Community Practice

Changes are in the air for asthma sufferers and pharmacists can play a significant role in helping to educate patients.

Delegates at the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy debate ePedigrees, medical errors, and Internet pharmacies

There are plenty of safety challenges relative to drug stores and the answers may rest with better trained staff, more patient information, and e-prescribing.

The FDA has approved a new oral contraceptive for continuous use.

In light of recently published data regarding the cardiovascular risks of rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline), the American Diabetes Association is strongly encouraging patients to consult their physician if they are currently taking the drug.

The General Merchandise Distributors Council (GMDC) has undertaken a major rebranding initiative. The association has become the Global Market Development Center, to more accurately articulate its role in serving globally focused wholesalers, retailers, and suppliers.

Walgreens is offering medication advice to help pharmacy patients prepare for hurricane season, which officially started on June 1.

Rite Aid Corp. announced that FTC has accepted the proposed consent agreement relating to Rite Aid's acquisition of the Brooks and Eckerd drugstore chains from The Jean Coutu Group Inc.

Walgreens Health Initiatives (WHI), a Walgreens company, was the highest rated PBM nationally in overall member satisfaction among the 18 major PBMs evaluated in the 2007 WilsonRx PBM Member Satisfaction Survey. WHI was top rated in several measures of satisfaction, including: overall coverage of retail prescriptions, information provided about medications, and overall coverage of branded and generic medications.

Primary care physicians are more willing than endocrinologists to prescribe Exubera (insulin recombinant human, Pfizer), and half of managed care pharmacy directors indicated they will not cover the inhaled insulin on their formulary on the basis of improved compliance alone.

The vast majority of pharmacists that responded to an on-line poll concluded that the "20/20" television expos? on drug errors had no impact on the way they practice pharmacy.

The Texas legislature passed a $153 billion budget that includes a higher Medicaid dispensing fee as well as stipulations to direct savings from the switch to average manufacturers price (AMP) to pharmacists. The bill, which has yet to be signed by Gov. Rick Perry, represents the most comprehensive approach yet taken by a state to deflect the expected impact of CMS' plan to use the AMP to determine pharmacy reimbursement.

Pharmacy had a hand in saving the two humpback whales stranded in a tributary to the San Francisco Bay. The whales were given compounded antibiotics to protect against infections.

NABP has accredited Redi-Mail Direct Marketing as a Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD).

One-third of patients with serious mental illnesses are completely unaware that certain medications they take are associated with elevated blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol.

The American Heart Association (AHA) is urging women of childbearing age to take a multivitamin with folic acid to increase the chance that their babies will be born with a healthy heart.

NHIA said the legislation would close a gap in Medicare drug coverage that is affecting the sickest, most vulnerable patients.

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield Association's governmentwide Service Benefit Plan, also known as the Federal Employee Program (FEP), has awarded administration of its retail pharmacy program and clinical services program to Caremark. Additionally, Medco was awarded the mail-service prescription drug program, including specialty pharmacy, effective Jan. 1, 2008.

n a joint venture between Sanovia Corp. and the Advanced Concepts Institute (ACI), a department within the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP), a library of evidence-based prior-authorization criteria for the appropriate use of high-cost drugs and biologics will be developed.

The Warfarin DoseAdvise Genetic Test has been launched by Kimball Genetics. It can detect the presence of variations in the CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genes, both of which decrease the warfarin dose requirement.

According to a new study, pharmacists play a smaller role in drug research by patients than doctors, advertising, and on-line research.

Gary Linderman, R.Ph., owner of Ole Miners Pharmacy in Picher, Okla., has vowed that he will stay in town and keep dispensing to its remaining populace. The 1,500 residents in this small mining town are evacuating because of severe lead and zinc contamination.

Similac Special Care 24 Cal/fl. oz. Ready-to-Feed (RTF) Premature Infant Formula with Iron has been recalled for insufficient iron content.

A new birth control pill that is taken daily 365 days a year has received approval. The FDA gave Wyeth the go-ahead for Lybrel, a combination oral contraceptive (OC) that contains 90 mcg levonorgestrel and 20 mcg ethinyl estradiol.

Tinidazole (Tindamax) is the first new drug for the treatment of bacterial vaginosis in 10 years and will provide a shorter course of treatment with fewer daily doses than the current standard of treatment, according to its manufacturer Mission Pharmacal.