Community Practice

Readers speak out about pill-splitting, depression screening, the POWER program, rapping pharmacists, and more

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Are surgeons at your hospital using recombinant factor VIIa to control bleeding? If so, they are probably not helping patients and could be harming them.

An accurate understanding of the effectiveness of medications, which guides decisions about their optimal use, depends on a critical appraisal of published literature, according to Alvin Goo, PharmD. Goo is a clinical pharmacist with Harborview Medical Center and clinical associate professor, University of Washington School of Pharmacy and Family Medicine, Seattle.

Pharmacists face many changes in their work and the way they do it. But if they don't stay focused on one crucial fact, the rest won't be worth a hill of beans.

The Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission are cracking down on fraudulent dietary supplements claiming to treat sexually transmitted diseases.

Drug Topics visits one-on-one with Mary Relling, PharmD, chair of pharmaceutical sciences at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, who has devoted her career to finding better treatment options for childhood leukemia patients.

ASHP has named Paul W. Abramowitz, PharmD, FASHP, as its next CEO. He will succeed Henri R. Manasee Jr., PhD, ScD, who is retiring in December.

At Seattle's Group Health Cooperative, patient management is a team affair. Primary care physicians, clinical pharmacists, nurses, and assistants all work together to meet the needs of patients through a patient-centered medical home approach.

As pharmacists responsibilities expand, so may some of their liabilities. A number of those liabilities may be related to controlled substances.

The results are in, and this year Health Mart wins by a landslide. Pharmacy owner Timothy Davis and other satisfied franchisees tell us why.

A meta-analysis of studies on recurrent venous thromboembolism; updated guidelines for management of atrial fibrillation; a meta-analysis of studies comparing generic and branded warfarin

Only 5 years ago, all they heard was "pharmacist shortage, great jobs, great benefits, great pay." Now the opportunities pharmacy students dreamed about when they began school in 2007 are no longer available.

A new continuing education reporting system sponsored by NABP and ACPE should be in use by the end of the year. In order to receive credit for CPE activities, applicants will provide their NABP e-Profile ID and date of birth. IDs may be obtained at the NABP website.

A young pharmacist recounts his experience of volunteering in Haiti after the earthquake.

Pharmacists are often reluctant to apologize. One fear is that lawyers may use their statements against them. Another fear is that they may be violating their own malpractice insurance policies. But there can be advantages to saying, "I made a mistake; I am sorry." A patient may be saved and a possibly explosive situation may be cooled. For most of us, it is the natural thing to do.

Summer's outdoor fun can be complicated by poison ivy, bug bites, harsh sunlight, and other problems exacerbated by the heat and humidity. A variety of products seek to prevent or ameliorate the consequences.

FDA has approved azilsartan medoxomil 40-mg and 80-mg tablets for the treatment of hypertension, either alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. FDA has also approved roflumilast as a treatment to reduce the risk of COPD exacerbations in patients with severe COPD associated with chronic bronchitis and a history of exacerbations (not the relief of acute bronchospasm).

Despite a drop in the number of prescriptions written for the top 10 branded drugs in 2010 compared with 2009, there were gains in terms of retail dollars among most of the manufacturers of the top 10 products, according to the Drug Topics top 200 branded drugs lists.

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 branded drugs in 2010, ranked by total prescriptions

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 branded drugs in 2010, ranked by retail dollars.

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 generic drugs in 2010, ranked by total prescriptions.

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 generic drugs in 2010, ranked by retail dollars.

CDER recently announced that it will elevate the Office of Compliance to a Super Office to continue to ensure the safety, quality, and integrity of drugs in America, according to a memo from CDER Director Janet Woodcock.

Community pharmacists and medication therapy management can play a much greater role in Accountable Care Organizations, pharmacists? organizations said in new comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

NACDS Foundation has announced the first 3 beneficiaries of the Community Pharmacy Residency Expansion Project.

The number of filled prescriptions increases when televised health education programs playing in physicians? waiting rooms feature a retail pharmacy locator service.

Nearly 20% of young adults in the United States may have high blood pressure, according to the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, an analysis sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and published online in Epidemiology.

A high-tech alarm system, staff training, and new security cameras are deterring thefts at Gloucester Pharmacy in Gloucester, Va.

Hospital pharmacists are more involved in medication therapy decisions than ever before, according to an annual survey of hospital pharmacy directors.