Chain Pharmacy

A growing public health concern is the presence of potentially harmful pharmaceuticals in drinking water, due to improper disposal of waste prescription drugs. At least 20 states now have collection programs for unused medications. The greater use of such programs requires the reeducation of the community to raise awareness of the dangers and of the solutions to the problem of waste pharmaceuticals. The more convenient the options for disposal of most medications, the more likely they will be disposed of properly.

On May 11th the news that Walgreens, partnering with Pathway Genomics, was going to offer customers a genetic testing kit made headlines almost as fast as a world peace announcement. Then Pathway received a letter of inquiry from the FDA, and Walgreens decided to halt the initiative until more clarity was reached. However, when genetic testing kits do become available at retail outlets, there will be a need for plenty of patient education, which pharmacists can best provide.

Both the FTC?s consumer protection and competition bureaus are spearheading an investigation into CVS Caremark?s alleged monopolistic practices. HHS is investigating possible false Medicare claims. DEA is investigating charges of improper sale of pseudoephedrine in 2007 and 2008. And the SEC has received complaints of insider trading.

Even 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.

The 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.

FDA would like to alert healthcare providers to the recent proprietary name change for dexlansoprazole delayed-release capsules. Now known as Dexilant, dexlansoprazole is the proton pump inhibitor formerly known as Kapidex.

An overview of several provisions of "The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" affecting pharmacies and pharmacy practice.

Drug Topics' 2010 Chain of the Year award goes to Kerr Drug, a regional chain based in Raleigh, N.C.

Clinical pharmacy pioneer Mary Anne Koda-Kimble, PharmD, dean of the School of Pharmacy at University of California, San Francisco, was awarded the 2010 Remington Honor Medal, the highest honor given by the American Pharmacists Association, at its recent annual meeting in Washington.

Compounded medicines - also called personalized solutions - have become an important element in many independent pharmacies.

Prescription-drug benefit plans prosper by exploiting a non-transparent, non-accountable system. This needs to change.

Supermarket chains Albertsons and Harris Teeter have launched online tools to help shoppers pursue health and wellness.

There is an answer to 12-hour shifts, inadequate support, 20-minute lunch hours, and no bathroom breaks. Ask the United Steelworkers of America.

While many people were trying to escape the scenes of death and destruction within Haiti, pharmacists Tamara Neff and Jess Streif were finalizing plans to travel there.

FDA 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.

There is room for individual expression in our workplace; however, in a profession such as pharmacy, the main effort should be dedicated to patient care rather than how to successfully navigate the toxic personalities in the pharmacy.

More than 50 million Americans, including up to 40% of children, suffer from indoor and outdoor upper respiratory allergies. This year, several manufacturers have new offerings to control and treat asthma, allergy, and sinus symptoms.

In 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.

A pharmacist's most important job is to see that the right drug in the right strength with the right label reaches the right patients.

As the years went by, it became evident just how much of a stamp the first person to get hold of you professionally will put on your career.

As graduation nears for many pharmacists, most will be making a six-figure salary. However, they will also carry a six-figure debt. Success may well depend on how that debt is handled.

As pharmacists search for ways to serve patients more effectively, technology is becoming increasingly important.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

If you don't like the "reality" you're looking at, you can change the person who's doing the looking.

In a down economy where many people are out of work, out of benefits, and out of luck, pharmacists can be thankful that their profession generally offers good compensation and benefits, job security, and respect.

After four decades of practice, the author offers some observations about the search for professional satisfaction and meaning in pharmacy.

Whether mail-order pharmacy is a blessing or a bane depends on whom you ask.

A survey of new Rx and new OTC

How to understand the difference between term and permanent life insurance.

Walgreens' planned acquisition of Duane Reade signals further advances into pharmacy and drugstore retailing for the smaller chain.