Patients with low drug spend can benefit from Part D
May 15th 2006Medicare beneficiaries who spend little on drugs would benefit fromPart D, according to a study conducted on behalf of Medicare Today,a partnership of 400 organizations representing seniors, healthcaregroups, and employers. Seniors who spend just $381 per year ondrugs would break even under Part D and out of 1,000 beneficiarieswho spend $381 or less, half can expect to see their costs increaseto an average of $730 this year.
H.D. Smith pays fine, charges dismissed
May 15th 2006H.D. Smith has paid a $2 million civil forfeiture, agreed to modifyits purchasing policies, and implemented a compliance program inreturn for federal authorities dropping all charges against theIllinois wholesaler. The indictment stemmed from a counterfeitLipitor scheme, which led to the conviction of a formernonmanagement Smith employee.
Corticosteroids lack disease-modifying effect
May 15th 2006Inhaled corticosteroids used by preschool-aged children at risk ofasthma will not prevent the disease from developing, according toNHLBI. The findings of a multicenter clinical trial from thePrevention of Early Asthma in Kids (PEAK) study, supported byNHLBI, answered the question as to whether treatment of airwayinflammation early enough could prevent the development of asthma.
USC joins Diabetes 10 City Challenge
May 8th 2006The University of Southern California, the largest employer in LosAngeles, has become the sixth participant in the Diabetes 10 CityChallenge, the APhA Foundation's employer-based initiative tofoster diabetes patient self-management with support from diabeteseducators and physicians
MTM: Can supermarket pharmacists deliver?
May 8th 2006Medication therapy management (MTM), an integral part of MedicarePart D, is likely to evolve into a "medication checkup," andsupermarket pharmacies are the perfect places to offer theseservices. So claims Anne Burns, R.Ph., group director of practicedevelopment and research, American Pharmacists Association.
Unraveling Medicare: The learning curve under Part D
May 8th 2006Everyone has learned a lot since Medicare Part D was started on Jan. 1. Pharmacists learned new processes, people on Medicare learned new terms and options. Insurers and the Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services learned to respond quickly to misunderstandings, technical glitches, and personnel shortages.
Future allergy shots show promise
May 8th 2006To prepare for the seasonal onslaught of pollen, mostallergy-stricken patients will try to find relief throughnonsedating antihistamines and nasal inhalers. Many others willundergo allergen immunotherapy as a next step, receiving theestimated 60 to 90 injections necessary for each treatment period.Although allergy shots can be effective, treatment is often atime-consuming and costly process. Preliminary results for newtherapies show promise and may soon offer allergy sufferers moreoptions with fewer injections.
Here are first guidelines for VTE in cancer patients
May 8th 2006According to oncology experts, active cancer accounts for about 20%of all new venous thromboembolic events (VTE), and cancer patientshave a four-to sevenfold higher risk for VTE. Add to that the riskof being treated with chemotherapy drugs that may haveclot-producing properties of their own, and you are talking about aserious risk for a deadly condition. With this in mind, theNational Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recently released newguidelines to help oncology practitioners prevent, diagnose, andtreat VTE.
National R.Ph. licensure nears, predicts NABP head
May 8th 2006Despite an over-my-dead-body opposition in some states, the day israpidly approaching when pharmacists will be able to obtain anational license valid in multiple states, predicted CarmenCatizone, R.Ph., executive director of the National Association ofBoards of Pharmacy.
Standard Management to acquire In-House Pharmacies
May 1st 2006Standard Management Corp., Indianapolis-based provider ofpharmaceuticals to the long-term care and infusion therapyindustry, announced the signing of a definitive agreement for thepurchase of In-House Pharmacies of San Diego. In-House Pharmacies,with about $40 million in annual revenues specializes in long termcare and represents the largest in a series of acquisitions byStandard Management, adding to its national presence.