Community Practice

Traditionally, generics industry executives are tight-lipped about their business plans. But Drug Topics managed to corral five industry leaders who opened up about their hopes, fears, and challenges:

Congress continues to work to create a regulatory pathway for approval of generics for biopharmaceuticals (or biologics), but passage of such legislation seems unlikely this year with the presidential election rapidly approaching.

Are $4 generics the future of pharmacy? Perhaps so, as the consumption of generic drugs soars and their costs drop. Wal-Mart, which beat a thorny path to what many pharmacists believe is loss-leader pricing, says $4 was a great move. It is very popular-and good for business.

Consumers have never had more choices when it comes to treating their tootsies. Today's foot-care category boasts a solid mix of products designed to treat corns, calluses, bunions, warts, odor, wetness, and fungus. Also lining the foot-care shelves are orthotics, insoles, and inserts, along with popular foot grooming items.

MIPPA law delays implementation of Medicaid's average manufacturers price for generic drugs until Oct. 1, 2009.

The evolution of MRSA has led to reduced efficacy of vancomycin therapy.

Reimbursement for radiopharmaceuticals will be maintained at the 2007 rate through Jan. 1, 2010, thanks to the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008.

Medication errors continue to occur between the established name prophylthiouracil, often abbreviated as PTU.

The battle by pharmacy benefit management companies to limit fiduciary disclosure laws continues, with its trade group, the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, scoring a victory in the District of Columbia.

NACDS backs legislation to adopt health information technology.

A new electronic version of the 222 ordering system is poised to help hospitals streamline the order prescribing process for Schedule II controlled substances.

Medication management and safety errors were prominent topics at the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists summer meeting in June.

Of more than 4,000 cancer studies presented at the recent annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, those exploring effects of targeted therapy cetuximab combined with platinum-based chemotherapy generated the most buzz.

Even as hospital pharmacists are struggling to meet previous mandates, the Joint Commission has released 2009 National Patient Safety Goals, including revisions to medication reconciliation.

A new year is coming, and with it a new administration in Washington, a new Congress, and a new, skeptical look at Medicare Part D.

New drugs, dosage, indications, generics, and over-the-counter products for sale in pharmacies.

Information technology for pharmacy is allowing more efficiencies and supporting more services, according to two chain executives.

It has been 22 years since the Food and Drug Administration approved a new prescription drug treatment for head lice, but now several new remedies are on the horizon.

Nearly 600 companies exhibited thousands of products at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Marketplace in San Diego.

Legitimate interests globally are facing a battle with pharmaceutical counterfeiters.

Securing prior authorization is a time-consuming and costly process. It burdens the dispensing practice, irritates patients, and could be simplified, according to a consensus of pharmacists.

None of us wants to admit that there could be violence in practicing our profession.

FDA has imposed a change in drug labeling that once advised flushing unused drugs down the toilet. Now the agency is encouraging consumers and pharmacists to take advantage of drug take-back programs.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence published clinical guidelines in December 2007 on diagnosis and management of eczema in children.

A fixed-dose combination pill from Novo Nordisk and Sciele Pharma will give patients with diabetes a new option.

The merger of e-prescribing networks RxHub and SureScripts may go a long way toward accelerating e-prescribing adoption, which could lower pharmacists' transaction fees, according to one expert.

Physicians would have the choice of doling out electronic prescriptions for controlled substances with a proposed regulation from the DEA.

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Survey showed that salaries of retail staff pharmacists have risen 5.8% in 2008.

FDA warns about AIDS drug, abacavir, due to increased risk of potentially fatal side effects for some patients.