnson's Janssen Research & Development), for treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

New programs for casual dieters could result in nutritional deficiencies and adversely interact with medications, so consumers should consult their pharmacists or physicians before trying a new diet plan, according to the American Pharmacists Association.

FDA approved bosutinib (Bosulif, Pfizer) to treat chronic myelogenous leukemia, a blood and bone marrow disease that usually affects older adults.

New anticancer agents that offer improved efficacy compared with standard therapy also increase morbidity and treatment-related mortality, according to a meta-analysis published August 20 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Statins may have a protective effect against the development of colorectal cancer, according to results from a retrospective case-control study published in BMC Gastroenterology.

FDA approved enzalutamide (Xtandi, Astellas Pharma U.S. Inc. and Medivation) to treat men with late-stage (metastatic) castration-resistant prostate cancer that has spread or recurred, even with medical or surgical therapy to minimize testosterone.

FDA issued a Drug Safety Communication on sildenafil (Revatio, Pfizer), following the observation in a long-term extension of a clinical trial in pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension of an increase in mortality with increasing Revatio dose.

FDA approved linaclotide (Linzess, Ironwood Pharmaceuticals and Forest) to treat chronic idiopathic constipation and to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adults.

Children with cystic fibrosis who are taking ivacaftor (Kalydeco) may be at potential risk for cataracts, according to an FDA notification.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recently published recommendations for the 2012-2013 influenza season.

Higher starting doses of allopurinol to treat gout may increase the risk for allopurinol hypersensitivity syndrome, according to a study published in the August 2012 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

California hospitals are doing a better job of controlling methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and central-line associated bloodstream infections, according to a new report.

FDA has approved the supplemental New Drug Application for tapentadol extended-release tablets (Nucynta ER, Janssen), an oral analgesic taken twice daily, for the management of neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy in adults when a continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesic is needed for an extended period of time.

At its Pharmacy and Technology Conference, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores presented Doug Long with the prestigious Harold W. Pratt Award.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation has announced the inaugural class of their Faculty Scholars Program.