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The Pharmacist Services Technical Advisory Coalition, founded in 2002 to improve the coding infrastructure required for billing of pharmacist services, has successfully gained revisions in the Health Care Provider Taxonomy Code List for pharmacy service providers and pharmacy suppliers. Among the new categories are geriatric, oncology, and compounding pharmacy. Changes in definitions for existing pharmacist categories include nuclear, nutrition support, pharmacotherapy, and psychiatric. The code review was performed in preparation for implementation of a National Provider Identifier (NPI), as mandated by HIPAA. According to PSTAC, providers may have one or more taxonomy codes, depending on their areas of specialization, and providers that have already completed the NPI application may need to update the code(s) in their NPI record. The new changes were announced in July by the National Uniform Claims Committee and will go into effect on Oct. 1. For a complete list of taxonomy codes, visit..

RxUSA Wholesale has filed a $1.8 billion lawsuit against 16 drug manufacturers, five drug wholesalers, and the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA). The New York-based distributor charged a conspiracy to boycott secondary wholesalers, eliminate competition, and maintain artificially high prices.

If you have ever wondered what it would be like to have customers fly in from another state to buy products from your pharmacy and to seek your advice, just ask Abby Fazio, R.Ph. Fazio, who co-owns New London Pharmacy with her husband, has been catering to customers from out of state as well as to neighborhood folks in New York City's trendy Chelsea neighborhood since 1995.

Supermarket pharmacies remained stable last year in the face of several challenges, according to the latest findings of the Food Marketing Institute's "2006 Supermarket Pharmacy Trends Survey." Here are some of the highlights of the FMI survey

Washington State pharmacists are wondering if they are expected to be the penmanship police since a new law decrees that prescriptions in cursive handwriting are no longer considered to be legible.

I will always make time for company reps whose message is short and snappy.

Make no mistake about it. Community pharmacies are in peril, thanks largely to low and slow reimbursement from Medicare Part D and aggressive efforts by pharmacy benefit managers to pressure beneficiaries to switch to mail order. What are pharmacy associations doing to rescue pharmacies from the plight they are in?

Reams of articles have been written on when drug treatments should be initiated, but far less literature is available on when they should be discontinued. A recent analysis of Medicare records found that, rather than stopping pharmacotherapy and resorting to hospice care, almost 12% of cancer patients in 1999 received chemotherapy in the last two weeks of life, up 2% from 1983.

More than 28 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches, often beginning during adolescence, continuing throughout adulthood, and affecting three times as many women as men. The prescription drug market for the treatment of migraines is about $2 billion annually in this country. Vying for a piece of the pie are several new companies-some utilizing new combinations or new formulations of old drugs and a few developing new drug entities. Here's a heads-up on what's coming our way.

The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) praised four of the nation's Governors for filing a citizen petition with the FDA seeking immediate release of agency guidance that would pave the way for the introduction of more affordable generic versions of insulin and human growth hormone (HGH). The citizen petition was filed by Govs. Kathleen Sebelius (D, Kan.), Tim Pawlenty (R, Minn.), James H. Douglas (R, Vt.), and Jim Doyle (D, Wis.).

Albemarle Corp., Richmond, Va., a leading producer of bulk ibuprofen, announced that it will increase the price of its bulk ibuprofen by a minimum of 20% in Western Europe and in the United States for spot purchases, effective Sept. 1 and as contracts allow. The company stated that the price increase is to help offset significant raw material and energy cost increases experienced over the past several years.

Teva Pharmaceuticals USA has received FDA approval for the first generic version of Effexor (venlafaxine). The tablets will be available in 25, 37.5, 50, 75, and 100 mg and will be eligible for 180 days of generic drug exclusivity before the agency can approve other generic applications for the drug.

Pfizer is offering free samples of its cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor (atorvastatin) via mobile coupons. Working with mobile technology firm ipsh!, patients can redeem a 30-day free -rial size of Lipitor through text-message mobile coupons.

