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Hy-Vee has announced it is expanding its specialty pharmacy business with the purchase of Amber Pharmacy, which has locations in Omaha, Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

FDA plans to work closely with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to ensure the safety of medicines, according to a Feb. 19 announcement.

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.

At fifth place, the profession of pharmacy is still a top contender.

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.

Nearly 12% of Medicare patients who receive inpatient rehabilitation following discharge from acute-care hospitalization are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days after discharge from the rehabilitation facility, according to a study in the Feb. 12 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association."

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

More than 14% of pregnant women were prescribed opioids for pain at some time during their pregnancy, according to a study published online in Anesthesiology. Given the surprising rate these medications were prescribed to pregnant women, more research is needed to assess the risk of opioids to unborn babies, the study suggests.

Boehringer Ingelheim is facing lawsuits in the United States over claims that Pradaxa, a blood-thinner used to reduce the risk of stroke and blood clots in people with atrial fibrillation, causes severe and fatal bleeding.

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.

A federal grand jury has indicted a Michigan pharmacy CEO and several of its employees in a $60 million fraud case in which drugs previously dispensed to nursing homes and adult foster care homes were restocked and resold.

Employers believe specialty pharmacies provide better access to pharmacists and lower costs for specialty drugs, according to a recent survey by Pharmacy Benefits Management Institute.

Saline shortages are affecting three out of four hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the country, with nearly 30% of these facilities not having adequate supplies to meet patient needs, according to a survey by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Foundation has announced the winners of its 2014 Student Scholarship Program that recognizes students’ involvement in their school’s APhA-ASP chapter.

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%.

FDA expanded the approved use of ibrutinib (Imbruvica, Pharmacyclics and Janssen Biotech) as a single agent, oral kinase inhibitor for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients who have received at least one previous therapy.

FDA has announced it is reviewing a possible link between heart failures and the popular diabetes drug saxagliptin, which AstraZeneca markets as Onglyza and Kombiglyze XR.

After examining the latest research on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)-specifically whether naproxen carries lower cardiovascular (CV) risks than ibuprofen-an FDA panel has voted down the CV safety claim for naproxen.

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.

Medicare patients with only two chronic diseases and two Rx meds would be eligible for CMS-funded MTM services.

With horses, it happened when they couldn't work anymore. Pharmacists, not so much.

Your district manager is bashing you with metrics at the expense of your patients and pharmacy practice. You're in professional hell. It may be time to activate plan B.

The year-long CPE series will include knowledge-based education in the magazine and online; online interactive cases; and live MTM and motivational interviewing training at regional meetings.

An overly aggressive government is making a tough job tougher, but the pharmacist's first ethical concern must be for the patient.