June 19th 2024
A survey of health system specialty pharmacy employees found that hybrid work significantly improved quality of life and workplace productivity.
Pharmacy medication errors may be ruled criminal
August 10th 2009Pharmacy mistakes can sometimes lead to injury or even death. Pharmacists can be held liable in a civil suit for money damages; now a pharmacist in Ohio may be convicted of a criminal charge in the accidental death of a two-year-old girl. It is possible that the effect of criminal liability upon professional practices will worsen outcomes rather than improve them.
Pharmacists' role evolves with 21st century health care
August 10th 2009Pharmacy in the 21st century will be more integrated into provision of health services than ever before. Electronic health records will become increasingly important, as will e-prescribing, prescription data, pharmacist intervention/counseling, and collaboration with other healthcare providers.
Biologics bills duke it out in Congress
August 10th 2009In coming years, nearly half of all newly approved drugs could come from biotechnology. With stakes so high, Congress is working to create a more direct pathway for the FDA to approve "biosimilars", the generic or "follow-on" versions of biologics. Two bills before Congress approach the issues differently.
Medicare Part D: Community CCRX offers incentives to pharmacies
August 10th 2009Only one Medicare Part D prescription plan operates in partnership with pharmacists: Community CCRx, which offers incentives for generic dispensing, therapy management, and maintenance supply fills. More than 63,000 pharmacies across the country participate in the program, including all major chains and community pharmacies.
NCPA seeks to correct flex spending requirements
August 5th 2009The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) recently wrote to a key standards-setting body requesting action on a number of regarding a new Internal Revenue Service requirement meant to ensure flexible spending account debit cards are used properly that is seen by the association as problematic.
California legislative committee examines pharmacy workplace issues
August 4th 2009The California State Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment recently held an informational hearing on the subject of workplace conditions in retail pharmacies. Among those testifying were pharmacists, academics, students, consumer advocates, and representatives of the California Retailers Association.
Collaboration with physicians improves patient care, revenues
August 3rd 2009Orlando, Fla.--Pharmacists can collaborate with physicians and other health professionals in many ways, including through drug therapy management programs, pharmacy vaccine programs, and practice agreements, to build revenue streams and improve patient outcomes.
NCPA continues fight against surety bond
July 29th 2009The National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) is still working to urge Congress to exempt community pharmacies from the Oct. 1 accreditation and surety bond requirements needed to continue providing durable medical equipment, prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) to Medicare patients.
FDA approves new drug indication for Forteo
July 28th 2009On July 23, Eli Lilly and Company announced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new use for its osteoporosis drug FORTEO to treat osteoporosis associated with sustained, systemic glucocorticoid therapy in men and women at high risk of fracture.
NCPA announces 2009 competition finalists
July 22nd 2009Earlier this week at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) in Boston, Mass., teams of pharmacy students from three universities were named as finalists in the Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition sponsored by the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA).
AACP session promotes humanity in pharmacy
July 20th 2009Carolyn Brackett, PharmD, Associate Professor of Clinical Pharmacy at Ohio State University?s College of Pharmacy believes it?s possible to bring more humanity and human-to-human interaction to pharmacy ? regardless of the area in which they practice.
AACP teaches graduate students how to market themselves
July 19th 2009As the 2009 American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) Annual Meeting started July 18, one of the first issues on the agenda was pharmacists who plan on entering academia and how graduate students can make the transition into a faculty position.
FDA moving cautiously on tobacco regulation
July 8th 2009Congress gave the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) jurisdiction over tobacco in June, but don?t look for any quick changes in tobacco policy, products, or marketing. The agency is asking the public for guidance before jumping into regulation.
How to reduce medication errors: Pharmacists weigh in (Web Extra)
July 1st 2009So what is actually happening behind the retail counter? To get an idea, Drug Topics took a brief, unscientific survey of individual community pharmacists. All the respondents felt that pharmacist counseling reduces medication errors.
What state boards are doing about medication errors (Web Extra)
July 1st 2009As of June 2009, it appears that North Carolina remains the only state to require any consistent public reporting of pharmacy-associated medication errors. In North Carolina, pharmacists must report errors associated with deaths.
Enhanced labels focus on consumer safety (Web Extra)
July 1st 2009Two new designs from Scriptchek add extra label space for patient information on prescription vials. The extended tab label more than doubles available label space. On the rectangular vial, three flat sides offer space for additional patient instructions, and its label offers up to four times more printing space.