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Drug Topics readers weigh in on natural medicines, foreign-made pharmaceuticals, and drugstore tobacco sales.

Quadrivalent and trivalent vaccines from major pharmaceutical manufacturers are shipping now.

2D barcodes hold more than the NDC. Their 2,300 characters (compared to 48 in linear barcodes) can hold lot numbers and expiration dates, along with the product IDs.

Filling a prescription at a doctor’s office may be convenient, but it’s certainly no bargain for patients or taxpayers, according to an analysis of workers’ compensation payouts in Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Women taking opioids, such as Oxycontin, Vicodin, and Percocet just before or during early pregnancy are twice as likely to have a pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect, such as spina bifida: Study

After Adheris, Inc. sought a preliminary injunction to block a rule that would prevent companies from sending Rx refill reminders to patients, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has delayed its implementation.

While many drug store chains are educating customers about the soon-to-be-implemented Affordable Care Act, Rite Aid is taking the education a step further.

Patients who do the best job of properly taking their medicine tend to be older, with higher incomes and more education, according to a study published in the September 2013 issue of Medical Care.

CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, praised the components of the ACA that have already been rolled out and emphasized that a number of provisions have already made in impact. He spoke at a September 10 gathering at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

Children who miss diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine doses are at more likely to develop whooping cough, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics.

FDA expanded the approved uses of paclitaxel protein-bound particles for injectable suspension, albumin-bound (Abraxane, Celgene) to treat patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Walgreens has reached agreement with privately held Kerr Drug to acquire its retail drugstores and specialty pharmacy business, which last year had sales of about $381 million.

Poor medication adherence causes more frequent hospitalizations and emergency department visits among children and adolescents who have a chronic medical condition, such as asthma and type 1 diabetes, according to a study recently published in Pediatrics.

In hopes of decreasing opioid abuse, addictions, and overdose deaths, FDA this week announced safety-labeling changes for all extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics used to treat pain. FDA has also added new postmarket study requirements for opioids such as morphine, oxycodone, and fentanyl.

Jim “Goose” Rawlings, a popular Drug Topics contributor, shares a little story from his student years that packs a big punch.

After another child died recently from exposure to a transdermal fentanyl patch, the Institute for Safe Medication Practices has created a new brochure on the pain medication for patients.

At least one quarter of the 800,000 deaths annually attributed to cardiovascular disease could be prevented if people stopped smoking, reduced salt intake, and adopted other healthy habits, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A majority of Medicare beneficiaries said they would oppose mandatory mail order if it would lead to closure of their local community pharmacy, according to a new study.

Children and youth on antipsychotics appear to have a 3-fold increased risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus, according to a study published by JAMA Psychiatry.

Knowing which patients are most at-risk for adverse drug events would help hospitals direct pharmacist-led counseling services to those who need it the most. The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Foundation is funding research it believes will make it easier to identify those patients.

Walgreens officially began a 10-year distribution agreement through which all of Walgreens’ brand-name drugs will be sourced through AmerisourceBergen.

Dennis C. Wagner, a national and international leader in healthcare quality improvement, the environment, and social marketing, will present the fourth annual William A. Zellmer Lecture on September 17, 2013, during the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Policy Week in Bethesda, Md.

The Pharmacy Technician Accreditation Commission (PTAC), a group charged with overseeing pharmacy technician education and training programs, will begin operation next year.

Eleven states have reduced antipsychotic use in nursing home residents by at least 15%, meeting a CMS partnership goal set last year.

Drinking more than 28 cups of coffee per week may be unhealthy for people younger than 55, according to a recent study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

Last year, Indiana held the dubious distinction of being the state with the most pharmacy robberies in America. Yet there was not a single pharmacy robbery in 2012 in St. Joseph County, Indiana, which includes South Bend.

An audit by the Department of Defense’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found the TRICARE mail-order pharmacy program to be “more efficient and effective than retail programs” and less error-prone.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) clinical report released this week provides guidance for physicians about the use of psychotropic drugs, substance abuse treatments, narcotics, galactagogues, herbal products, and vaccines in breast-feeding women and the potential effects on the breast-feeding infant.

Insulin pumps control blood sugar in children with diabetes better than insulin injections, according to a new study.

Pharmacists in Canada were recently given broader responsibilities including, in certain provinces, prescribing privileges, vaccination abilities, and the ability to order and interpret laboratory tests. This newly expanded role for Canadian pharmacists can benefit both patients and physicians, according to an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.