Health System

The Drug Enforcement Administration will hold 2 one-day regional conferences in West Palm Beach, Fla., next month in an effort to assist pharmacy personnel in identifying and responding to potential diversion activity.

California has become the first state to regulate dextromethorphan (DXM), an antitussive in Benylin, Pertussin, Robitussin, and dozens of other over-the-counter cough and cold products. A state law that went into effect Jan. 1 prohibits sales of products containing DXM to anyone under the age of 18 without a prescription.

The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) has formally joined 5 other national health professions to create the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC), a new national organization that will focus on improved integration and coordination of the education of pharmacists and other healthcare workers to provide more collaborative care.

What’s different on your local drug-store counters this month? You can try 2 new flavors of organic tooth powders. There’s a prenatal vitamin designed to optimize DHA levels in mother’s milk. You’ll find a cocktail of natural oils for spot relief of pain or dry skin. A new hand and body lotion promotes healthy blood flow. A multivitamin has been created to improve your vision. Five organic lip and body balms now come in easy-to-carry containers. And there are even more new over-the-counter items featured in the print edition of Drug Topics.

Community pharmacists are encouraged to express their views to lawmakers at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores’ 4th annual RxIMPACT Day in Washington, D.C., in March.

Retail pharmacy groups are urging Congress to reject budget proposals that would limit pharmacy choice for TRICARE beneficiaries.

A whopping 82% of 600 Georgia voters surveyed said they oppose mandatory mail-order plans.

Men with erectile dysfunction (ED) also were more likely to have had open-angle glaucoma than those without ED, according to a study published in the February 12 online issue of Opthalmology.

FDA and 3 drug manufacturers say they are working to allay the concerns of health organizations that thesupply of methotrexate -- used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children – is in danger of running out

Uncontrolled diabetes may result in hearing loss in women much like it affects vision or kidney function, according to the results of a new study.

Physicians should prescribe oral metformin as a first-line therapy for most patients with type 2 diabetes, as well as for those whose blood sugar cannot be controlled with diet, exercise, and weight loss, according to new guidelines from the American College of Physicians

Anti-infective drug shortages pose significant problems for clinicians and are a rapidly evolving public-health emergency that may require government oversight, according to an article published online January 19 in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Some cancer patients may not get proper treatment because a counterfeit version of the drug sold as Avastin 400mg/16mi has been purchased by as many as 19 medical practices in the United States, FDA warned Wednesday.

Having an ambulatory pharmacy within a healthcare facility can assist discharged patients with their medication regimen and help to improve medication adherence, which can also help reduce the number of readmissions and increase patient satisfaction.

The company's stand emphasizes the need for reimbursement for what pharmacists are trained to do.

Pharmacists are starting to remember that this is their profession, and they are getting ready to leave some blood and teeth on the floor to take it back.

State courts have not agreed on the question of when or if pharmacists have a duty to warn a patient of potential ill effects of a prescribed drug. Weigh in on the discussion.

HRSA is a federally sponsored collaborative to help local healthcare entities integrate pharmacy services to improve care of "high-risk, high-cost, complex patients."

Various drug pedigree technologies and standards are among the issues discussed in the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention's new best practices proposal on supply chain integrity.

In comprehensive medication reviews, the focus is no longer on just the bag of medications, but on the care of the patient as a whole.

The NCPA will continue to work with the government in 2012 to make changes for you and your patients.

CMS is encouraging healthcare providers to improve the quality of care and reduce costs through a collaborative approach, 1 of which is the accountable care organization. Many realize that pharmacists have an important role to play in the success of these models of care.

A recent study indicates that 95% of stroke patients with atrial fibrillation received prescriptions for anticoagulants in 2010 if they were treated at hospitals participating in the Get With The Guidelines–Stroke program.

In most cases, a pharmacy is, by definition, a HIPAA-covered entity, so it is subject to a possible audit by the federal government. Here's what you can do to prepare–just in case.

Readers speak out about mail-order concerns and changes in the profession. One reader even waxes poetic.

FDA has approved an intravitreal injection to treat patients with wet AMD and zolpidem to treat insomnia.

The dispute between Express Scripts and Walgreens became an official split on January 1, when the 3-year contract between the 2 companies ended.

The most vulnerable areas in healthcare systems with the greatest risk of diversion may not be the ones that pharmacists think of first.

Our salvation lies in cheapness. It is the way of the world, and embracing it is the key to our survival.

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