In a trial to be held in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Ill., beginning Sept. 7, Walgreens is being sued for allegedly mislabeling and misfilling a prescription that led to the death of a patient,Leonard Kulisek. In the papers filed during the lawsuit, Walgreens admitted that a pharmacy manager negligently misfilled the prescription.

The FDA is seeking public comment for the next 90 days on how the use of a unique identifier system for medical devices could improve patient safety. Among other things, the agency is hoping that a unique device identification (UDI) could have broad applications in reducing medical errors, improving the reporting of adverse events, facilitating device recalls, and improving delivery and supply chain efficiency for medical devices.

A new article in Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs is reporting that pharmacists filled 43 million prescriptions for sleep drugs in 2005, a number that is up 32% from 2001. The report also notes that direct-to-consumer advertising contributes to increased use of sleep aids.

A revision to the 1998 ACC/AHA practice guidelines for the management of valvular heart disease has been issued. Included are indications for anticoagulation in patients with prosthetic heart valves.

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The Food & Drug Administration recently granted accelerated approval to dasatinib (Sprycel, Bristol-Myers Squibb) for the treatment of adults in all phases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy-including imatinib (Gleevec, Novartis). The FDA also granted full approval to dasatinib for the treatment of adults with Philadelphia chromosome-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) with resistance or intolerance to prior therapy. Dasatinib, considered an orphan drug for each of these indications, is currently available in retail pharmacies.

The FDA is announcing a call for safety and effectiveness data on the OTC drug product diethylhexyl butamido triazone, up to 3%, as a sunscreen single active ingredient and in combination with other sunscreen active ingredients. Submit electronic comments at www.regulations.gov by Oct. 24.

Longs Drug Stores announced the opening of its new 800,000-sq. ft. distribution facility in Patterson, Calif. With the opening of the new facility, Longs is self-distributing about 57% of front-end merchandise to all of the mainland Longs stores.

Durham, N.C.-based Parata Systems will bring 75 new manufacturing, engineering, and customer support jobs to its Durham headquarters from Louisiana, as the company begins to integrate the McKesson Automated Prescription System (APS) products that it acquired this past spring. Parata markets robotic drug dispensing systems for the retail and institutional pharmacy markets.

The FDA announced it is proceeding to work with Duramed, a subsidiary of Barr Pharmaceuticals, to resolve the remaining policy issues associated with the marketing of Plan B as an OTC contraceptive option. The agency and the sponsor will discuss the sponsor's proposed restricted distribution and risk management plan as part of the framework for potential approvability as a nonprescription product for women aged 18 and older.

Oregon's Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) announced that Oregon will join with Washington State to form a prescription drug purchasing consortium to obtain larger discounts on medications for uninsured residents. The Northwest Prescription Drug Consortium, which will likely begin to purchase medications this year, will combine an Oregon prescription drug program that provides low-income residents older than age 55 with access to discounted medications and a similar Washington State program.

NCPA has launched an interactive on-line program designed to provide information about the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap, or "doughnut hole." The program is geared toward pharmacists but also can provide information to Medicare beneficiaries and their families.

Walgreen stores in Detroit have decided not to accept the Midwest Health Plan. The decision follows a recent announcement by CVS stores in Detroit that they would no longer deal with the Midwest Health Plan, which administers Medicaid coverage for 55,000 beneficiaries, and M-Care, a University of Michigan managed care plan.

Walgreens has joined forces with the National Urban League (NUL) to launch the NUL/Walgreens Wellness Tour. The tour features a customized traveling education and health-screening vehicle, which will appear at select NUL affiliates in key urban markets as part of a 12-month national campaign.

The FDA and the Mentholatum Co. have notified consumers and healthcare professionals about a nationwide recall of WellPatch Cough & Cold Soothing Vapor Pads due to potential serious adverse health effects that could result if the product is ingested or chewed on by a child. This product contains camphor, eucalyptus oil, and menthol.