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How the new Connecticut legislation allowing consultant pharmacists to initiate, modify, and discontinue drug therapy will change practice

CMS to conduct pilot on pay for performance

Clinicians can soon offer women the convenience of an extended-cycle oral contraceptive (OC). The FDA recently approved levonorgestrel/ethinyl estradiol (Seasonale, Barr Laboratories) 0.15 mg/0.03 mg tablets for the prevention of pregnancy. The manufacturer plans a November 1 launch for Seasonale, the first extended-cycle OC to receive FDA approval.

Wausau/Liberty Mutual program takes aim at Rx costs

PCMA sues Maine to block law regulating PBMs

This installment covers drug errors arising from generic names

Ciprodex is a newly approved combination drug to treat middle ear infections

Clinicians will soon be able to offer the parents of children with common ear infections the first ototopical therapy that combines the antibacterial activity of ciprofloxacin and the antiinflammatory properties of dexamethasone. The FDA recently approved ciprofloxacin, 0.3% and dexamethasone, 0.1% (Ciprodex, Alcon) sterile otic suspension for the treatment of acute otitis media due to Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children age six months and older with tympanostomy tubes. Ciprodex was also approved for the treatment of acute otitis externa due to Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in children age six months and older, adults, and older persons.

CMS proposes raising the rates for paying Medicare providers for outpatient care

Discount Rx cards saved an average of less than $5 per script, according to a study by the Congressional General Accounting Office of nine drugs commonly prescribed for seniors.

Wholesalers pick independent superstar pharmacies for 2003

Lawyer tells pharmacists how to comply with HIPAA's security regulations

Clinicians who treat persons with Gaucher disease will soon be able to offer their patients the first oral treatment option for this condition to be approved in the U.S. The FDA recently approved miglustat (Zavesca, Actelion Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of adult patients with mild to moderate type I Gaucher disease for whom enzyme replacement therapy is not a therapeutic option. Miglustat will be available to patients later this year.

State pharmacy boards are generally exempt from the provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), according to the attorney representing the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

If pharmacies don't beef up their patient leaflets by 2006, FDA will pass regulations, instead of relying on the private sector, to get the job done

USP safety review column

Presenters at the 2003 NACDS Pharmacy & Technology Conference listen to speakers opinions on proposed Medicare Rx legislation.

Florida passes law prohibiting illegible prescriptions and palm pilots do away with handwritten orders

The growth of specialty pharmacies.

PharmEcology offers new services to help hospitals dispose of their hazardous drug waste.

FDA task force on drug counterfeiting will develop a report with recommendations on how to protect our drug supply.

An update on the prescription discount cards of the nine companies out there and CMS' proposed card program

Crestor (Rosuvastatin) is a new statin indicated for patients with high cholesterol and triglycerides.

Clinicians will soon be able to offer men with erectile dysfunction (ED) the first drug to be approved in five years for the treatment of this condition. The FDA recently approved vardenafil (Levitra, Bayer/GlaxoSmithKline), which will be available in pharmacies within the next several weeks.

New cough, cold, and sore throat products for upcoming season.

This installment covers the deadline for meeting electronic claim submission requirements in health care and Medicare.

Why pharmacists don't do a good job of detecting drug interactions and how this can be improved

PBMs launch partial fill programs using 5.1 and reaction from chains that have had lawsuits brought against them regarding partial fill Rxs