Community Practice

Sometimes pharmacists can't help judging their patients by appearances. Then they look deeper — and find a real human being looking right back at them.

There are 2 measures of success every pharmacy should post on its wall. The first indicates percentage of QREs (quality-related events) in prescription fills, and the second measures the percentage of QREs caught before they reach the patient.

In 10 of its Chicago-area stores, Walgreens is piloting a program to provide healthy food options such as fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen meats and fish, eggs, and whole-grain cereals and pastas in its stores.

From arthritis to blisters to ingrown toenails, hurting feet present a huge public health concern.

Pharmacy technicians have emerged as key players in the growth of telepharmacy in both inpatient and outpatient settings in areas like North Dakota, which relies heavily on telepharmacy.

Pharmacists speak out about solutions for the poor, drug shortages, counterfeit drugs, and Plan B.

A revolutionary flu vaccine patch is likely to be developed in the course of an upcoming 5-year clinical trial. Data indicate that it is more effective in animals than are traditional injections.

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

The Department of Veteran Affairs is partnering with the Indian Health Services to improve prescription delivery to the federally recognized tribes of IHS, a population of about 2 million people.

A retired chain pharmacist reflects on the downside of a culture that values efficiency above all.

An independent drugstore in Illinois recently expanded its boutique section for breast-cancer patients to include a wide variety of medical products and clothing.

This fall Saint Joseph College School of Pharmacy will open its new 35,000-square-foot facility in the heart of downtown Hartford, Conn., to its first class of students. Its curriculum will be organized in blocks, allowing students to concentrate on one course at a time through a variety of learning activities.

An American PharmD candidate describes his trip to Istanbul, Turkey, where he was fascinated by the similarities and differences of pharmacy practice conducted among people of different culture, beliefs, and expectations.

A new report urges states to replace Medicaid fee-for-service pharmacy programs with the kind of managed drug benefits used in Medicare Part D plans, Medicaid managed care organizations, and some commercial health plans.

The latest info on VTE in HIV; intracerebral hemorrhage; and antiplatelet/warfarin combinations

Telepharmacy is still a novelty, and there is a lag in implementation of new laws after professional and technological innovations are deployed.

Controlling the expensive price tag of Medicare is an ongoing concern of both the Obama administration and Congress. Therefore, any Medicare provider can expect an audit. Is your pharmacy prepared?

Proposed rules designed to cut waste in Medicare Part D could create problems for long-term-care pharmacy.

In response to a Drug Topics column that viewed e-tracking as the solution to illegal methamphetamine use, a law-enforcement veteran speaks out about the drawbacks connected with e-tracking systems.

After its withdrawal from the marketplace 35 years ago, sodium fluoride F 18 for use in bone scans is experiencing a rebirth as a result of a New Drug Application submitted by the National Cancer Institute and approved by FDA.

New CDC guidance recommends that 16-year-olds receive a booster meningitis vaccine shot.

Sanofi-Aventis is appealing a federal judge's decision to lift the injunction against the sale of a generic Allegra D24 product in the United States.

Empty frozen-fruit bags are the most recent healthy eating display in the pharmacy departments of Wegmans Food Markets.

NACDS is urging Congress to make several federal regulations economically viable for retail community pharmacists.

FDA has approved gabapentin (Gralise, Depomed and Abbott Products) tablets for once-daily treatment of post-herpetic neuralgia.

AEDs may increase the risk of nontraumatic fractures in patients aged 50 years and older, according to a study published in the Archives of Neurology, HealthDay News reported.

Elderly patients have difficulty with long-term adherence to medications following myocardial infarction, and this is significantly worse among those with kidney dysfunction, according to a study published online in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, HealthDay News reported.

A combination drug therapy given initially appears to result in better blood-pressure control in individuals compared with those who are treated with monotherapy, according to research published online in The Lancet, HealthDay News reported.

Health advocacy organizations that promote research and access to healthcare services for members routinely fail to disclose their financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry, according to a study released online in the American Journal of Public Health.

Medication errors involving analgesics, including mistakes in prescribing, are a major contributor to suboptimal therapeutic outcomes and preventable adverse patient events, according to a study published in The Journal of Pain, reported Newswise.com.