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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 Edition: March 25, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the continuing outlook for progress on the federal budget as well as a variety of stories related to the health law's implementation.

25 Mar 2013

CVS demands employees offer health info or pay more for coverage

Chain drugstore CVS is offering employees a choice: Reveal health info, including their weight, or pay as much as $600 more per year for their health insurance.

22 Mar 2013

Spending on prescription drugs dropped slightly in 2012

The decrease was miniscule, but it was the first time since 1957 that the research firm IMS Health had recorded a dip in United States drug expenditures, reports The New York Times. In related news, more effective use of medications could lead to Medicare savings, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

20 Mar 2013

Roundup: Calif. gets poor grade on health price transparency; Inmates sue Calif. counties over prison care; Ore. lawmakers want torts to apply to insurers

A selection of health policy stories from California, Oregon, Michigan, Kansas, Massachusetts and New Jersey.

20 Mar 2013

FDA alert: All sterile drug products of Med Prep Consulting recalled due to contamination

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting health care providers and patients of a voluntary nationwide recall of all lots of all products produced by Med Prep Consulting Inc. of Tinton Falls, N.J, a specialty pharmacy licensed by the state of New Jersey.

19 Mar 2013

Study finds increased use of antipsychotic medication among Medicaid-insured children

A new study from the University of Maryland found that use of antipsychotic drugs from 1997 to 2006 increased 7- to 12-fold in a Medicaid population of about 500,000 children ages two to 17.

16 Mar 2013

Bitter melon juice restricts ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metabolize glucose

A University of Colorado Cancer study published this week in the journal Carcinogenesis shows that bitter melon juice restricts the ability of pancreatic cancer cells to metabolize glucose, thus cutting the cells' energy source and eventually killing them.

13 Mar 2013

Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement: an interview with Judit Rius, Médecins Sans Frontières

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a trade deal currently being negotiated between eleven countries of the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, United States, Singapore and Vietnam.

12 Mar 2013

State highlights: Ga. health bills advance on 'Crossover Day'

A selection of health policy stories from Georgia, New York, Massachusetts, Kentucky and California.

11 Mar 2013

Pharmacist-led intervention combats hypertension

A home-based intervention led by clinical pharmacists and involving an internet monitoring tool results in marked reductions in blood pressure, say researchers.

8 Mar 2013

Study investigates how cancer cells 'hijack' platelets

A new research study has investigated how cancer cells 'hijack' blood cells known as platelets, enabling cancer to spread around the body and promoting the growth of new tumours, it was reported today at the annual Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) Research Day.

7 Mar 2013

Inspector General finds unclear definition, enforcement of 'conflict of interest' may alter Medicare coverage decisions

Deciding which drugs will be covered by Medicare can influence huge amounts of spending, but government officials do little to police conflict of interest among doctors and pharmacists who make those decisions, federal investigators said Monday.

6 Mar 2013

Express Scripts finds decline in 2012 U.S. spending on traditional prescription drugs

For the first time in more than 20 years, there was a decrease in 2012 U.S. spending on traditional prescription drugs — primarily pills people take to treat more common diseases such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure — according to new data released today by Express Scripts.

5 Mar 2013

Viewpoints: Daschle, Frist urge Senate to confirm CMS chief; 'Insane' incentives in health law; Medicaid does better job than private insurance so why change it?

Imagine a large company operating for seven years without a CEO. A company with a product that accounts for more than 15 percent of our nation's gross domestic product. A company implementing the largest national effort at reform since its creation. A company set to gain an additional 30 million customers in the next year. Unfathomable.

4 Mar 2013

UNC1215 chemical probe can help investigate L3MBTL3 methyl-lysine reader domain

In an article published as the cover story of the March 2013 issue of Nature Chemical Biology, Lindsey James, PhD, research assistant professor in the lab of Stephen Frye, Fred Eshelman Distinguished Professor in the UNC School of Pharmacy and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, announced the discovery of a chemical probe that can be used to investigate the L3MBTL3 methyl-lysine reader domain.

3 Mar 2013

UPV/EHU team uses lipid nanoparticles to develop new formulations for drug delivery

At the Faculty of Pharmacy of the Basque Public University (UPV/EHU) the Pharmacokinetics, Nanotechnology and Gene Therapy research team is using nanotechnology to develop new formulations that can be applied to drugs and gene therapy.

1 Mar 2013

State roundup: Health care industry calls drug testing bill in N.H. 'vague'

Representatives from the health care industry said Tuesday they have a vested interest in stopping employees from stealing controlled substances but a bill being considered by New Hampshire lawmakers to drug test their workers is too vague. The proposal is part of the legislative response to a recent scandal at Exeter Hospital, where an employee allegedly stole drugs and replaced them with Hepatitis C infected syringes later used on patients.

28 Feb 2013

Counting the cost of bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery for obese patients is not cost-saving relative to medical care, shows a 6-year follow-up study in JAMA Surgery.

28 Feb 2013

Two renowned SCCP scientists earn national recognition from Society of Toxicology

Two renowned scientists at the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (SCCP) have garnered national recognition from the Society of Toxicology (SoT), which named them recipients of two of its individual annual awards. It is the first time these awards have gone to individuals from the same College.

27 Feb 2013

Genetic variation in CD33 influences how AML patients' leukemic cell responds to GO

Researchers from the College of Pharmacy and Medical School working within the Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, have partnered to identify genetic variations that may help signal which acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients will benefit or not benefit from one of the newest antileukemic agents.

26 Feb 2013