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The Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Health & Human Services issued a new study of average manufacturer price fluctuations.

Medical and consumer groups applauded Vermont after Gov. Jim Douglas signed into law a bill that will sharply limit the marketing and data-mining capabilities of drug manufacturers.

The suit against First Databank and McKesson alleged that the companies conspired to inflate AWP for prescription medications.

Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy (DSP) has entered into a joint agreement with Oncology Physicians Resources (OPR) to create a program for managing oncology medications, called OPRx.

According to a recent study of health plan sponsors conducted by ReedHaldyMcIntosh for Medco's Systemed Group, 90% of respondents currently use strategies that encourage the use of mail order and 38% have rules that require it.

Consumers most frequently pick mass-merchandisers over other outlets when it comes to purchasing OTC drugs.

After repeated warning about the devastating impact of the Medicare Part D benefit, NCPA officials finally have the data to back it up. In 2006, the first year of the new drug benefit, more than 1,100 community pharmacies closed shop and those that survived saw dramatically lowered net operating income and sales income even as their prescription sales rose.

According to a new study, consumers trust their pharmacists as a source of information on both the quality and cost of prescription drugs more than independent sources such as Consumer Reports, doctors, and Web sites.

Fluticasone propionate inhalation aerosol (Flovent HFA 44 mcg) and fluticasone propionate inhalation powder (Flovent Diskus 50 mcg), both inhaled corticosteroids from GlaxoSmithKline, will now offer a dose counter for children aged four and older with mild, persistent asthma.

The recent safety concerns regarding the use of the thiazolidinediones pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda) and rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline) and the risk that they lead to cardiac failure may cause an increased market uptake of other drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes.

Wilson Health Information, a leading consumer insight firm, has named Good Neighbor Pharmacy highest in overall pharmacy customer satisfaction in the 2007 WilsonRx Pharmacy Satisfaction Survey.

Upsher-Smith Laboratories will market the lowest available dose of estradiol gel for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause following the FDA approval of Divigel 0.1%.

Long-acting levocetirizine (Xyzal, UCB/Sanofi-Aventis) has received regulatory approval for the relief of symptoms associated with seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis and for uncomplicated skin manifestations of chronic idiopathic urticaria in adults and children six years of age and older.

A request from the FDA has led to a revision of the prescribing information for pioglitazone (Actos, Takeda Pharmaceuticals).

Can metered-dose inhalers containing flunisolide, triamcinolone, metaproterenol, pirbuterol, albuterol and ipratropium in combination, cromolyn, and nedocromil be phased out because they harbor ozone-depleting

Community MTM Services has changed its name to Mirixa.

As many as 25 million people in North America are affected in varying degrees by the inability to completely control urination or bowel movements, with higher occurrences for women and the elderly. Despite what many people believe, bladder weakness is a symptom, not an illness.

Hospital pharmacists involved in Medicare reimbursement will have to think twice when purchasing drugs for their pharmacy departments. CMS has announced a separate, and a reportedly more accurate payment structure for single source and biologic drugs.

After more than two years of collaborative effort, national quality measures for breast and colon cancer treatment are now in place. The American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer, working with two other professional organizations, recently received endorsement from the National Quality Forum for the first nationally recognized hospital-based performance measures for breast and colorectal cancer.

In proposed legislation that could save millions of taxpayer dollars in drug costs, the U.S. Senate is considering extending current 340B program discounts to include inpatients.

Changes in the health-care workplace environment have put an increased emphasis on the importance of leadership skills to help address this challenge.

Your smart infusion pumps-are they winners or also-rans? One of the first head-to-head technology comparisons by third-party consultants has some answers. Cardinal's Alaris system got top marks from leaders in pharmacy, nursing, information technology (IT), and other hospital departments. Out of a possible 100 points, Alaris got 89.8 for product technology, vendor service, product performance, business impact, and percentage of positive user comments. B. Braun's Outlook system came in second with 88.3, followed by Hospira's Plum A+/ MedNet at 85.9. Baxter's COLLEAGUE system ended a distant fourth at 61.2. Sigma missed the race entirely.

ASHP has released ResiTrak, a Web-based tool expected to enhance the mentoring of pharmacy residents enrolled in their residency learning system while facilitating the administrative process for preceptors and program directors.

The move toward all-electronic health records is gathering momentum and support. Just over 38% of U.S. hospitals now use EHRs, according to a recent survey conducted by ASHP, up 31% in 2007. In hospitals that use EHRs, 94% of pharmacies have access to patient records.

An interim action that the Joint Commission initially viewed as a relief to hospitals regarding the timeline for pharmacists' review of emergency department medication orders was suspended after 14 weeks because the accrediting organization realized it had instead created a huge burden.

Causes and treatment for repeat nocturnia

R.Ph.s are making an impact on treating metabolic syndrome by paying attention to the differences between antipsychotics

In an effort to keep pace with advances in the management of infectious complications in immunosuppressed cancer patients who are hospitalized, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network has released updated guidelines for the prevention and treatment of cancer-related infections.