Community Practice

Warfarin use may be safe following a heart attack in patients with both atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease, according to a Swedish study of more than 24,000 patients.

Teen can buy generic morning-after contraceptive directly from OTC shelves without proving age.

Patients more than 80 years old are being “over-treated” for stroke prevention with statins and antihypertensive drugs, and doctors need to actively rethink their priorities and beliefs about stroke prevention, according to a new study published in Evidence Based Medicine.

FDA advisors decided against recommending over-the-counter (OTC) marketing approval of Primatene HFA inhaler (Armstrong Pharmaceuticals) for the temporary relief of mild symptoms of intermittent asthma in patients 12 years and older, at last week’s joint meeting of the FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee.

Study finds similar levels of contamination by microorganisms on stethoscopes and physicians' dominant hands.

The DEA proposal to move hydrocodone combination products from Schedule III to Schedule II could have a major impact on pharmacies.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores has endorsed a congressional proposal to establish a workgroup to collaborate on solutions to reduce prescription drug abuse and without comprising access to medications.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has created a prescription drug abuse tip line in Georgia that will allow healthcare professionals and the public to anonymously report Rx abuse.

Health Mart launched its 2014 Healthy Living Tour during the Independent Pharmacy Business Growth Conference in Orlando, Fla. Pharmacists and other healthcare professionals will visit more than 130 communities across the United States providing health education and free health screenings.

Blood pressure medications used by many older adults can increase the risk of serious fall injuries by 30% to 40%.

18 research centers are working to establish guidelines for safe step-down procedures for patients with well-controlled asthma.

Azithromycin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic for common infections since the early 1990s, is becoming less effective because of growing antimicrobial resistance.

Canadian researchers have identified 10 clinical characteristics and developed a preliminary risk scale to help standardize admission practices for COPD patients.

Actavis plans to purchase Forest Laboratories for approximately $25 billion in a cash and equity deal, creating a combination of “two of the world’s fastest growing specialty pharmaceutical companies, with combined annual revenues of more than $15 billion in 2015,” according to a Feb. 18 announcement.

FDA approved droxidopa (Northera, Chelsea Therapeutics) capsules for the treatment of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension (NOH). NOH is a rare, chronic and often debilitating condition that is associated with Parkinson's disease, multiple-system atrophy, and pure autonomic failure.

Missouri is the only state that has not adopted a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) for controlled substances.

A Christian pharmacist in Tennessee has filed a federal lawsuit against Walgreens claiming the chain fired him for refusing to sell the Plan B morning after pill.

Michigan will be the first state to standardize concentrations for children’s liquid prescriptions, due to a statewide initiative to reduce pediatric medication errors.

The National Institutes of Health, FDA, 10 biopharmaceutical companies, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and several nonprofit organizations have launched an unprecedented public/private partnership to transform the current model for identifying and validating the most promising biological targets of disease for new diagnostics and drug development.

A bipartisan bill, recently introduced in the House of Representatives, would help to combat the abuse of over-the-counter cough medicine among teenagers.

Millions of avoidable cancers could be prevented through widespread human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV), according to a report released by the President's Cancer Panel. And chief amongst the report’s recommendations to prevent these avoidable cancers and deaths is empowering pharmacists to administer HPV vaccinations.

Patients who take low-dose aspirin daily can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by 20%.

Among patients with high ASCVD risk, lower-intensity statin plus a bile acid sequestrant or ezetimibe lowered LDL cholesterol as well as higher-intensity statin mono therapy did.

Analysts expect to see key developments in categories that include cancer, heart failure, obesity and diabetes, and hepatitis C. They also look toward some greatly needed antibiotics to deploy in the war against superbugs.

FDA approved vortioxetine as oral tablets indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder.