In letter to CMS, Congress requests better data before short-cycle dispensing implementation
March 18th 2011The U.S. House of Representatives requested in a letter to CMS that the agency consider the delay of a provision in a recently proposed rule requiring certain prescriptions to be dispensed in 7 days or less increments.
Major brand-name drugs face patent expiration
March 15th 2011Patents on many small-molecule drugs, which make up some of the most popular prescription medications in the world, are set to expire during the next several years, an occurrence that is expected to cause an unprecedented shift of billions of dollars in sales to generics in the United States and other markets.
Rx medications: The importance of container integrity
March 15th 2011Very few state laws require a pharmacy to use a drug container that meets minimum quality-control standards. Legal metrics are needed to guard against possible patient harm resulting from an adulterated drug product caused by a "bad" container.
Drug abandonment compromises quality of care, pharmacy productivity
March 15th 2011Consumer out-of-pocket cost is the leading reason for members' failure to pick up filled prescriptions (drug abandonment), according to the healthcare data company Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions. The firm reports that by the second quarter of 2010, the drug-abandonment rate had risen 55% in 4 years.
Pharmacy reaps benefits from sports-medicine niche market
March 15th 2011Niche markets offer pharmacies a way to develop revenue streams, add to their bottom lines, and enhance customer service. Just ask Mark Williams, CPhT, marketing director for the Compounding Pharmacy in Hickory, N.C., a pharmacy that grew its business by thinking outside the box.
Interprofessional teamwork: From education to practice
March 15th 2011Until recently, none of our education systems has been preparing healthcare professionals for teamwork. That is beginning to change. While more remains to be done, we must look to a future characterized by high-functioning interprofessional teams in all practice settings.
Walgreens sells PBM to Catalyst Health Solutions for $525 million
March 15th 2011Walgreen Co., based in Deerfield, Ill., announced last Wednesday the sale of Walgreens pharmacy benefit management business, Walgreens Health Initiatives, to Catalyst Health Solutions Inc. of Rockville, Md., for $525 million in cash.