Chain Pharmacy

A young pharmacist recounts his experience of volunteering in Haiti after the earthquake.

Pharmacists are often reluctant to apologize. One fear is that lawyers may use their statements against them. Another fear is that they may be violating their own malpractice insurance policies. But there can be advantages to saying, "I made a mistake; I am sorry." A patient may be saved and a possibly explosive situation may be cooled. For most of us, it is the natural thing to do.

Summer's outdoor fun can be complicated by poison ivy, bug bites, harsh sunlight, and other problems exacerbated by the heat and humidity. A variety of products seek to prevent or ameliorate the consequences.

FDA has approved azilsartan medoxomil 40-mg and 80-mg tablets for the treatment of hypertension, either alone or in combination with other antihypertensive agents. FDA has also approved roflumilast as a treatment to reduce the risk of COPD exacerbations in patients with severe COPD associated with chronic bronchitis and a history of exacerbations (not the relief of acute bronchospasm).

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 branded drugs in 2010, ranked by total prescriptions

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 branded drugs in 2010, ranked by retail dollars.

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 generic drugs in 2010, ranked by total prescriptions.

Which drugs were most popular in 2010? Check out Drug Topics' list of the Top 200 generic drugs in 2010, ranked by retail dollars.

A high-tech alarm system, staff training, and new security cameras are deterring thefts at Gloucester Pharmacy in Gloucester, Va.

Are pharmacies subcontractors when they fill prescriptions for TRICARE, the federal health program for military personnel? Not according to the National Association of Chain Drugs Stores.

Frustrated by its lack of success at reining in drug-company abuses, FDA is bringing back a legal doctrine spawned by long-dead rodents to bring criminal charges against pharmaceutical executives, including executives who had no personal knowledge of company misdeeds.

If the Affordable Care Act makes pharmacists primary care providers, the profession gains a host of advantages, including Medicare provider status. For AACP, the goal is eligibility for student loan forgiveness under the NHSC.

Reimbursement and medication adherence issues will be front and center at the PQA/URAC Medication Adherence Summit in Washington, D.C., June 2 and 3.

Pharmacists need to leverage any tool that will minimize the demands placed on them and reduce distractions that can lead to medication errors, longer patient waiting time, and other complications. One available tool is the call center.

Antibiotic use is rising at Veterans Affairs medical facilities across the country, according to study findings released recently at the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America in Dallas.

A recent state appellate court decision in California could help pharmacists claim meal and rest breaks they are due under state labor law. The case, which involved United Parcel Service workers, affirmed workers' right to up to 2 hours of extra pay daily.

Pharmacists at the University of California San Francisco are in the process of bringing one of the world's largest and most advanced robotic pharmacies online.

A roundup of reports on risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism; direct factor Xa inhibitors; and managing clopidogrel hypersensitivity

Under Senate Bill 60, the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy would be required to approve one or more continuing education courses addressing cultural competency in healthcare treatment.

With no cure for seasonal allergic rhinitis available, sufferers seeking symptomatic relief will welcome the following OTC options.

Wide-scale pill-splitting as a cost-containing measure is practiced by such large healthcare systems as the West Coast VA, Kaiser, and United Healthcare. The practice may serve the bottom line. But does it serve the patients?

As part of an overall federal strategy on the prescription drug epidemic, FDA announced in late April that it will require a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy for all long-acting and extended-release opioids.

A 2-year study found that a pharmacy-directed anticoagulation service boosted the quality and efficiency of care for heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in patients using direct thrombin inhibitors.

As long as pharmacists work in such understaffed conditions, the repeated promise of more time spent with the patient will never be a reality.

Rite Aid's promise to fill prescriptions in 15 minutes or less is attracting consumer reaction. Professional reaction is less supportive.

Readers speak out about the 15-minute Rx, antibiotic stewardship, and MTM.

With the expansion of pharmacist roles come the burdens of managing the existing obligations embedded in professional pharmacy practice. Technicians, when appropriately trained and certified, can help fulfill many delegated functions in the pharmacy.

FDA recently called for the addition of new Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requirements for medications. This article examines some resulting challenges and potential solutions.

Soon after taking the reins at NCPA, Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, spoke with Drug Topics' Contributing Editor Christine Blank about his short-term and long-term objectives for NCPA.

Companies get their professional staff to do what they want by instilling fear. The result is thousands of pharmacists who are afraid, all of them, of one thing or another.