Community Practice

NCPA and NACDS joined to strongly back a new bill aimed at stopping the implementation of the new Medicaid AMP rule.

The author, a community pharmacist, shares his experience on how to spot fake prescriptions

New products in the areas of prescription brand and generic drugs, home health care, health and beauty, etc.

The latest technology solutions for pharmacies.

Steve Anderson is the new president of NACDS. Drug Topics asks Anderson a series of questions about the challenges ahead in a one-on-one interview.

Rich with medication knowledge, today's pharmacists-or a growing legion of them-are extending their reach into new areas of patient care. In the process, they are helping to redefine the practice and make the pharmacist an even more valuable and powerful member of the health-care team.

Jim Plagakis discusses appropriate professional wear for pharmacists.

Getting work visas may prove to be more difficult for foreign-born pharmacists.

Pharmacists worry following the release of the final rule on Medicaid reimbursement for generics.

For patients with Lyme disease whose symptoms linger after the active infection has already been treated, continued and prolonged use of antibiotics is not effective and can lead to the development of resistance. This is just one of the new recommendations from the American Academy of Neurology's recently issued treatment guideline.

In effort to improve H. pylori eradication rates, Axcan Pharma has harnessed the power of three drugs known to have antimicrobial effects and combined them into a novel 3-in-1 formulation. Marketed under the trade name Pylera, the new product contains 140 mg bismuth subcitrate potassium, 125 mg metronidazole, and 125 mg tetracycline in each capsule. Pylera is indicated for use in combination with omeprazole for treating H. pylori infection and duodenal ulcer disease.

After the leadership debated the issue of requiring residency for all new pharmacy school graduates by 2020, the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy decided to delay action and voted to refer the policy statement, that the AACP backed an accredited residency program for all graduates providing direct patient care, for further study.

Four topics from our exclusive Drug Topics survey: Community pharmacists' influence over patients via counseling; Has OBRA boosted retail R.Ph.s' clout?; How hospital pharmacists feel about the creation of a CPO position; To what extent hospital R.Ph.s are taking part in rounds.

New over the counter items with unique formulations.

Patients with uncontrolled hypertension (HTN) taking either a calcium-channel blocker (CCB) or an angiotensin-receptor blocker (ARB) alone, may now find benefit from a new agent that combines the two. Exforge, from Novartis, was approved by the FDA in late June and is the first product to contain both classes of drugs.

At the recent Pharmaceutical Care Management Association symposium, David Snow (Medco Health Solutions) told the audience why now is the time to push for a pathway for biogeneric drugs.

Do authorized generics stifle competition? Prasco and PhRMA have come out with white papers on the subject of authorized generics and the writer examines the subject.

This article for the generics II supplement examines mergers and acquisitions as well as which brand patents are expiring.

This story covers which generic companies are making gains.

This article examines and explains the proposed legislation that will end the practice of allowing brand name drug companies to pay makers of generic drugs to delay the release of the cheaper prescription drugs into the market.

This article examines generic dispensing rates and reveals which organizations have the highest dispensing rates.

This article tackles whether generic substitution should be banned for antiepileptic drugs. More states have introduced such legislation, raising concerns.

This article examines the dropping of copays by insurance plans for generics and the link to increased patient compliance.

NACDS announced that it remains committed to support efforts to reduce the hidden costs of interchange fees to retailers and consumers.

Baxter Healthcare Corp. and the FDA have notified healthcare professionals and consumers of a Class I Recall of Baxter Upgraded Colleague Triple Channel Volumetric Infusion Pumps, Model numbers 2M8153, 2M8163, and 2M9163.

Duane Reade, a leading drugstore chain in New York, and the New York Yankees announced that they have teamed up to raise more than $157,000 in their "Strike Out ALS" campaign.

Colloidal silver, peddled as an old medicine, a decongestant, an all-around germ fighter, and a kind of cure-all, may have serious and strange side effects, according to a report in the August issue of the Harvard Health Letter.

ScripNet, a pharmacy benefit manager that specializes in workers' compensation insurance, is backing the Texas Department of Insurance mandate that workers' compensation carriers accept e-billing from healthcare providers as of Jan. 1, 2008.

Few consumers rely on Web sites created by pharmaceutical companies for drug treatment information.

Are you planning to seek accreditation so you can sell durable medical equipment, prosthetics, and supplies (DMEPOS) under Medicare Part B? If so, you might find a new course by Cardinal Health helpful.