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Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah has introduced a generic drug plan to be used for antidepressants. Beginning next month, Regence said it will need prior authorization before filling prescriptions for some brand-name drugs.

Abbott has issued a Dear Healthcare Professional letter to convey the report of an accidental overdose of lopinavir/ritonavir (Kaletra) oral solution that led to the death of an infant.

Drug class gets stronger warning of heart risk

The Minnesota Dental Association has adopted new guidelines released by the American Heart Association and the American Dental Association.

Sanofi Pasteur has begun shipment of its influenza vaccine in the U.S. for the 2007-2008 season.

According to National Vaccine Information Center, following analysis of reports submitted to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, a statistically significant increased risk of GBS and other serious adverse event reports was found when the HPV vaccine was coadministered with other vaccines.

The Teamsters Union has sent a letter to the investors of PharMerica, warning them that the long-term care provider's close ties with AmerisourceBergen might not be in the best interest of shareholders. According to the union, AmerisourceBergen has been linked to problems with drug counterfeiting, an alleged illegal rebate scheme, and loss of controlled substances in several of its warehouses.

The march to equality has been long and slow for women pharmacists.

Many hospitals have instituted paper-based systems to capture inpatient prescription information to avoid adverse drug events, but one community-based hospital has gone a step further to adopt an automated medication reconciliation program. Fauquier Health System in northern Virginia is currently testing a pilot system that electronically provides the hospital staff with a patient's medication history.

Terrorism and natural disasters are putting pharmacists into the forefront of emergency medical care, prompting pharmacy schools to expand their curriculum.

The new bundled payment would adjust for differences across dialysis facilities for the services paid for under the composite rate and the drugs that are currently billed separately.

A 65-year-old male patient refuses to continue rosiglitazone / metformin due to recent media coverage of safety issues.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network recently updated its guidelines for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma to include new therapeutic options, as well as changes to diagnostic criteria and staging.

The Joint Commission's recently announced 2008 National Patient Safety Goals include a new requirement to reduce risks associated with anticoagulant therapy.

A panel of six pharmacists give their opinions in a roundtable on how technology can curb and also promote drug errors.

Companies offer technology that can be used by pharmacists to help improve patient compliance.

The four leading infusion pump manufacturers all report brisk sales of smart pumps, but many users are evading the software dosing safeguards that make pumps smart.

Consumers are visiting drugstores more often and spending more when they are there.

Ready or not, electonic pedigree is coming. But bumps in the road area already rocking the pharmaceutical world. The biggest bump: vague definitions and conflicting exptectations.

U.S. marshals investigating cheating on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) have seized materials and computers from the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy and the offices and home of professor Flynn Warren Jr., M.S.

The pharmacy world is astir over Publix Super Markets' offer of free 14-day supplies of seven common antibiotics at its 684 pharmacies.

Several new bills that may impact R.Ph.s have been introduced lately, though it is not clear whether any of them will actually be signed into law.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has released an update to its kidney cancer guidelines.

The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) have issued an update to their Unstable Angina/ Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (UA/NSTEMI) guidelines, last published in 2002.

Three doctors and two pharmacists are among 18 people indicted on federal fraud and racketeering charges for allegedly operating an on-line pharmacy that sold more than $126 million worth of Rx drugs.

Looking to build on the knowledge and experience of R.Ph.s across the country, NCPA, APhA, the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, and Mirixa Corp. have launched www.rxwiki.com.

Maraviroc (Selzentry, Pfizer), the first CCR5 inhibitor, was recently approved following priority review by the FDA.

CMS announced that it would release NPI number data beginning Sept. 4, at which point all data that are disclosable under the Freedom of Information Act will be made available to the public.