Health System

Norditropin FlexPro (somatropin [rDNA origin] injection, Novo Nordisk), a pre-filled injection pen for use in children and adults with growth hormone disorders, will be available this spring.

An FDA-approved oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate, an opioid analgesic for cancer pain management, is being launched by Mallinckrodt Inc., a Covidien company.

Cabazitaxel, an investigational compound under development by Sanofi-aventis, plus prednisone/prednisolone, is associated with overall survival and progression-free survival in patients with metastatic (advanced) hormone-refractory prostate cancer whose disease advanced after treatment with docetaxel-based chemotherapy.

Data from the Phase III trial of Zelrix, a transdermal patch under development by NuPathe Inc. for management of acute migraine, showed the patch met the primary efficacy endpoint.

The FDA-approved Iprivask (desirudin for injection, Canyon Pharmaceuticals), now available, marks the first direct thrombin inhibitor (DTI) OK'd for the prevention of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

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.

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

Most agents used for presurgical prophylaxis are not effective against MRSA. To reduce MRSA-related surgical site infections,says one expert, you need to prevent all SSIs.

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.

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

Medication therapy management interventions by community pharmacists reduced prescription drug costs by $35 per month on average.

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.

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.

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.

When pharmacies are planning their quality assurance or continuous quality improvement plans, they need to determine whether their goals are strictly conformity with state and federal requirements, or something more.

Omnicell's new mobile medication dispensing system features a 12-drawer locked cart with two-dimensional bar-code capabilities for patient identification and medication administration.

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.

One man's fantasy of the ultimate pharmacy leads him down memory lane.