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Three pharmacy owners and four pharmacists were among 12 people recently indicted for participating in a conspiracy that dispensed and sold thousands of dosages of anabolic steroids ? including powerful veterinary steroids approved for animal use only ? to users throughout the United States.

Pfizer Inc., the world?s largest drug maker, has secured the financing for a reported $60 billion-plus bid for Wyeth, according to news reports.

The slumping U.S economy and government regulations will cause pharmacy sales to grow only around 1.3 percent rate in 2009, according to new research presented last week at the American Society for Automation in Pharmacy?s Industry and Technology Issues in St. Petersburg, Fla.

While the generic drug discount programs offered at most chain pharmacies have saved patients billions of dollars, they have also cut into pharmacies? gross profit margins.

Sun care is a hot category that continues to grow. Regardless of seasonality in most parts of the country and many years of flat sales, this category has come back strong in the last few years thanks to new technology, specialized products, and an overall greater consumer awareness of the sun's dangerous effects.

Letters: January 2009

Pharmacists speak out about regulation of pharmacy techs and Wal-Mart's invasion of higher education

Boston has followed San Francisco's lead and has banned pharmacy tobacco sales. It went even further and banned cigarette sales on college campuses.

The annual summit of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists called for ways to reduce drug errors. The need for universal IV concentrations is primary. "Safety will improve dramatically if we all work with the same tools." (Peter Angood, Joint Commission)

A former pharmacist has been convicted of felony conflict of interest charges for taking payments from drug companies and pocketing money for supervising pharmacy interns from Duquesne University.

A recent report by the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud suggests pharmacies and pharmacy regulators need better training and education to help prevent prescription drug diversion, particularly of controlled substance analgesics.