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Community pharmacy, also known as retail pharmacy, is the most common type of pharmacy that allows the public access to their medications and advice about their health. Traditionally known as a chemist, it is the healthcare facility that is responsible for the provision of pharmaceutical service to a specific community group or region.

First patients receive doses of antisense drug for Huntington's disease

The first few patients have received doses of an experimental RNA-targeting drug for Huntington's disease, it was announced today.

20 Oct 2015

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting most common distressing symptoms in majority of cancer patients

Results from two national surveys of patients receiving chemotherapy and pharmacists, conducted by the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) in collaboration with Eisai Inc., found that 83% of patients receiving chemotherapy who have experienced chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) believe it is a side effect with which they must live.

20 Oct 2015

Univfy announces new IVF refund program

At the American Society for Reproductive Medicine Annual Meeting in Baltimore this year, Univfy, the global leader in predictive analytics for in vitro fertilization (IVF), announces a new program to help fertility providers qualify more patients for IVF refund programs.

19 Oct 2015

ASHP sets up committee to explore unique challenges and issues facing women in pharmacy workforce

Nearly 60 percent of all practicing pharmacists are women, according to the 2014 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey, yet women do not reach senior leadership positions in proportion to the profession's demographics. "This calls for a candid and thorough assessment of the diverse needs and opportunities for the development of women in the workforce," said Sara J. White, M.S., FASHP, a past president of ASHP and chair of the Steering Committee tasked with investigating this issue.

19 Oct 2015

Misuse of prescription drugs common among U.S. college students

Seven out of 10 college students say it is somewhat or very easy to obtain controlled stimulants without a prescription, according to a new survey conducted on eight U.S. campuses.

19 Oct 2015

Digital health app facilitates early detection, treatment of COPD exacerbation symptoms

A digital health application for reporting symptoms of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) facilitated early detection and treatment of COPD exacerbation symptoms, according to an analysis from the Temple Lung Center published by Telemedicine and eHealth.

19 Oct 2015

Boehringer Ingelheim announces FDA approval of Praxbind (idarucizumab)

Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval of Praxbind (idarucizumab). PRAXBIND is indicated for patients treated with Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate), when reversal of the anticoagulant effects of dabigatran is needed for emergency surgery/urgent procedures or in life-threatening or uncontrolled bleeding.

16 Oct 2015

Lack of patient understanding of the true cost of medication non-adherence

A new report released today, Friday 16th October, by Omnicell, throws the spotlight on the ‘missing millions’ in the NHS and the staggering cost to the nation of medication non-adherence.

16 Oct 2015

Drug interactions in placenta may increase risk of birth defects or stunting fetal growth

To date, studies in pregnant women examining transport of drugs across the placenta are rare and inadequate, said Tomo Nabekura, PhD. Such knowledge could be vital to preserving fetal health. In a new laboratory study, Nabekura and colleagues have illuminated a piece of this puzzle, and the results hint that mothers taking new anti-hepatitis C and/or anti-HIV drugs along with anti-hypertensives or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) could be raising the risk of birth defects or stunting fetal growth, respectively.

15 Oct 2015

Researchers link organ transplant drug to rise in rare lymphoma

A study led by Johns Hopkins researchers has linked the immunosuppressive drug mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to an increased risk of central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma in solid organ transplant patients. But the same study also found that another class of immunosuppressive drugs, called calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), given alone or in combination with MMF, appears to protect transplant patients against this rare form of lymphoma.

15 Oct 2015

SilverScript announces new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan options for 2016

SilverScript Insurance Company, a CVS Health company, today announced the company's new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (PDP) options for 2016. Medicare beneficiaries can choose from two SilverScript plans that offer $0 deductibles, lower premiums than the 2015 SilverScript plans in many states and low co-pays for several frequently prescribed drugs.

13 Oct 2015

Tamoxifen drug clears MRSA, reduces mortality

Researchers at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences have found that the breast cancer drug tamoxifen gives white blood cells a boost, better enabling them to respond to, ensnare and kill bacteria in laboratory experiments. Tamoxifen treatment in mice also enhances clearance of the antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogen MRSA and reduces mortality.

13 Oct 2015

PCAB reaffirms accreditation of Harbor Compounding Pharmacy in Costa Mesa, CA

The Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) today reaffirmed the accreditation of Harbor Compounding Pharmacy in Costa Mesa, CA.

13 Oct 2015

UNC researchers identify a type of vaginal bacteria that can protect women from HIV

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have identified a type of vaginal bacteria within the mucus of the female reproductive system that can protect women from HIV as well as other sexually transmitted infections.

9 Oct 2015

Innovative one-year project aims to bridge gap between healthcare education and clinical practice

Caring for patients in an acute care setting in a hospital requires a team approach and involves a multitude of healthcare professionals including nurses, attending physicians, residents, case managers, pharmacists, and clinical psychologists to name a few. Each of these professions enters into practice with different skills sets, knowledge and professional identities that contribute to patient care. Yet, in many circumstances, barriers exist between disciplines that can obstruct a team-based system.

7 Oct 2015

Cervicovaginal mucus effectively traps HIV particles

HIV particles are effectively trapped by the cervicovaginal mucus from women who harbor a particular vaginal bacteria species, Lactobacillus crispatus. The findings, published this week in mBio, an online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology, could lead to new ways to reduce or block vaginal transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

7 Oct 2015

Binghamton University biochemist finds new way to fight cancer

A Binghamton University biochemist has discovered a new way to fight cancer, one that attacks only the cancer cells and promises fewer side effects. He hunts hedgehogs.

7 Oct 2015

OSU researchers develop new approach to treat eczema

Pharmaceutical researchers at Oregon State University have developed a new approach to treat eczema and other inflammatory skin disorders that would use individual tests and advanced science to create personalized treatments based on each person's lipid deficiencies.

1 Oct 2015

University of Michigan-led team performs first kidney transplants in Ethiopia

A University of Michigan-led team performed the first kidney transplants in Ethiopia last week, after spending more than two years to help establish a transplant center in the African country.

30 Sep 2015

Light-shielded delivery system for parenteral nutrition may improve survival rate of preemies

The survival rate of preemies born between 26 to 31 weeks of gestation is improved by blocking light from reaching the intravenously-fed infused nutritious mixture they depend on for survival, researchers at CHU Sainte-Justine and the University of Montreal have revealed in a new study.

28 Sep 2015