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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.

SXC Health Solutions and HealthSpring sign PBM contract

SXC Health Solutions Corp., a leading provider of pharmacy benefit management (PBM) products and services, today announced that its informedRx PBM unit has been awarded a contract with HealthSpring Inc.

4 Mar 2010

Kansas lawmakers debate legality of health insurance mandate amendment

Kansas Health Institute: "Republicans and Democrats were sharply divided Tuesday over a proposed constitutional amendment that sponsors said would let federal officials know Kansans don't want to be told by the government that they must buy health insurance. On a 12-9, party-line vote, the House Health and Human Services Committee voted to recommend House Concurrent Resolution 5032 favorable for passage.

4 Mar 2010

UHSM uses Aruba Networks’ VBN solution to increase quality of antenatal services

Aruba Networks, Inc., a global leader in 802.11n wireless LANs and secure mobility solutions, today announced that the University Hospital of South Manchester NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom is using Aruba’s Virtual Branch Networking (VBN) solution to increase the quality of antenatal services delivered to the local community.

3 Mar 2010

Study shows income is not a primary factor in medication adherence

Only 68 percent of corporate executives took their cholesterol lowering medication as prescribed by a doctor, a new study shows.

3 Mar 2010

Thomson Reuters introduces new Pharmacy Intervention solution for hospitals

Thomson Reuters announced today the launch of its new Pharmacy Intervention solution for hospitals.

2 Mar 2010

Xerox's DocuShare platform allows doctors to access patient records in seconds

Healthcare organizations making the switch to digital can take the lead from White Memorial Medical Center. Administrators at the Los Angeles-based hospital say Xerox Corporation’s DocuShare Enterprise Content Management Platform allows doctors to access records in seconds – not hours – to efficiently monitor and serve the more than 17,000 patients the hospital sees annually.

2 Mar 2010

Drugmakers' business practices draw scrutiny

Three top California Medicaid officials in charge of pharmacy issues failed to disclose trips paid for by drug-industry funded business groups, California Watch/San Francisco Chronicle reports. Officials who are directly involved in setting drug policy and negotiating payments took about 12 trips paid for by these nonprofit business groups. The nonprofits hold conferences such as the those attended by the Medicaid officials and raise their money through fees from drug representatives who attend conferences, too.

1 Mar 2010

Acorda Therapeutics' AMPYRA now available in the U.S. and Puerto Rico

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that AMPYRA™ (dalfampridine) Extended Release Tablets, 10 mg is now available by prescription in the United States and Puerto Rico. AMPYRA was approved on January 22, 2010 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment to improve walking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This was demonstrated by an increase in walking speed. AMPYRA is indicated for use in all types of MS, and can be used either alone or with existing therapies, including disease-modifying agents.

1 Mar 2010

Xerox to manage all document and business process needs within healthcare organization

The recent acquisition of Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. makes Xerox Corporation the largest provider to manage all document and business process needs within a healthcare organization – from clinical and operational to financial and administrative.

1 Mar 2010

Pharmacist workforce: Work characteristics and contributions

Results released today from the Pharmacy Manpower Project’s 2009 National Pharmacist Workforce Survey indicate shifts in the pharmacy profession toward more patient care. This 2009 report also provides insight into how the nation’s current economic situation has influenced the dynamics of the U.S. pharmacy workforce as nearly a quarter of pharmacists are practicing part-time and more are working past retirement age. This study is the third in a series of surveys commissioned by the Pharmacy Manpower Project, Inc. (PMP) since 2000 and has been highly anticipated throughout the industry.

1 Mar 2010

Two Atlanta-based nursing homes and their principals to pay the U.S. and several states $14M

Atlanta-based Mariner Health Care Inc. and SavaSeniorCare Administrative Services LLC, as well as their principals, Leonard Grunstein, Murray Forman and Rubin Schron, have agreed to pay the United States and several states $14 million, the Justice Department announced today.

27 Feb 2010

Magellan Health Services reports net revenue of $2.64 billion for year ended December 31, 2009

Magellan Health Services, Inc. today reported net revenue of $2.64 billion, net income of $106.7 million, or $3.01 per diluted common share, and segment profit of $227.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2009.

