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The DEA has changed its policy and now recognizes long-term-care nurses as agents of prescribers of Schedule C-III through C-V medications, according to a Federal Register notice released today.

Aneesh Chopra, the nation?s first Chief Technology Officer, will deliver a keynote address at the 2010 mHealth Summit on Tuesday, November 9, according to summit organizers.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), working with government, community, public health, and law enforcement partners, will hold a prescription drug "Take-Back" initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft.

The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters has launched the National Registry of Certified Medical Interpreters, which serves as a central online resource to verify the credentials of Certified Medical Interpreters.

Many awards were presented at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Pharmacy & Technology Conference, but the Association?s highest honor, the Harold W. Pratt Award, was bestowed upon industry leader Joe Conda, senior vice president of strategic planning at H.D. Smith.

The 13th edition of the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) 2010-2011 Chain Pharmacy Industry Profile provides economic impact data, national and state-by-state information, and facts on retail and pharmacy trends.

A new website being launched by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), www.PharmacyMatching.com, will bring together independent pharmacy owners preparing to sell their pharmacies, existing owners who desire additional stores, and entrepreneurs seeking to become pharmacy owners.

Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc. is in the race to end prostate cancer as an official sponsor of the Great Prostate Cancer Challenge/Dash for Dad, a series of races in the United States, led by ZERO ? The Project to End Prostate Cancer.

Kerr Drug, a community pharmacy that pioneered the training of clinical pharmacists to administer vaccines to patients, is launching an effort to meet the demand for flu shots. The company is beginning its flu shot campaign earlier than ever this year and providing vaccinations during operating hours at all its stores throughout North Carolina, with no appointments necessary.

A revised system of classification for rheumatoid arthritis may allow earlier identification of the disease, earlier treatment, and ultimately better patient outcomes.

The implementation of a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) drug warning system can reduce orders for potentially inappropriate medications in hospitalized older patients, according to a study published in the Aug. 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, HealthDay News reported.

The Drug Information Association, in collaboration with FDA and the Cardiac Research Safety Consortium, will host Development of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Drugs Conference: State-of-the-Art Cardiovascular Safety Assessments, Oct. 5?6 in Washington, D.C.

There appears to be no association between the use of oral bisphosphonates and the risk of esophageal or gastric cancer, according to research published in the Aug. 11 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, HealthDay News reported.

FDA issued a warning Aug. 12 that the drug lamotrigine (Lamictal, GlaxoSmithKline), approved to treat seizures and bipolar disorder, can cause aseptic meningitis, an inflammation not caused by bacterial infection of the protective membranes (meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Both the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and National Community Pharmacists Association favor the proposed rule by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that would withdraw existing provisions of the Medicaid pharmacy reimbursement formula under the average manufacturer price (AMP) model.

Underlying a recent FDA-hosted public meeting and workshop was the question of how FDA as a regulatory agency should increase its current oversight of clinical laboratories, specifically those developing genetic tests that may be offered at their own facilities or made available through direct-to-consumer channels.

Thirty-nine states now have a tool to help pharmacists identify at least some questionable prescriptions and suggest when a patient may be doctor-shopping or pharmacy-shopping in order to obtain controlled substances. That tool is the state prescription monitoring program.

FDA advisory committee members voted 25 to 10 to reject a proposed plan to establish a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics during the joint meeting on July 23 of the Anesthetic and Life Support Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee in Adelphi, Md.

Community pharmacists face a "War on Drugs" different from the one heard about on the news. This war doesn't even seem to be on lawmakers' radar.

Denying yourself food to protest the policies of a corporate behemoth seems a bit ... extreme. Nonetheless, such an action may be a legitimate warning about the state of retail pharmacy today.

Annoying hair and scalp problems distress many families. Manufacturers offer a number of over-the-counter products that can help.

A Congressional bill aims to boost the capacity for information exchange among state programs that monitor prescription controlled substances and seeks to provide continued grant funding to support such efforts.

Patients often bring their own set of challenges with them to the pharmacy counter and community pharmacists have taken notice. Many have responded by creating programs that not only help patients secure the medication they need, but also offer them ways to make the most of their treatment plans.

Pharmacists speak out about immunizations, sexism in the pharmacy, and $4 prescriptions.

Collaborative practice agreements between physicians and pharmacists will be a reality in Pennsylvania within the next couple of years.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

San Francisco had the right idea when it banned the sale of tobacco in pharmacies. Then it turned around and allowed the sale in grocery stores and big-box stores. Wal-Mart and Safeway have pharmacies, and they keep on selling cigarettes. Forcing drugstores to take the high road is a lost cause.

The Washington State Board of Pharmacy is revisiting its rules requiring pharmacists to dispense emergency contraceptives.