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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration published two rules recently to help clarify how very ill patients can obtain access to investigational drugs and biologics when they are not eligible to participate in a clinical trial and have no other satisfactory treatment options.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association are moving ahead with their lawsuit against Delaware's changes to Medicaid reimbursement rates, even after Walgreen Co. said it no longer supports the suit.

A Miami resident has been convicted of both conspiring to divert human growth hormones and causing the diversion of these human growth hormones in interstate commerce.

Cardinal Health has agreed to acquire the assets of privately held Biotech, an operator of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) cyclotrons and nuclear pharmacies in the southwestern United States.

The University of Utah College of Pharmacy, joined by friends, supporters, members of The ALSAM Foundation, and Mr. and Mrs. L.S. Skaggs, broke ground on a $69-million research facility to be known as the L.S. Skaggs Pharmacy Institute.

In Illinois, the Jewel-Osco grocery-pharmacy chain has taken on pharmacy consulting and dispensing services for Passages Hospice.

Pharmacists speak out about new pharmacy schools, professional standards, and big-box manners.

A new study by Prescription Solutions and UnitedHealth Group says that Americans have been slow to embrace the use of generic drugs.

Tomorrow's pharmacists and pharmacies will need to find ways to increase profit margins by reducing the cost of prescribing, embracing technology, and focusing more on patient counseling, immunizations, education, and other offshoots of their clinical expertise.

A new school of pharmacy opens this fall in Denver at Regis University's Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions.

A new study finds that drugstores using loyalty rewards programs will see sales continue to increase despite the poor economy.

The death of a teenager led Congress to pass the Ryan Haight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act in 2008, amending the Controlled Substances Act to prohibit delivery, distribution, or dispensing of controlled substances over the Internet without a valid prescription.

A survey of new Rx, new OTC, new indications, and new generics

Commercial medication therapy management programs are gaining in strength and popularity for medical, financial, and practical reasons. In Minnesota, a pilot program for state employees was so successful that two years later it expanded into a program for all fully insured members. Another program is in use by Minnesota Medicaid and General Mills. And in North Carolina, the Asheville Project is still going strong.

As many a pharmacist can testify, sometimes a momentary encounter makes an impression that will last a lifetime.

The kids are going back to school, and opportunities for exposure to head lice abound. In the U.S., an estimated 6 million to 12 million infestations occur each year among children 3 to 11 years old. This year, some new products offer relief.

Alaska's first Walgreens drugstore will feature the only 24-hour pharmacy in the state.

Over the next several years, generic versions of many best-selling drugs will become available as patents reach their expiration dates.

For hospitals and health systems, Joint Commission accreditation is an ongoing issue of vital importance. With their specialized knowledge and skills, pharmacists can contribute greatly to the continuous process of refining goals and meeting standards.

Pharmacy mistakes can sometimes lead to injury or even death. Pharmacists can be held liable in a civil suit for money damages; now a pharmacist in Ohio may be convicted of a criminal charge in the accidental death of a two-year-old girl. It is possible that the effect of criminal liability upon professional practices will worsen outcomes rather than improve them.

Pharmacy in the 21st century will be more integrated into provision of health services than ever before. Electronic health records will become increasingly important, as will e-prescribing, prescription data, pharmacist intervention/counseling, and collaboration with other healthcare providers.

In coming years, nearly half of all newly approved drugs could come from biotechnology. With stakes so high, Congress is working to create a more direct pathway for the FDA to approve "biosimilars", the generic or "follow-on" versions of biologics. Two bills before Congress approach the issues differently.

Only one Medicare Part D prescription plan operates in partnership with pharmacists: Community CCRx, which offers incentives for generic dispensing, therapy management, and maintenance supply fills. More than 63,000 pharmacies across the country participate in the program, including all major chains and community pharmacies.

The FTC has extended to November the compliance deadline for its "Red Flag" identity theft regulation, affecting all businessess that extend credit to customers.

Iowa proponents have sought legalization of medical marijuana for years. Now the state?s Board of Pharmacy Examiners (IBPE) wants to learn more about the issue.

As the American population is aging, so are retail pharmacy owners. In light of this reality, it is in the best interest of pharmacists and pharmacy owners to have a succession plan in place when they retire or prepare to sell their businesses, said Robert Wilbur, PharmD, pharmacy specialist with The Healthcare Acquisitions Group, Coral Gables, Fla., addressing attendees at the recent McKesson?s Pharmacy Strategies Conference in Orlando, Fla.

The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) recently wrote to a key standards-setting body requesting action on a number of regarding a new Internal Revenue Service requirement meant to ensure flexible spending account debit cards are used properly that is seen by the association as problematic.

The California State Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment recently held an informational hearing on the subject of workplace conditions in retail pharmacies. Among those testifying were pharmacists, academics, students, consumer advocates, and representatives of the California Retailers Association.

Orlando, Fla.--Pharmacists can collaborate with physicians and other health professionals in many ways, including through drug therapy management programs, pharmacy vaccine programs, and practice agreements, to build revenue streams and improve patient outcomes.

The International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP) has released its annual list of fellow awards and announced the recipient of its lifetime fellow award.