Chain Pharmacy

While the government deems that marijuana has a "high potential for abuse" and "has no currently accepted medical use," some states have undertaken initiatives to pass legislation permitting its use for pain control and for control of nausea and vomiting by cancer patients.

Technology now exists that can verify the contents of a drug vial or syringe, benefiting retailers, hospitals, and manufacturers.

Medication therapy management programs are intended to improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs. Community pharmacist Tony Bastian offers a detailed report on how MTM is working at his pharmacy.

George Barrett of Cardinal Health discusses the future of independent pharmacists.

Despite a challenging 2009-10 winter, the majority of pharmacists across 26 states (79 percent of respondents) that were affected by the snow largely managed to keep standard business hours, according to a new survey.

Cutbacks to Washington's Medicaid reimbursements have resulted in Walgreens receiving below its cost or break-even point on nearly 95 percent of brand-name medications.

Patient counseling and medication management therapy: You do the math.

The following months promise the appearance on the market of a diverse group of new drug therapies. Breakthroughs will include drugs for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular disease.

Financial adviser Rick Schultenover discusses how to distinguish between a Roth IRA and 401k.

Operational efficiences and economies of scale resulting from its 2008 merger with RxHub have enabled Surescripts to cut its pharmacy routing and transaction fees, which should lead to decreases in the prices independent pharmacies are paying.

As you look back over your life and career, what makes you most proud?

Pharmacies are experiencing financial, regulatory and reimbursement challenges that have increased pressure on their operations. A regular review of financial circumstances and business options can help pharmacies stay afloat in turbulent times.

As their growing role in healthcare causes pharmacists to focus more on medication management and patient consulting, some are specializing in healthcare issues and needs specific to women.

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

Medication counseling and disease management are two important areas calling for pharmacist involvement, according to Roger Merrill, MD, chief medical officer for Perdue Inc., speaking to students at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy during the annual Francis Balassone Memorial Lecture.

A webinar examining the pharmacy error that led to the death of a two-year-old girl and the conviction of an Ohio pharmacist criticized the legal system for criminalizing the event as well as the flawed hospital procedures that prevented discovery of the pharmacy tech's fatal error.

Increasing enrollment in pharmacy schools and changing economic factors appear to have eased the national pharmacist shortage. In order to plan appropriately for all stakeholders, we need to quantify the numbers when we talk about a pharmacist shortage.

Its very name implies that the American Pharmacists Association would be looking for and advocating solutions to the problems of actual pharmacists, but when it comes to addressing the barriers that stand in the way of our practicing our profession, APhA is nowhere to be found.

Many independent and small chain pharmacies nationwide are seeing flexible spending account transactions declined, pushing patients out of independent pharmacies and into chains.

Pharmacies are the new convenience stores when it comes to pharmacy robbery. Hawaii pharmacist and inventor Patrick Adams has responded to the increase in pharmacy crimes with PharmaSafe, a dispensing cabinet built into a timer safe.

After settling a lawsuit with the State of New York over the sale of expired products, CVS is involved in a similar suit initiated by the State of Connecticut.

FDA has announced that concomitant use of omeprazole (Prilosec, AstraZeneca, and Prilosec OTC, Procter & Gamble) and clopidogrel (Plavix, Sanofi Aventis/Bristol-Myers Squibb) can reduce the anti-clotting effectiveness of clopidogrel.

Financial adviser Rick Schultenover discusses ways pharmacists can protect their financial futures.

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

A successful pharmacy practice rests on customer service, patient care, and career satisfaction. This story illustrates all three.

The DeLoitte Center for Health Solutions has released a study projecting a slow-down in growth of retail pharmacy clinics across the United States in the next two years.

Categories to watch in this year's diverse drug pipeline include oral agents to treat multiple sclerosis and a host of new diabetes, cardiovascular, and pain-management products.

A cluster-randomized controlled clinical trial carried out in six community-based family medicines has demonstrated that healthcare teams that included pharmacists helped improve patients' blood-pressure management.

The House Small Business Committee has passed the Small Business Health Information Technology Financing Act, which could provide up to $10 million in loans to help pharmacies implement HIT. The act is now slated for vote by the full House of Representatives.

Doctors don't do it. Attorneys don't do it. Physical therapists, insurance agents, title agents, audiologist, and nurse practitioners don't do it. Who came up with the fishbowl model of retail pharmacy anyway?