Pharmacists petition against mandatory mail order
April 15th 2011Many third-party payers have either switched to or are considering moving to a mail-order requirement for long-term prescriptions that would prevent patients from choosing to purchase medications through retail pharmacies. Pharmacists and patients are pushing back.
PPACA moves medication adherence to center stage
April 15th 2011The role of pharmacists in medication adherence has taken center stage nationally since last year's passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, when medication adherence and medication therapy management were recognized as areas that should receive funding.
The Drug Topics 2011 Salary Survey
April 15th 2011Finding stability in an unstable economy can be difficult, but it seems that many pharmacists have done just that. Pharmacists report low unemployment rates, high salaries, and high job satisfaction at a time when many industries are struggling with layoffs and budget cuts. But the perks of being a pharmacist don't come without stress.
Public health approaches in ethnically diverse populations
April 15th 2011As America's diverse population continues to grow, disparities in healthcare delivery have become more prevalent. Studies show that when it comes to healthcare benchmarks, many racial and ethnically diverse populations are at a disadvantage
Dispensing controlled substances
April 15th 2011DEA's "Office of Diversion Control" prevents, detects, and investigates the diversion of controlled substances from legitimate sources while ensuring an adequate and uninterrupted supply for legitimate medical needs. To accomplish this mission, the DEA sets forth regulations designed to prevent any such diversion.
Tiotropium superior to salmeterol in preventing exacerbations in COPD
April 12th 2011The anticholinergic drug tiotropium is more effective than the Β2-agonist salmeterol in preventing exacerbations in patients with moderate-to-very-severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, according to a multicenter European study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Rheumatic disease patients may require 2 doses of flu vaccine
April 12th 2011Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease may need 2 doses of adjuvanted split influenza A vaccine to elicit the same antibody response as healthy individuals, reported a recent Swiss study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
Suppressive therapy manages clopidogrel hypersensitivity
April 12th 2011Clopidogrel hypersensitivity, which affects 6% of patients, can be successfully treated using short-course corticosteroids and antihistamines without interrupting drug therapy, reported researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.
Combination of ACEI and ARB therapy increases renal risks in elderly
April 12th 2011Combining angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors with angiotensin-receptor blockers is associated with increased risk of adverse renal outcomes, according to a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
FDA approves gabapentin enacarbil for RLS
April 7th 2011FDA has approved gabapentin enacarbil (Horizant Extended-Release Tablets, GlaxoSmithKline and XenoPort), a once-daily treatment for moderate-to-severe restless legs syndrome, also known as Ekbom disease. It is the first medication in its class to be approved for this condition.
High-dose clopidogrel does not reduce mortality after PCI
April 7th 2011The use of high-dose clopidogrel compared with use of standard-dose clopidogrel does not reduce the incidence of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or stent thrombosis among patients with high on-treatment reactivity after percutaneous coronary intervention with drug-eluting stents, according to a recent multicenter study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.