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British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca announced it is acquiring Gaithersburg, Md.-based MedImmune for $15.6 billion.

The sedative-hypnotic is indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia. Zolpidem tablets in formulations of 5 and 10 mg are manufactured by multiple U.S. generic drug companies.

San Francisco supervisors recently passed the first ban in the nation on plastic bags. The bill applies to large grocers and all pharmacies in the city and bans the use of petroleum-based bags.

CVS unveiled added benefits to customers of its ExtraCare program, including the introduction of Extra Bucks Now.

CDHP participants were less likely than traditional health plan enrollees to change behavior and take advantage of cost-saving generic drugs, instead opting to curtail brand-medication use.

CMS has issued a final rule establishing a competitive bidding program for durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics, and supplies (DMEPOS) furnished to Medicare beneficiaries under Part B.

Two high-quality reports in the New England Journal of Medicine confirming the risk of valvulopathy with the use of pergolide (Permax, Valiant) have led the FDA to remove the drug from the U.S. market. Two generic forms of the drug, made by Teva and Par Pharmaceuticals, will also be withdrawn.

Trimethobenzamide-containing suppositories are the next product in line to hit the FDA's chopping block as part of the agency's ongoing effort to ensure that all marketed drugs have been officially approved. The rectally administered treatment of nausea and vomiting has been available under the brand names Tigan, Tebamide, Trimazide, Trimethobenz, and T-Gen.

In another move to bolster its position with pharmacy self-service kiosks or ATM-like machines, Parata Systems has acquired Amistar and its Distributed Delivery Networks Corp.

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association's (CHPA) educational foundation, the Consumer Health Education Center, has launched a national education campaign to help mature Americans better mange their health, specifically regarding the OTCs they use.

Bar-coding technology, high-speed networks, and Intranets were the top technologies that respondents to a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) survey said they intend to implement over the next two years.

According to a recent statement released by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the low reimbursement rates from insurance companies to providers for the cost of providing vaccines to children is a risk to their health.

Voluntary nationwide consumer recall of all lots of the Glacier Mint and Bubble Blast flavors of Listerine Agent Cool Blue Plaque-Detecting Rinse.