Walgreens, R.Ph. union still wide apart on contract terms
July 25th 2005About 20% of Chicago staff pharmacists at Walgreens have resigned from the National Pharmacists Association (NPhA) as talks between the union, Walgreens, and a federal mediator failed to produce an agreement. About 1,200 Walgreens union pharmacists in northern Illinois and northwest Indiana walked off their jobs at 10 PM on July 11
CPT code for MTM reflects new reimbursement arena
July 25th 2005In the world of medical reimbursement, having a "CPT code" for a type of professional effort or procedure is much like having its existence recognized. Medication therapy management (MTM) services by pharmacists crossed that threshold on July 1, when the American Medical Association's official list of procedures added three codes for MTM?initial service, subsequent service, and additional time, each in 15-minute blocks?in its chapter on cognitive services.
Is there a new role for R.Ph.s in postmarket surveillance?
July 25th 2005A key drug safety researcher says the electronic systems that pharmacists use to talk to one another may be a powerful tool for postmarket safety surveillance. The organizations he works with are doing pilot studies to explore that possibility.
The latest word on penicillin allergy
July 25th 2005Editor's note: Our April 18 cover story, "Staving off allergies," drew so many inquiries from readers about the issue of the risk of cross-sensitivity with penicillins and cephalosporins that we invited Michael E. Pichichero, M.D., the source of our information, to explain the subject in greater detail below.
To treat or not to treat: Managing chronic insomnia
July 25th 2005To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there's the rub," wrote Shakespeare in Hamlet several centuries ago. And that still appears to be true: According to recent estimates, about 20% of the American population is afflicted with intermittent or chronic sleep problems. But how much of a health problem is this?
This HIV drug offers option when other therapeutics fail
July 25th 2005Based on early data from clinical trials, the Food & Drug Administration's Antiviral Drugs Advisory Committee recommended tipranavir (Aptivus, Boehringer Ingelheim) for accelerated approval in May. The product was approved in June and is now available through wholesalers. Although not a first-line drug for HIV, tipranavir, a protease inhibitor (PI), could be an important option for a subset of patients with advanced disease.
R.Ph. involvement improves A1c levels in Type 2 diabetes
July 11th 2005Involving clinical pharmacists in the management of patients with diabetes results in improvements in A1c levels, blood pressure, and lipid profiles. So reported investigators at the 65th annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). Management models that incorporate pharmacists can also reduce healthcare utilization and cost of care.
NACDS show offers treasure trove of new products
July 11th 2005A dizzying array of new products was highlighted at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores Marketplace 2005 conference, held in New Orleans last month. At this largest front-end trade show in the industry, the buzzword was natural, with the majority of new products containing natural ingredients to satisfy customer demand for safer solutions to healthcare problems. Here's a look at the new entries in personal care, dietary supplementation, and home health care.
IOM panel begins review of Rx drug safety
July 11th 2005An Institute of Medicine panel began a year-long investigation last month with hope of recommending fixes to the nation's foundering drug safety system. The panel was commissioned by Food & Drug Administration officials, who pledged to seek improvements to safety monitoring in the wake of highly publicized problems with COX-2 drugs, selective serotonin reupake inhibitor (SSR) antidepressants, and other products.
Ignorance no defense in HIPAA criminal violations, say feds
July 11th 2005Just because pharmacists or pharmacies don't know that certain actions are prohibited by the Healthcare Insurance Portability & Accountability Act doesn't mean they can't be brought up on criminal charges for violations, according to a ruling issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
State pedigree laws running into some barriers
July 11th 2005As California and Florida gear up to implement new pedigree laws—legislation that requires a paper trail on prescription drugs to thwart counterfeiting—there are growing signs of resistance and complaints that it will be very costly to install a uniform tracking system.
Hospital R.Ph.s weigh in on new JCAHO patient safety goals
July 11th 2005Communications between caregivers and medication use safety dominate the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' 2006 National Patient Safety Goals for hospitals. Among the major additions to the 2006 goals are new requirements that "hand-offs" of patients between caregivers be standardized and that all medication containers, including syringes, medicine cups, basins, and other solutions used in perioperative areas, be labeled.
Countdown to MMA: Timeline to implementation
July 11th 2005On Jan. 1, 2006, Medicare Part D will begin. MMA provides for access to the prescription drug benefit through one of four options: a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP); a component of a Medicare Advantage (MA) managed care plan; an employer-sponsored qualifying plan; or a government-supported fallback plan in areas with only one private option. There are a number of key dates along the path to implementation.
Sildenafil for hypertension: Old drug, new use
July 11th 2005The Food & Drug Administration has approved Revatio (sildenafil citrate, Pfizer) for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). If the drug sounds familiar, that's because Viagra, Pfizer's famed erectile dysfunction medication, contains the same active ingredient.
Cardiovascular drugs: Linked to many errors
June 20th 2005Drug products used to treat cardiovascular diseases (e.g., hypertension, congestive heart failure, ischemia, and arrhythmias) have been associated with a significant number of adverse drug events. Cardiovascular drug products are among the most widely used in both hospital and ambulatory care settings, and previous studies that have examined cardiovascular patients suggest that a significant degree of morbidity and mortality may be preventable.
Pharmacists called a barrier to emergency contraception
June 20th 2005Pharmacists, along with physicians and politicians, top the list of barriers keeping emergency contraception out of easy reach. That's the news from the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). "Emergency contraception [EC] is almost trivial in medical terms," said Eve Espy, M.D., MPH, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of New Mexico. "It is relatively simple, safe, and highly effective."
New hypertension definition could boost drug utilization
June 20th 2005The American Society of Hypertension's call for a new, broader definition of hypertension could sharply increase the use of drug therapy. Current practice defines hypertension using blood pressure cut points. BP should be reduced below 140/90 for the general population and below 130/80 for patients with diabetes or chronic renal disease.
Oregon board investigates failed assisted suicide
June 20th 2005Terminally ill with cancer, David Pruiett decided to end his life under Oregon's Death with Dignity Act. He went through the legal process, got the lethal prescription in late January, swallowed the liquid laced with powder from 100 barbiturate pills, and fell asleep. Three days later, he woke up and asked his wife why he wasn't dead.
Medicare Part D contracts drawing concern from R.Ph.s
June 20th 2005Pharmacists are not pleased with the first Part D contracts they have been receiving from pharmacy benefit managers and prescription drug plans (PDPs). They offer some of the lowest reimbursement rates in memory. Contracts reviewed by Drug Topics call for reimbursement at average wholesale price minus as much as 45% plus dispensing fees as low as $1.