HITECH Act calls for new HIPAA notice requirements
December 11th 2009The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law on February 17, included the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), which expands covered-entity and business-associate requirements established by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Retail pharmacists, store managers can learn from each other
December 11th 2009The retail pharmacist who runs a pharmacy inside a big-box store can improve departmental operations by understanding the point of view of the retail store manager. Although pharmacist and manager have different focuses and priorities, they can work together to improve delivery of services when they understand each other's needs.
IRS FSA rule trips up many retail pharmacies
December 11th 2009Retail pharmacy managers are discovering that many third-party administrators do not agree that their inventory information approval systems meet compliance requirements set by the Internal Revenue Service for customers' use of flexible spending accounts.
Retail pharmacy and the diabetes epidemic
December 11th 2009More than 23 million Americans, close to 8 percent of the population, have diabetes. For drugstores, the medical nature of their retail business makes them the outlet of choice for shoppers purchasing diabetes products. Retail pharmacists may choose to maximize patient awareness by placing their diabetes-care display and educational literature near the pharmacy counter.
Drug delivery systems: Multiple- vs. single-dose
December 11th 2009All hospital and health systems must decide whether to use multiple-dose vials or single-dose vials of drugs, a decision that usually rests on two considerations: Cost reduction and patient safety. The pros and cons of the two systems lead to an inescapable conclusion.
NIOSH on reproductive effects of hazardous drugs
December 11th 2009The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) may recommend that healthcare workers, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, be transferred from positions where they handle hazardous drugs if the workers are trying to conceive, are pregnant, and/or breastfeeding.
Drug prices can't depend on who's buying
November 3rd 2009In the prescription drug market, discriminatory pricing is common for independent community pharmacies and their patients. This fall, a Federal District Court in New York will consider a critical case: Drug Mart Pharmacy Corp. et a. v. American Home Products Corp. et al. The outcome of the case may determine whether discriminatory pricing techniques are illegal.
OTC antacids win consumer loyalty
November 3rd 2009More than 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month, and at least 25 million suffer on a daily basis. A Nielson study reported early in 2009 announced that 94 percent of patients are satisfied with their OTC remedies. The study estimated that OTC medications annually save patients an average total of $174 each in office visits and medication costs. Because of fewer patient visits top physicians, the study attributes $757 million in annual savings to the U.S. healthcare system.
Healthcare Reform: Drug Topics readers speak out
November 3rd 2009With the subject of healthcare reform on the front burner in Washington and across the country, Drug Topics invited members of its Frontline editorial advisory board to share their thoughts. A selection of their responses is presented here.