Industry pioneer Benet receives premier pharmacology prize, honorary doctorate
May 14th 2010Pharmacology pioneer Leslie Z. Benet, PhD, who established the foundation for much of what is now known about the rate at which drugs are metabolized in the body, was honored with the premier prize from the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.
NACDS elects new board chairman and awards scholarships
May 14th 2010The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) elected a new chairman of the Board of Directors at its 2010 annual meeting in April in Palm Beach, Fla. In addition, the NACDS Foundation awarded nearly $300,000 in scholarships to pharmacy schools during the meeting.
NCPA backs legislation to rein in PBM practices, preserve seniors' access to diabetes supplies
May 14th 2010The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) has endorsed two legislative bills that are aimed at controlling healthcare costs by requiring greater transparency of pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) and ensuring that Medicare patients with diabetes can continue to obtain their medical supplies from their local community pharmacies, during its 42nd annual National Legislation and Government Affairs Conference held in Washington last week.
Study results confirm safety of shingles vaccine in older patients
May 14th 2010In a large randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study that evaluated the general safety of the live herpes zoster vaccine (Zostavax, Merck) in adults aged 60 or older, the safety profile of ZOSTAVAX was similar to that of placebo with respect to serious adverse events.
Bruce Roberts leaves NCPA for a PBM with a difference
May 5th 2010Even though Bruce Roberts strongly criticized pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) during his tenure as executive vice president and CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), he is enthusiastic about the prospect of heading up a type of PBM.
Pharmacists termed innovators, leaders for improving healthcare quality
May 5th 2010The American Pharmacists Association annual meeting opened in Washington just days before the big March vote on healthcare reform, and a number of people from the political realm were there to praise pharmacists and ask for their support.
New black-box warning for clopidogrel
May 5th 2010FDA announced that clopidogrel, an antiplatelet agent given to reduce the risk of heart attack, unstable angina, stroke, and cardiovascular death in patients with cardiovascular disease, will require a new black-box warning about its reduced effectiveness in patients who are poor metabolizers of the drug.
Rash of drug thefts triggers enhanced industry vigilance
May 5th 2010In response to a flurry of drug thefts plaguing pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors in recent months, the Center for Healthcare Supply Chain Research, an arm of the Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA), is holding a seminar on Supply Chain Security May 10 and 11 in Alexandria, Va.