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Viewpoint: Should an RX label require a use-by date or an expiration date?All prescription drugs should have a sell-by date for consistency and patient protection.
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How to Protect Yourself from Red FlagsWhy pharmacists need to be paying attention to the Trinity II case and its consequences.
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New treatments for obesity and OABFDA approves Lorcaserin and Mirabegron extended-release tablets.
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Cardiometabolic disorders: The pharmacist's roleThe term "cardiometabolic disorders" (CMD) refers to a cluster of interrelated risk factors (hypertension, elevated fasting glucose, reduced high-density lipoprotein, elevated triglycerides, and abdominal obesity) that promote the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. With an estimated 47 million Americans facing increased risk of heart disease because of these conditions, management of patients' CMD is a priority for pharmacists.
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Supply of heparin further securedA second round of revised quality standards for heparin became effective recently, the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) Convention has announced.
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Mentors, peer review, and the oath of a pharmacistProfessions survive and prosper when mentors and their juniors embrace one another respectfully and cooperatively for the progressive promotion of their vocation. In this way, the seniors would not carry their valuable professional experience to their graves, and the juniors would not commit irreparable blunders as they enter the stage of practice.
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Viewpoint: Is the growth in our drug tab sustainable?The levels of drug use and expenditures have changed dramatically in the past 150 years. From 1857 to 1929, information on these trends was largely anecdotal in nature. It was only in 1929 that the Department of Commerce reported its first annual census of prescription drug distribution. This was followed, in 1932, by the first annual financial analysis of independent pharmacies, supported by Eli Lilly. Then in 1939, Drug Topics conducted its first annual prescription census, using a representative sample of drugstores from every state. What follows are some observations about trends in drug pricing, using the sources cited above as well as others.
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The Push Is on for Generics and BiosimilarsStalled competition hurts consumers and may keep prices higher.
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Confessions of a counter-dealer, part 4: Be proactive!In a competitive profession and an age of limits, the formula for success is still pretty simple: Sell yourself - and then deliver!
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Pharmacists' role evolves with 21st century health carePharmacy in the 21st century will be more integrated into provision of health services than ever before. Electronic health records will become increasingly important, as will e-prescribing, prescription data, pharmacist intervention/counseling, and collaboration with other healthcare providers.
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Bariatric surgery affects postoperative warfarin dosingA small study of patients undergoing bariatric surgery suggests that weekly warfarin doses can change by as much as 20% postoperatively.
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OSHA says, Oh, yes, you canKnowledge is power. In case you haven't looked at your company's P&P manual lately, contributor Steve Ariens takes you straight to a very basic reason for staying informed.
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Four Simple Steps to Turn a Pharmacy’s Front End Into a Profit MagnetFilling prescriptions is no longer a sufficient source of revenue for community pharmacy.
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Altaire Recalls Ophthalmic ProductsUpdate: Recall expanded to Natural Ophthalmics and TRP Company, Inc.
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New drug approved for treating hypertensionAliskiren (Tekturna, Novartis) is a new molecular entity approved for treating hypertension either as monotherapy or in conjunction with other antihypertensive agents.
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R. Ph.s can identify patients at risk of diabetesAs healthcare professionals, we are all painfully aware of the increase in the incidence of diabetes in our nation. We are also aware that there are many people in our midst who don't realize they have diabetes. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) estimates that the disease affects over 18 million Americans, with 5.2 million of those cases going undetected. As the most visible and accessible health provider in the community, the pharmacist has a unique opportunity to help stanch the spread of diabetes in our country. Therefore, our objective is to have community pharmacies increase their frequency of random glucose screenings in order to identify patients who are at elevated risk for diabetes or may have the disease and not know it. Pharmacists should also be prepared to provide education not only on the treatment but also the prevention of diabetes.
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Clinical Q & A: What's the latest in vaccine therapyThe focus of medicine lies not only in searching for viable treatments and cures for existing ailments but also in the prevention of disease. Vaccination induces immunity after an antigen is introduced to the body. This antigen usually consists of a live attenuated organism, an inactivated organism, a toxoid, or parts of an organism (acellular and subunit). The antigen is incapable of resulting in the full-blown manifestation of the disease, but it is potent enough to generate the formation of antibodies to protect against future illness. Traditionally, vaccination has been used to combat the spread of infectious diseases, such as cholera, rabies, polio, measles, and hepatitis. And this is still the case.
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Reevaluating the Use of Guaifenesin in the Management of Acute Cough Associated With the Common ColdDespite its popularity and its status as an FDA-approved expectorant, evidence to support guaifenesin’s efficacy is limited and conflicting.
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Orphan drug gets FDA nod for phenylketonuriaFDA approves a new molecular entity, Kuvan, to treat phenylketonuria.
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The simple truth of retail chain pharmacyThe most destructive thing an employer can do to an employee is to assign tasks that are impossible to accomplish. Retail chain pharmacists experience this daily.
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MTM opens door to direct patient careIf the Washington, D.C.-based Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative has anything to say about it, MTM will help shift pharmacists' roles from dispensing to direct clinical practice.
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FDA Safety Page: Metadate ER or Metadate CD?Problem: The Food & Drug Administration would like to alert healthcare providers to medication errors involving confusion between Metadate ER and Metadate CD. Practitioners should be cautious when
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Earn add-on winter sales with medicated skin careMedicated skin care products are highlighted in this stockchecker article by the Hamacher Group.
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Viewpoint: Free to a good home-e-technologyHow would you like to receive free e-prescribing software? Or maybe a state-of-the-art medical records software package, complete with Internet connectivity and help desk support? Well, get ready, because some gifts may be coming your way! On Aug. 8, the Department of Health & Human Services, through its CMS and Office of Inspector General, published parallel final rules allowing certain healthcare groups to donate e-prescribing and electronic health record (EHR) technology to physicians, pharmacies, and others. And, better yet, the final rules are broader and more practical than those proposed back in October 2005.
