Technology

What appear to be garden-variety medication carts travel the halls (alone) at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, delivering medications to 3 critical-care units.

Approximately a dozen pharmaceutical manufacturers are using light-up, wireless-connected pill bottles to improve medication adherence.

The AACE and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc. have partnered to launch the Diabetes Navigator, a collection of type 2 diabetes information available online for patients and caregivers.

SCRIPT Version 10.6, the standard for e-prescribing and related transactions that the National Council for Prescription Drug Programs has been recommending for several years, will be coming into use in upcoming months.

Pharmacy automation systems offer their users a way to improve and streamline their workflow.

A new flat, rectangular pill container may render obsolete the traditional round plastic vials and bottles used throughout the healthcare industry.

As healthcare moves swiftly toward a more comprehensive electronic platform, pharmacies will be required to upgrade their claim submission standard from NCPDP 5.1 to NCPDP D.0, an updated version of the HIPAA standard for pharmacy claims transactions.

At Seattle's Group Health Cooperative, patient management is a team affair. Primary care physicians, clinical pharmacists, nurses, and assistants all work together to meet the needs of patients through a patient-centered medical home approach.

A high-tech alarm system, staff training, and new security cameras are deterring thefts at Gloucester Pharmacy in Gloucester, Va.

Pharmacists at the University of California San Francisco are in the process of bringing one of the world's largest and most advanced robotic pharmacies online.

During a recent webinar presented by Pharmacy OneSource, Michael R. McDaniel, RPh, MBA, FASHP, showed how use of data can help identify appropriate cost-containment measures and justify necessary staffing.

Using social media to promote their businesses can give independent pharmacy owners the competitive edge.

The first medical marijuana kiosks are expected to roll out in medical marijuana dispensaries starting in April.

Intuity Medical, Inc., the maker of POGO, a fully-integrated blood glucose monitoring system, secured a $20 million credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank and Oxford Finance Corporation.

Swisslog, a leader in pneumatic tube manufacturing, has launched a new touch-screen control-panel design.

Swisslog, a leader in pneumatic tube manufacturing, has launched a new touch-screen control-panel design.

Pharmacy technicians have emerged as key players in the growth of telepharmacy in both inpatient and outpatient settings in areas like North Dakota, which relies heavily on telepharmacy.

The Department of Veteran Affairs is partnering with the Indian Health Services to improve prescription delivery to the federally recognized tribes of IHS, a population of about 2 million people.

Medtronic Inc. in Minneapolis, Minn., recently received FDA approval for its new CareLink Pro 3.0 Therapy Management software.

Baxa Corp. has released a significant upgrade for its DoseEdge Pharmacy Workflow Manager, with more than 39 improvements and enhancements.

Want to save $1 million annually on pharmacy costs? Go lean, as in lean management. That's what Elkhart General Hospital did with medication administration.

CVS Caremark has released its Caremark.com iPhone application, which can be used with all versions of the Apple iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the iPad.

The latest pharmacy technologies include IVR, telepharmacy, cell-phone-based automatic refill reminders, a compact robotic dispenser, remote dispensing, and CPOE pharmacy management.

Use of bar-code technology is widespread in the general retail environment. Its advantages have not yet been fully exploited in the hospital and community-pharmacy settings.

In every pharmacy, continuous quality improvement is an essential safeguard. For two approaches that guarantee best practices, read on.

The Drug Enforcement Administration has released its long-awaited interim final rule for electronic prescribing of controlled substances.

Pharmacy directors who want to - or have to - operate 24/7 but don't have the staff to cover all 3 shifts have a new ally, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP).

The number of e-prescriptions filled last year soared 181% to 191 million, according to "Advancing Healthcare in America," a report issued by Surescripts in Alexandria, Va.

FDA will provide access to its health information for consumers through a collaboration with Drugs.com, which will post the information at its website and on its mobile phone platform.

Oregon's law requiring prescriptions for pseudoephedrine products practically eliminated its illicit methamphetamine problem. But some pharmacists, consumer groups, and the drug industry say that it will increase healthcare costs and inconvenience consumers. They think electronic sales-tracking systems would be a better approach.