Hot off the Press for November 14, 2005

November 14, 2005

• Seniors offered Medicare Rx worksheet
• AANMA: Preferred drug lists interfere with successful asthma control
• Medco study finds low rate of dispensing errors
• CARE Pharmacies adds franchises
• Medicine Shoppe offers nutritious recipes for diabetes patients
• Study: Omega-3 fatty acids and lutein could help seniors
• Longs cancels flu shot clinics; FluMist available in some locations
• McKesson begins second phase of Health Across America tour
• U.S. has higher healthcare costs, more medical errors

Seniors offered Medicare Rx worksheet
Beneficiaries trying to navigate the Medicare Part D maze are being offered a worksheet by the Medicare Rx Education Network, which coordinates with CMS to provide accurate education and enrollment information. The network includes 70 national organizations. Using the worksheet, beneficiaries fill in their current drugs, dosages, frequencies, costs, and where they are usually purchased before comparing Rx plans or speaking with a Medicare counselor at 1-(800) MEDICARE. The worksheet can be downloaded at www.carepharmacies.com. Back to top

Medicine Shoppe offers nutritious recipes for diabetes patients
Medicine Shoppe Pharmacies and the American Diabetes Association are teaming up to provide free recipe booklets to assist people in managing diabetes. The booklets are available free in stores during November to coincide with American Diabetes Month. Back to top

Study: Omega-3 fatty acids and lutein could help seniors
Taking certain dietary supplements could help seniors live independently longer and offset healthcare expenditures by billions of dollars, according to a new study conducted by The Lewin Group. Results of the study were revealed during a recent press briefing held by the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance. The supplements studied were omega-3 fatty acids and lutein with zeaxanthin. For more information, visit www.longs.com or call 1-(800) TO-LONGS for the nearest FluMist location. Back to top

McKesson begins second phase of Health Across America tour
McKesson has kicked off the second leg of its Health Across America road tour, a nationwide campaign designed to promote the valuable role community pharmacists play in the healthcare system. In addition to celebrating the contributions community pharmacists make every day, the tour will focus on education about the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit and emphasize the important role community pharmacists play as trusted advisers to their Medicare customers. The tour will make stops at senior and community centers, state capitals, and local pharmacies in about 21 cities. Back to top

U.S. has higher healthcare costs, more medical errors
U.S. patients experienced higher out-of-pocket medical expenses and more medical errors than did those in countries with state-funded health care, according to a study by the Commonwealth Fund. The study included nearly 7,000 patients in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, Germany, and New Zealand. About 34% of U.S. patients experienced a medical mistake in the past two years, and 34% paid more than $1,000 in medical costs in the past year, compared with only 14% of Canadian and Australian patients. Back to top