All News

During the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Annual Meeting in Kissimmee, Fla. in mid-July, Jill Fitzgerald, PharmD, who is Drug Topics CPE accreditor, was sworn in as chair-elect to the AACP Continuing Professional Education Section.

Walgreens and Express Scripts (ESI) have finally come to terms on a new pharmacy network agreement that includes rates and terms under which Walgreens will serve ESI's new and existing clients.

FDA recently issued a statement reminding healthcare professionals about the need to adjust the dosage of the antibacterial drug cefepime (Maxipime, Elan) in patients with renal impairment.

The results of a recent literature review suggest that only a high intake of vitamin D leads to a significant reduction in the risk of fracture.

FDA recently approved the first over-the-counter test for HIV, providing a confidential in-home testing option for the virus that causes AIDS with results in as little as 20 minutes.

A recent study suggests that modest caffeine consumption may be associated with a significantly lower relative risk of basal cell carcinoma.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated its 1991 recommendations for the management of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected healthcare providers and students to prevent HBV transmission to patients.

FDA has approved a new risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for extended-release and long-acting opioids that requires that healthcare professionals are educated on how to safely prescribe the drugs and that patients understand how to safely use the drugs.

What’s different in your drug stores this month? A battery-powered toothbrush for sensitive teeth and gums. A pivoting shower and bath safety grip bar. The smallest size (to date) fish oil softgels. Insoles for multiple shoe styles to help take care of various foot comfort problems. A yeast-based probiotic supplement. A “fishless†omega-3 product for vegetarians. And there are even more new over-the-counter items featured in the print edition of Drug Topics.

FDA has approved once-daily oral emtricitabine and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Truvada, Gilead Sciences), in combination with safer sex practices, to reduce the risk of sexually acquired HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk.

The Office of Inspector General has issued a report implicating more than 2,600 pharmacies in Medicare Part D fraud

FDA says no to rivaroxaban for ACS. ACCP updates DVT evidence. Fatal bleeds from dabigatran have tapered off

The business of pharmacy is crushing the profession. The bean counters are running the Prescription Mill right into the ground. And if we don't stop them, who will be left to do our jobs?

Pharmacy associations offered a range of comments after the Supreme Court ruling that upheld key elements of the Affordable Care Act

We've already felt the pain. When will we go for the gain? How many physical breakdowns, ruined home lives, and professional traumas is it gonna take before we finally say enough is enough and ORGANIZE?

In a competitive profession and an age of limits, the formula for success is still pretty simple: Sell yourself - and then deliver!

A round-up of OTC products to treat eye and ear problems

CMS is assessing genetic testing for the older population

Recent changes to Medicaid's reimbursement rules raise many confusing questions. Drug Topics' senior legal columnist sets out to clarify some key points

Adding pharmacists to the hospital discharge process is shown to have a positive effect on combating hospital readmission rates

Maybe the best way to change the environment in pharmacy is to have an old-fashioned '60s-style protest

FDA approves avanafil and tafluprost

Drug Topics and the Office of Pharmacy Development, University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, introduce a new three-phase practice-based activity: "Medication Therapy Management for Patients with Diabetes"

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Bacterial contaminants have been traced back to a robot in a Winston-Salem, N.C. health center pharmacy

It was a regulatory milestone, yet the expected leap forward for personalized medicine never happened. But all may not yet be lost

Readers share their rules for getting through the day, memories of technologies past, and a call to arms

Walgreens has appointed James Skinner as its new non-executive chairman of the board. Skinner has been a Walgreens board member since 2005 and recently retired as CEO of McDonalds.

FDA is alerting healthcare professionals to the possibility that a 32-mg single intravenous dose of ondansetron (Zofran, ondansetron hydrochloride, and generics) could lead to QT interval prolongation, putting patients at risk for a potentially fatal heart rhythm known as Torsades de Pointes.

FDA has approved the marketing of the first nucleic acid test that can identify in less than 3 hours 12 different bacterial types known to cause bloodstream infections.