Community Practice

More than 80 community pharmacists from the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) and several patients met with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) May 13 to discuss concerns about the impact of the March 2007 CVS/Caremark merger and to urge the FTC to re-examine it.

Citizen petitions to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) work. Sometimes.

The major message of the 2009 National Community Pharmacists Association's Annual Conference on National Legislation & Government Affairs was "get into politics, or get out of pharmacy."

The stimulus package passed in February has catapulted the field of comparative effectiveness research into a defining moment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced recently the approval of Creon (pancrelipase), a pancreatic enzyme replacement product designed to help patients with cystic fibrosis and others with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) digest and absorb nutrients from foods.

Pharmacy schools and practicing pharmacists around the United States recently said they noticed an imbalance in racial diversity in the field. The disparity has become so apparent that it is driving several organizations to do something about it.

In 2009, economic uncertainties, fear of new influenza strains, and pain are contributing to problems with sleeplessness experienced by many among the U.S. population.

WellPoint's plan to sell its NextRx pharmacy benefits management unit to St. Louis-based Express Scripts is drawing criticism from independent pharmacists.

Pharmacists speak out about the right to refuse to dispense.

"A pharmacist on the line is a priority; I won't make a pharmacist wait unnecessarily. When a colleague calls me, I'll drop everything to take that call."

Parents with some understanding of the possible dangers of OTC cold remedies often still give them to their young children.

Direct-to-consumer advertising is an idea that won't win any fans among pharmacists.

Centric Health Resources in St. Louis, Mo., serves patients who have the rarest diseases and need the most expensive drugs.

As rising costs and falling reimbursements cause many physicians to move out of the business of giving specialty-drug infusions, hospitals are taking over the task.

Pharmacist have many career options. Whether they're interested in politics, teaching, or travel, they can find fulfillment on and off the beaten path.

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. Several new OTC products are on pharmacy shelves for seasonal sufferers seeking relief.

In a recent ceremony in Boulder, Colo., Pharmaca CEO and Chairman Barry Perzow received the Chain of the Year award from Drug Topics Editor-in-Chief Margaret Mulligan.

Pharmacists can interact directly and personally with patients only during counseling. This practice reduces the risk of mechanical prescription errors and shows patients what the pharmacist's education and training were all about.

When state medication therapy management programs (MTMs) tap into pharmacists' clinical skills, patient outcomes improve and drug therapy errors decline significantly.

The New York Senate is considering a bill to permit qualifying seniors to obtain their prescription medications from a Canadian pharmacy group. New York pharmacists oppose any plan to take pharmacy dollars out of the state.

A survey of new Rx, new OTC, new indications, and new generics

The former owner of a former pharmacy near Pittsburgh and one of his workers are charged with submitting $1 million in bogus prescription claims to Medicaid and private insurance companies.

Novation, a healthcare contracting services company based in Texas, has contracted with McKesson Corp?s OneStop Generics Program for its mutual health system customers.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) is endorsing a congressional effort to crack down on the bulk sale of a cough syrup ingredient sometimes abused as a recreational drug.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation and LearnSomething, Inc., a nationally recognized provider of pharmacy, grocery, and healthcare training programs, recently introduced a patient-centric safety training course.

A survey of new Rx, new OTC, new indications, and new generics

Pharmacists who are motivated to educate themselves about the treatment of chronic pain can relieve suffering and improve lives.

Muscle and joint pain: New OTC products offer relief

Boulder, Colo.-based Pharmaca, the nation's first European-style integrative retail pharmacy focuses on treating the whole person. Their successful model made them the choice as Drug Topics' 2009 Chain of the Year.

For some pharmacists, the road from clinical practice to management is unexpected - and inevitable.