Community Practice

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration, has recognized the use of naltrexone extended-release injectable suspension (Vivitrol, Cephalon/Alkermes) for the treatment of alcohol dependence as part of its Spring 2007 Substance Abuse Treatment Advisory.

The FDA and NBTY of Bohemia, N.Y., have informed consumers and healthcare professionals of a nationwide recall of three lots of shark cartilage capsules the company manufactured in 2004 and distributed to consumers through mail and Internet orders and through retail stores in the U.S. The product was recalled because of possible contamination with Salmonella, an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.

The life of a small-town pharmacy is anything but ordinary. The days of soda fountains and bicycle delivery boys are long gone and have been replaced with bulky neon Coke machines and UPS. For one small-town pharmacy in Hazlehurst, Miss., the old way of life is exactly what this family wants to keep in place.

ISMP has reported that New Jersey's Department of Health & Senior Services recently received a report of a premature infant in a neonatal ICU receiving a bag of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) that contained insulin instead of heparin.

President Bush has nominated Kerry Weems, the current deputy chief of staff for Mike Leavitt, HHS secretary, to be the new CMS administrator.

Prodrug stimulant lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse, Shire) will be considered a Schedule II substance, according to recent word from DEA.

NCPA CEO Bruce Roberts voiced his support of the recently announced acquisition of MemberHealth by insurer Universal American group.

The Kansas and Iowa legislatures have both passed budgets that would channel projected Medicaid savings from lower pharmacy reimbursement back to pharmacists through higher dispensing fees.

Thirty-eight people accused of defrauding Medicare of more than $142 million have been arrested in southern Florida.

Dalteparin (Fragmin, Pfizer/Eisai) can now be used to reduce the recurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with cancer.

Central precocious puberty may now be treated with a once-daily subcutaneous implant called Supprelin-LA, from Indevus Pharmaceuticals.

A unique delivery for a new dopamine agonist has been approved to treat symptoms of early Parkinson's disease (PD).

At press time, the Senate has passed the Food & Drug Administration Revitalization Act (S. 1082), which gives the FDA more powers to require manufacturers to conduct postmarketing studies to improve patient safety.

A report from the HHS Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has found that most states have not decided whether to use average manufacturer price (AMP) data for Medicaid drug reimbursement due to concerns over the availability and quality of AMP data.

Many pharmacists will dispense oral contraceptives yet balk at dispensing Plan B. The author believes this practice is inconsistent.

New branded drugs, generics, OTCs, home health, health and beauty care items

Medication therapy management may hold the key to connecting managed care pharmacy and community pharmacy.

Interview with Susan Winckler from FDA, formerly with APhA, on FDA goals.

This column challenges you to determine the name of a drug, based on the clues given. See if you can figure it out.

Is pharmacy a good career for a young man? One hundred years ago Druggist's Circular published a debate on the question

The differences between irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are discussed along with emerging treatments for both conditions. The recent withdrawal of tegaserod (Zelnorm) for the treatment of IBS-c has left many searching for new therapies.

Pharmacy organizations and technology companies prepare emergency database to be ready for the next disaster

Study looks at impact of pharmacists on community project about metabolic syndrome and its implications for heart disease.

The FDA has approved Altabax (retapamulin, GSK) antibacterial ointment, the first in a new class of antibacterials known as the pleuromutilins to treat impetigo.

Pharmacists need better representation to improve their working conditions

The much-anticipated results of recently completed studies on new drugs to treat heart failure (HF) have somewhat dampened the prospects of extending patients' lives

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Health-system pharmacists could raise quality and safety in hospitals. Yet they are underutilized in areas of discharge counseling and drug-abbreviation confusion. Medication errors result.

Pharmacists can help control drug-resistant infections

Three trials at this year's ACC meeting in New Orleans focused on pharmacotherapy effects on cardiovascular disease, one with a strong showing for medical therapy alone versus mechanical intervention.