Legal News

The slumping U.S economy and government regulations will cause pharmacy sales to grow only around 1.3 percent rate in 2009, according to new research presented last week at the American Society for Automation in Pharmacy?s Industry and Technology Issues in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently announced a voluntary pilot program to ensure the safety of drugs and active drug ingredients produced outside the United States.

Eli Lilly and Co. has agreed to plead guilty to one misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and will pay more approximately $800 million for unproven marketing and promotional claims involving the antipsychotic medication Zyprexa.

Investigators at University of California, San Francisco, examined 164 drug trials and their reports. Published reports tended to be more favorable than information reviewed by FDA. Bias is suspected.

Boston has followed San Francisco's lead and has banned pharmacy tobacco sales. It went even further and banned cigarette sales on college campuses.

Two pharmacy technicians in Miami were recently arrested on charges of Medicaid fraud. Keep reading to learn more.

A former pharmacist has been convicted of felony conflict of interest charges for taking payments from drug companies and pocketing money for supervising pharmacy interns from Duquesne University.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires the manufacturers of antiepileptic drugs to add a warning that using the drugs increases risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

U.S. Attorney W. Walter Wilkins recently announced Marty Sanders, 34 of Sumter, S.C., was sentenced in federal court on drug charges.

A patient suit against Wyeth Pharmaceuticals may open brand name drug makers to liability for mishaps when patients take a generic product.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration is investigating whether some asthma medications, in rare cases, can increase the risk of serious asthma complications.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently recalled two unapproved and uncleared devices whose manufacturers claimed could treat various medical conditions. The recall was a Class 1, which means there is a reasonable probability that the use of a device will cause adverse reactions, including death.

Walgreens and Phillip Morris both recently requested injunctions to stop enforcement of San Francisco?s ban on selling tobacco products in pharmacies.

FDA approves Gamunex for treatment of neurologic disease.

Northern Michigan Regional Hospital is the first hospital in the country to win certification in waste management.

The searchable database will include information on all drug products available in the United States.

Pharmacists hope to speed approvals of off-label medication uses

Disposal of unused medications and other controlled substances is an expensive logistical challenge. Pouring controlled substances into sewer systems is harmful. Incineration costs are prohibitive.

With the shifting political landscape in Congress and state legislatures across the nation, and an increased focus on health care, 2009 could be a busy year for pharmacy initiatives, according to Geralyn M. Trujillo, MPP, the director of state government affairs for the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently informed Part D plans they are suspending the current collection of long-term care rebate reports for 2008 and 2009, in lieu of a new reporting requirement that will be changed in 2010. Additionally, the agency plans to test the proposed reporting requirements with a small number of Part D sponsors prior to 2010.

U.S. President-elect Barack Obama selected Tom Daschle, a former senator, to be his health secretary.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) President and CEO Billy Tauzin today expressed his hope that the next head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration can work with diverse constituents and improve the agency?s scientific bases.

Regulation of pharmacy techs in Florida goes into effect January 1, 2010.

Online prescription drug trafficking, abuse, and availability are the targets of the newly passed Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act.

A San Francisco judge denied Philip Morris' request for a temporary restraining order against the ban on pharmacy sales of tobacco products. The ban will affect 52 of 54 Walgreens as well as other chain pharmacies such as Rite-Aid and Longs.

The Joint Commission's anticoagulant safety goal goes into effect Jan. 1, 2009. Physicians, pharmacists, and nurses at health-care systems around the country are collaborating to improve best practices and to put more stringent measures in place.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is notifying health care professionals and patients that Tyco Healthcare Group LP (Covidien) is recalling one lot of ReliOn sterile, single-use, disposable, hypodermic syringes with permanently affixed hypodermic needles due to possible mislabeling. The use of these syringes may lead to patients receiving an overdose of as much as 2.5 times the intended dose, which may lead to hypoglycemia, serious health consequences, and even death.

North Dakota pharmacists must own at least 51 percent of their pharmacies. This has kept many stores from opening in communities throughout the state. Hospitals and drugstore chains are fighting to change the law.

Free clinics in West Virginia dispense more than 500,000 prescriptions a year. Earlier this year they came under regulation by the state pharmacy board. Defenders argue that the board is trying to fix something that isn't broken. The board says that patient safety requires oversight.

Criminals buy cold remedies for the pseudoephedrine, which they use to make methamphetamine. Kansas pharmacists are fighting back with MethShield, an electronic program that tracks sales and catches illegal purchasers in the act. It even calls the cops.