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Community pharmacists are angry that the government began soliciting sponsors for the proposed Medicare-endorsed discount Rx drug cards before a federal judge had issued a final ruling on the legality of the proposal.

Can pharmacies transmit PHI to manufacturers for rebate processing?

Forteo (teriparatide) treats osteoporosis in men,and women who have gone through menopause.

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) now have a first-of-its-kind therapeutic option that is safe, convenient, and effective. The FDA recently approved adalimumab (Humira, Abbott Laboratories) for reducing the signs and symptoms and inhibiting the progression of structural damage in adult patients with moderately to severely active RA who have had an inadequate response to one or more disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The approval of adalimumab comes just nine months after regulatory submission. Adalimumab will be available in pharmacies by mid-January.

Happy Harry's, Rite Aid, and Eckerd have reached an agreement with DHSS regarding Medicaid reimbursement rates. They were threatening to pull out of Medicaid in 2002.

More state pharmacy boards are moving to requiring that technicians be certified.

Keeping patients on long term therapy requires multifaceted interventions but even complex approaches don't lead to big improvements in adherence or improved outcomes, according to researchers from the McMaster University Faculty of Health Sciences in Ontario.

Second installment to Countdown to HIPAA

In an apparent first, Massachusetts has added a physician and a nurse as members of the state pharmacy board.

How brand-name manufacturers can get their drugs out the door faster.

NACDS thinks there's a good chance Medicare drug benefit will pass in 2003.

Changes in health benefits to retirees are expected to drive the growth of mail order.

Drug errors relating to Bextra.

The FDA recently approved teriparatide (rDNA origin) injection [Forteo, Eli Lilly], a recombinant form of human parathyroid hormone, for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who are at increased risk for fracture. Teriparatide is also indicated to increase bone mass in men with primary or hypogonadal osteoporosis who are at high risk for fracture.

Pharmacy continued it's growth spurt last year, as state pharmacy boards registered more pharmacists, technicians, and stores.

Pharmacy needs to define the education, training, regulation, and role of technicians, according to the Sesquicentennial Stepping Stone Summit Two report issued by 14 national groups.

Some states have additional CE requirements beyond acceptance by ACPE.

You can prevent drug errors by providing patient counseling.

To comply with state practice acts and OBRA '90, pharmacacy practice must include clincial technology, such as devices and instruments, not just drugs, according to a group of leading scientists, educators, and attorneys who have issued a manifesto.

United States Pharamacopei'a Center for the Advancement of Patient Safety releases report on drug errors in hospitals as a result of improper administration techniques.

Business Outlook 2003: Chains

CVS settles overtime lawsuit with Alabama R.Ph.s.

Patients with type II diabetes now have therapeutic options that combine two medications in one convenient pill. Persons following complex treatment regimens can take fewer pills, and may incur lower copay costs. The FDA approved Metaglip (glipizide/metformin, Bristol-Myers Squibb) and Avandamet (rosiglitazone/metformin, GlaxoSmithKline) two months ago.

Patients with schizophrenia now have a therapeutic option with a novel mechanism of action and favorable adverse effect profile. Last month, the FDA approved aripiprazole (Abilify, Bristol-Myers Squibb/Otsuka America Pharmaceuticals) for the treatment of schizophrenia. Aripiprazole is currently available in pharmacies.

CMS posts nursing home quality on the Web, drawing criticism from GAO, who says it's premature.

Complying with HIPAA

Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvani pass laws allowing pharmacists to initiate and modify drug therapy