Community Practice

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services needs to recognize pharmacy services in its proposed rules for accountable care organizations and the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

State Medicaid programs could save $30 billion over the next decade by replacing fee for service pharmacy programs with managed care programs like those used in Medicare Part D, according to a new report on Medicaid pharmacy spending sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association.

A higher prescription co-payment, especially among older women, is associated with the early discontinuation and incomplete use of adjuvant aromatase inhibitor therapy, a life-saving therapy for women with hormone-sensitive, early-stage breast cancer, research shows.

Patients who switch statins have lower persistence to therapy compared to those who don?t switch, according to a poster recently presented at the 45th midyear meeting of the American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists.

Antihypertensive therapy with an ARB is not associated with reductions in cardiovascular or all-cause mortality compared to non-ARB-based regimens in patients with type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

FDA announced recently that the injection form of Anzemet (dolasetron mesylate) should no longer be used to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Adolescents living in rural areas are significantly more likely to abuse prescription drugs than their counterparts in urban areas, according to a study published online November 1 in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, HealthDay News reported.

DHA supplementation doesn?t appear to slow the rate of cognitive and functional decline in individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer?s disease, according to research published in the November 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, HealthDay News reported.

In a multi-national, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, the selective vitamin D receptor activator paricalcitol (Zemplar, Abbott Laboratories), at doses of 1 µg or 2 µg daily, can reduce albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes, who were already being treated with renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors.

In research published in the October 1 issue of the American Journal of Cardiology, HealthDay News reported, metformin, either alone or in combination with sulfonylurea, appears to increase 1-year and long-term survival in patients with T2DM and CHF.

Independent pharmacists in Ohio are concerned about the state?s new ruling that limits transfers on all prescriptions to one per patient.

"Few patients who are prescribed varenicline to assist in smoking cessation remain on the therapy, according to retrospective data presented during the 45th midyear meeting of the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists."

Treatment of recurrent herpes simplex labialis with combination 5% acyclovir and 1% hydrocortisone cream is safe in adolescents. In a study of a 5-day treatment course, no safety concerns were identified, said Anders Strand, MD, PhD, at the 45th midyear meeting of the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists.

Obesity was associated with worse overall and disease-free survival in women with operable breast cancer treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

A newly approved drug, denosumab (Xgeva, Amgen), delays skeletal-related side effects for 5 months longer compared to zoledronic acid (Zometa and Reclast, Novartis) in patients with breast cancer and bone metastases, according to phase 3 trial results presented at the 33rd Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

A combination of lapatinib, trastuzumab, and paclitaxel significantly improved tumor response rates in patients with HER2-positive breast cancers, according to a new study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium held recently in San Antonio, Texas.

A medication for skeleton-related events in patients with bone metastases was shown to significantly improve bone metastasis-free survival rates in prostate cancer patients, according to a new trial.

FDA is recommending removing the breast cancer indication from the label for Avastin (bevacizumab) because the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.

"NACDS Foundation said it would contribute $1.5 million to increase the availability of pharmacy residency programs for pharmacy graduates?the single largest grant ever awarded for this purpose."

Diagnostic testing, narcotics, and questionable treatment modalities appear to be overused for chronic neck pain, while effective treatments such as therapeutic exercise appear to be underused, according to a study in the November issue of Arthritis Care & Research, HealthDay News reported.

A recently released Institute of Medicine workshop summary indicates there are myriad ideas, including better use of EMRs and research to focus action on the most common elements associated with adverse events.

A coalition representing pharmacies, retail food stores, pharmacists, and the makers of OTC medicines is urging Congress to repeal the requirement that prevents consumers from using their FSAs and HSAs to purchase OTC medicines without a prescription.

FDA is recommending removing the breast cancer indication from the label for Avastin (bevacizumab) because the drug has not been shown to be safe and effective for that use.

Patients are significantly more likely to abandon at the pharmacy prescriptions submitted electronically than those dropped off in person, according to the results of a study appearing in the November 16 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.

FDA has issued consumer advisories on several products recently, and McNeil Consumer Health Care and Reese Pharmaceutical Co. have issued product recalls.

NACDS and NCPA on Tuesday withdrew their lawsuit against CMS over AMPs.

Baxa Corp. has released a significant upgrade for its DoseEdge Pharmacy Workflow Manager, with more than 39 improvements and enhancements.

Postmenopausal women who take aromatase inhibitors as a treatment for breast cancer may be at an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease, according to a new study presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

A recently released IOM workshop summary indicates there are myriad ideas, including better use of EMRs and research to focus action on the most common elements associated with adverse events.

CMS expects to pay $39 billion to hospitals and $4 billion to ASC for outpatient services provided in 2011.