26 Feb 2010

BioScrip announces revenues of $341.6M for fourth-quarter

BioScrip, Inc. today announced fourth quarter revenues of $341.6 million and net income of $40.7 million, or $0.99 per diluted share, which includes the reversal of the Company’s deferred tax valuation allowance of $41.1 million, expenses of $1.8 million associated with BioScrip’s pending acquisition of Critical Homecare Solutions, Inc. and $4.3 million of incentive compensation expense relating to the Company’s employee compensation program.

26 Feb 2010

Nanotechnology to tackle side effects and drug resistance in treatment of cancer

Huixin He, associate professor, nanoscale chemistry at Rutgers University, Newark, and Tamara Minko, professor at the Rutgers Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, have developed a nanotechnology approach that potentially could eliminate the problems of side effects and drug resistance in the treatment of cancer. Under traditional chemotherapy, cancer cells, like bacteria, can develop resistance to drug therapy, leading to a relapse of the disease.

26 Feb 2010

WellPoint executive defends premium increases at congressional hearing

In a congressional hearing Wednesday, an insurance company executive justified proposed premium increases and warned "that pending legislation" could make the problem of high medical costs worse. "The executive, Angela F. Braly, president of WellPoint, made the comments in testimony prepared for a hearing of the House Energy and Commerce Committee," The New York Times reports.

25 Feb 2010

FEHBP's H.R. 4489 overhaul will undermine cost-saving tools and disrupt prescription drug benefits

“Regrettably, the FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act (H.R. 4489) would undermine many of the cost-saving tools used in FEHBP and disrupt prescription drug benefits for 8 million federal employees, retirees, and their families.”

25 Feb 2010

AMA awards HMS contract for third party recovery activities

HMS today announced that it had been awarded a contract by the State of Alabama Medicaid Agency (AMA) to provide various third party recovery activities, including data matches with commercial and government insurors, commercial and Medicare recoveries, real-time pharmacy cost avoidance, subrogation, and credit balance audit services. This contract is for a two-year term, with three additional one-year renewal options.

25 Feb 2010

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

The House Subcommittee for the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia heard testimony today on HR 4489, the “FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act.” The proposed bill would reform many aspects of how the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide prescription drug benefits to federal workers.

24 Feb 2010

Findings suggest bitter melon extract may help in preventing breast cancer

Bitter melon extract, a common dietary supplement, exerts a significant effect against breast cancer cell growth and may eventually become a chemopreventive agent against this form of cancer, according to results of a recent study.

23 Feb 2010

Medco Health Solutions announces record 16.7% increase in total net revenues for 2009

Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today reported record fourth-quarter 2009 GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.70, up 29.6 percent compared to $0.54 in fourth-quarter 2008. Excluding the amortization of intangible assets that existed when Medco became a publicly traded company in 2003, fourth-quarter 2009 diluted earnings per share increased 28.8 percent to a record $0.76. Medco also reported record full-year 2009 GAAP diluted earnings per share of $2.61, up 22.5 percent -- exceeding the high-end of the company's guidance.

23 Feb 2010

Pharmacy News and Research

Further Reading

SXC Health Solutions and HealthSpring sign PBM contract

Kansas lawmakers debate legality of health insurance mandate amendment

UHSM uses Aruba Networks’ VBN solution to increase quality of antenatal services

Study shows income is not a primary factor in medication adherence

Thomson Reuters introduces new Pharmacy Intervention solution for hospitals

Xerox's DocuShare platform allows doctors to access patient records in seconds

Drugmakers' business practices draw scrutiny

Acorda Therapeutics' AMPYRA now available in the U.S. and Puerto Rico

Xerox to manage all document and business process needs within healthcare organization

Pharmacist workforce: Work characteristics and contributions

Two Atlanta-based nursing homes and their principals to pay the U.S. and several states $14M

Magellan Health Services reports net revenue of $2.64 billion for year ended December 31, 2009

BioScrip announces revenues of $341.6M for fourth-quarter

Nanotechnology to tackle side effects and drug resistance in treatment of cancer

WellPoint executive defends premium increases at congressional hearing

FEHBP's H.R. 4489 overhaul will undermine cost-saving tools and disrupt prescription drug benefits

AMA awards HMS contract for third party recovery activities

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

Findings suggest bitter melon extract may help in preventing breast cancer

Medco Health Solutions announces record 16.7% increase in total net revenues for 2009

Pittcon Highlights: Pharmaceutical & Biologic eBook

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

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