Health System

Should independent pharmacies be given anti-trust immunity to act against contracts presented by pharmacy benefit managers? A representative of the Federal Trade Commission said ?no? and pharmacists said ?yes? during a Congressional subcommittee hearing on HR 1946 last week.

In an extension of its health tours for underserved communities, Walgreens recently started the Way to Well Health Tour with AARP.

Teva Pharmaceutical has launched the authorized generic of Provigil (modafinil), a drug marketed as a wakefulness-promoting agent used to treat sleep disorders, the company announced.

Federal marshals seized more than 1,600 containers from a Missouri distributor last week, alleging that the drugs were unapproved by FDA and misbranded.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved the $29.1 billion merger of Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions on Monday, but the retail pharmacy industry continues to fight the deal, vowing to push a request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) that it filed on Friday.

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS), the National Community Pharmacists Association, and 9 retail pharmacy companies filed a lawsuit Thursday to stop the proposed merger of pharmacy benefit manager giants Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions.

The KL1 compact tablet counter has become Kirby Lester?s most successful product launch in its history, the Lake Forest, Ill., company announced.

Weekly mobile phone text messaging may help patients with human immunodeficiency virus adhere to antiretroviral therapy that is often associated with difficult side effects, according to a study published online March 14 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Daily supplementation with antioxidants, vitamins E and C, and alpha acid, did not improve memory function in patients with Alzheimer?s disease, according to a new study.

Aspirin can reduce the risk for cancer-related mortality and can reduce or prevent the risk for distant metastasis, according to 3 new studies published online by The Lancet and The Lancet Oncology.

Enhanced pharmacist care for patients with dyslipidemia improves low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, according to a study published in the March issue of Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy.

Express Scripts and Medco Health Solutions may be able to close the transaction of its merger as early as next week, according to an announcement Wednesday by Express Scripts.

FDA has approved peginesatide (Omontys, Affymax) to treat anemia in adult dialysis patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Pharmacists and pharmacy advocates conducted more than 350 meetings with U.S. senators and representatives on Capitol Hill last week during RxIMPACT Day, sponsored by the National Association of Community Drug Stores.

A New York community pharmacist highlighted the problem of mail-order waste after a man turned in $30,000 worth of medications to the pharmacy.

Walgreens recently added a mobile coupon service available through social media service foursquare, following the launch of new prescription mobile apps.

A bi-partisan bill that would extend anti-trust immunity to independent pharmacies is slated for hearings before the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., later this week.

The American Pharmacists Association and the National Community Pharmacists Association supported a new nonprescription class of drugs at FDA?s public hearing last week.

FDA has approved beclomethasone dipropionate (QNASL Nasal Aerosol, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries), a ?dry? nasal aerosol corticosteroid that treats year-round and seasonal nasal allergy symptoms in people aged 12 years and older.

Amneal Pharmaceuticals has launched Escitalopram Oxalate Oral Solution in 5-mg/5-mL strength, the first generic of antianxiety/antidepressant Lexapro (Forest) in liquid form on the market. .

The majority of older women in nursing homes are likely to be deficient in vitamin D during winter months, and those with the lowest levels are at a significantly increased risk of death, according to a study published online February 8, in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology

As pharmacy transforms into a patient-care model, everyone must "do what is needed to make a difference," Jenelle L. Sobotka, Ohio Northern University Raabe College of Pharmacy professor, said after she was sworn in as president of the American Pharmacists Association at its annual conference in New Orleans this month.

Ingenol mebutate topical gel (0.015% for face and scalp and 0.05% for trunk and extremities) was effective for treating actinic keratoses, a common precursor to sun-related, squamos-cell carcinoma, according to a new study.

Diacetylmorphine, or heroin, may be a more effective, cheaper treatment than methadone for people with relapsing chronic opioid dependence, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

A new study of patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease found that extended treatment with donepezil could improve cognition and function for even severe patients; however, experts caution that the benefits of the drug were modest

Clinical pharmacists were instrumental in reducing errors in patients' physician-acquired medication histories, according to a study published online on March 13 in the Annals of Pharmacotherapy.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) continues to close the “donut hole” coverage gap for millions of Medicare beneficiaries, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, said in a news release Monday, saving them more than $3.2 billion on prescription drugs since the ACA took effect almost 2 years ago.

Drug Topics ranked No. 1 among professional journals on the reading list of pharmacists, according to a survey recently released by Long Island University.

New programs and recognitions make 2012 a great year for community pharmacies to be more involved in medication therapy management, according to a speaker at the FMI Health & Wellness Conference in Orlando, Fla., this week.

What’s different in your drug stores this month? Your customers who are allergic to antibiotic ointments and creams will find a new first aid gel that’s antibiotic-free. There’s a prenatal dietary supplement with 450 mg of DHA. Men can check their sperm count at home with a new 10-minute tes,t and women will find a laxative that’s made just for them. A familiar brand of mouthwash has been made even stronger. And a new dipeptide product supports healthy aging.