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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.

Loophole in Senate bill would let insurers cap payments for costly diseases

The Associated Press: "A loophole in the Senate health care bill would let insurers place annual dollar limits on medical care for people struggling with costly illnesses such as cancer, prompting a rebuke from patient advocates." An earlier version of the bill in a Senate committee forbid the practice, but a tweak would allow limits so long as they aren't "unreasonable" (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/11).

13 Dec 2009

Illinois prepares to implement medical error reporting law

Illinois prepares to implement a medical reporting law while CVS receives a contract to provide $1 billion in pharmacy benefits in Texas.

12 Dec 2009

Prescription Solutions achieves overall generic prescription drug penetration rate of 68.8 percent

Prescription Solutions, a leading pharmacy benefits management (PBM) organization and a UnitedHealth Group company, has achieved an industry-leading overall generic prescription drug penetration rate of 68.8 percent year-to-date for 2009.

11 Dec 2009

CIGNA unveils new program to predict short-term disability

The average disability absence costs $35,000 in lost productivity per employee, according to the Integrated Benefits Institute. CIGNA today unveils a glimpse into the future– a new program that uses data analysis to predict the likelihood of a short-term disability.

11 Dec 2009

HSA survey reveals drug cost inflation in workers’ compensation is up by 7.5%

Drug cost inflation in workers’ compensation is up 7.5 percent according to Health Strategy Associates’ (HSA) Sixth Annual Survey of Prescription Drug Management in Workers’ Compensation.

10 Dec 2009

$1 billion drug benefits contract to CVS Caremark: TRS urged to examine further before voting

Controversy has erupted around the Board of the Teacher Retirement System’s plan to vote on a $1 billion drug benefits contract on Thursday. CVS Caremark, a pharmacy benefits manager that also owns the country’s largest drugstore chain, currently contracts with TRS to provide drug benefits for retirees.

10 Dec 2009

RushCard introduces free prescription drug discount program

While lawmakers debate over proposals to make healthcare more affordable, RushCard is doing its part to lessen the burden for its cardholders by introducing a free prescription drug discount program.

10 Dec 2009

Courtney Gamston wins the inaugural 2009 Facts & Comparisons Enhancement Scholarship

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading global provider of information for healthcare professionals and students, announced today that Courtney Gamston of Auburn University’s Harrison School of Pharmacy is the winner of the inaugural 2009 Facts & Comparisons® Enhancement Scholarship.

10 Dec 2009

Order Online Drugs announces the launch of OrderOnlineDrugs.com

Order Online Drugs Inc. is proud to announce the launch of OrderOnlineDrugs.com (www.orderonlinedrugs.com), a next generation online Canadian pharmacy that offers brand name prescription drugs at significantly lower prices compared to local drug stores.

10 Dec 2009

New York cuts drug reimbursements, states trim tobacco prevention funding

The Associated Press: "States cut funding for state tobacco prevention programs more than 15 percent this year, pushing it further than ever below federally recommended levels, according to a report that a coalition of public health groups is releasing Wednesday.

9 Dec 2009

CSL Behring selects BioRx as an approved Berinert provider

BioRx, a specialty pharmacy company, has been named one of a small number of approved providers of Berinert®. Berinert® is a plasma-derived concentrate of C1 esterase inhibitor (human) indicated for the treatment of acute abdominal or facial attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) in adult and adolescent patients. CSL Behring, the manufacturer of Berinert® selected BioRx as part of their distribution network to launch this exciting new product in the United States.

8 Dec 2009

Specialty pharmaceutical market: Treatment patterns and product performance

IMS Health, the world’s leading provider of market intelligence to the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, today announced the wide-scale availability of its advanced analytical offering, IMS Specialty Market Dynamics™, which delivers the most complete view of treatment patterns and product performance in the rapidly growing specialty pharmaceutical market.

8 Dec 2009

ICON, CMFT collaborate to develop translational medicine facilities on the MRI campus

ICON plc, a global provider of outsourced development services to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, today announced details of its new translational medicine unit in Manchester, UK. The unit is the first deliverable from a collaborative agreement between ICON and the Central Manchester University Hospitals Foundation (CMFT) to develop purpose-built translational medicine facilities on the newly-developed Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI) campus.

7 Dec 2009

Micromedex 2.0, the new version of clinical information system to be released

Thomson Reuters today announced the release of Micromedex 2.0, the newest version of its market-leading clinical information system.

7 Dec 2009

VELCADE based regimens are cost-effective for payers and patients, finds study

Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company today announced that two studies presented at the 51st American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting found that VELCADE based regimens are more cost-effective for payers and reduced out-of-pocket costs for patients than other commonly used multiple myeloma treatments.

7 Dec 2009

McKesson to introduce PROmanager-Rx system at the 44th Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition

McKesson today will introduce the PROmanager-Rx™ system, an innovative solution that enables hospitals for the first time to fully automate the dispensing of tablets, capsules, and other oral solid medications that come pre-packaged from drug manufacturers in unit-dose, bar-coded form.

7 Dec 2009

Health experts available to discuss national healthcare policy issues

Experts at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and the USC School of Pharmacy are available to discuss critical national healthcare and healthcare policy issues.

5 Dec 2009

PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals announces revenue of $5,012,334 for first-quarter

PD-Rx Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced revenue of $5,012,334 for the first quarter ended September 30, 2009, a 24% decrease over the same period last year.

5 Dec 2009

Paralyzed dancer sues Cargill over E. coli tainted burger

Stephanie Smith, the twenty-two year old Minnesota dance instructor left paralyzed by a burger tainted with E. coli filed suit today against Cargill, who produced the contaminated meat. Ms. Smith, whose “The Burger that Shattered Her Life” profile in the New York Times was emailed all over the country, covered by hundreds of media outlets and galvanized legislators to change food laws, attempted mediation with the company, but was unable to come to a fair agreement with them.

5 Dec 2009

Hospira launches VisIV containers for intravenous medications and solutions

Hospira, Inc., a leading global specialty pharmaceutical and medication delivery company, today announced the launch of its next-generation 50 mL and 100 mL VisIV(TM) containers for intravenous (I.V.) medications and solutions, and now offers a complete size range (50 mL to 1 L) of the award-winning, environmentally responsible VisIV product.

5 Dec 2009