Pharmacist News and Research

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There are many tasks that a pharmacist is responsible for each day. Pharmacists are some of the most accessible members of the healthcare team, as individuals can seek their advice quickly and easily, even without an appointment.

Study looks at how health care providers react to medication alerts in EMR systems

A study by Regenstrief Institute and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigators provides the first in-depth look at how health care providers react to medication alerts generated by electronic medical record systems. The researchers plan to use this information to improve the design of medication alerts and diminish the phenomenon known as alert fatigue, where providers can become desensitized and may start unintentionally ignoring some important warnings.

30 Mar 2012

Consumer should be centre of care when offering alternative medicine brands

NPS is reminding pharmacists to place patient care first and avoid multiple switching of medicine brands for patients who may be at higher risk of confusion from switching, as price disclosure arrangements come into effect this weekend.

29 Mar 2012

1 in 5 Australians have taken an expired medicine

NPS is urging all Australians to clean out their medicine cabinets today as part of national Be Medicinewise Week 2012. New research from NPS found around 1 in 5 people reported ever having taken an expired medicine.

26 Mar 2012

57% of Australians make mistakes with their medicines

New research from NPS has found that 57% of Australians report they have made a mistake with their medicines in the past 12 months.

25 Mar 2012

AAFA releases new 'Spring Allergy Capital' rankings

Today is the vernal equinox – otherwise known as the official end of winter and the start of spring. But even if you didn't look at your calendar today, chances are your nose already figured it out. That's because more than 40 million Americans have nasal allergies.

20 Mar 2012

Merz launches new, once daily Mederma Advanced Scar Gel

Mederma, the #1 doctor-and pharmacist-recommended brand for scars for over a decade, announced today the introduction of Mederma Advanced Scar Gel, which reduces the overall appearance of scars caused by injury, acne, surgery or burns with just one daily application. Mederma Advanced Scar Gel contains Cepalin, the same proprietary botanical extract derived from onions used in all Mederma® scar products and stretch marks therapy.

19 Mar 2012

Adverse drug reactions could be avoided among adult hospital and emergency patients

Close to half of adverse reactions to medicines among adult hospital and emergency patients could be avoided, shows a study from the Nordic School of Public Health NHV.

16 Mar 2012

New study suggests another benefit to antimicrobial stewardship

Curbing unnecessary use of antibiotics is our best defense against the spread of drug-resistant infections. A new study suggests another benefit to antimicrobial stewardship: a potential cost savings of millions of dollars now wasted on therapies that don't help patients.

15 Mar 2012

FDA may allow many chronic ailment drugs to be available over-the-counter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is deciding on a proposal to waive prescription requirements for commonly used drugs that treat conditions like diabetes, asthma, and migraines.

11 Mar 2012

Get ready for Be Medicinewise Week 2012

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, the week will urge all Australians to stop, think and learn more about the medicines they are using and encourage them to seek information to make better decisions about their health.

8 Mar 2012

Leading AIDS experts issue new HIV guidelines

Leading AIDS experts at Johns Hopkins and other institutions around the world have issued new guidelines to promote entry into and retention in HIV care, as well as adherence to HIV treatment, drawn from the results of 325 studies conducted with tens of thousands of people infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

6 Mar 2012

Medicaid: Texas rule lowers pharmacy prescription pay; N.H. gets grant

In Texas, new Medicaid rules mean pharmacies get paid less for filling prescriptions for Medicaid patients. In New Hampshire, however, a new Medicaid grant will help people with disabilities stay in their homes.

6 Mar 2012

KCC's geriatric oncology symposium to take place on March 9

Approaches to treating elderly cancer patients are evolving as more of the population ages and the need for specialized care becomes more evident. To address these issues and others, national thought leaders in geriatric oncology will gather at a unique symposium at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson (KCC) in Philadelphia on Friday, March 9, 2012, where they will present an overview of the latest advances in the understanding and treatment of cancer in older adults in an effort to impact patient care.

29 Feb 2012

Cedars-Sinai pharmacy director to receive 2012 Whitney award

During her 34-year career, Rita Shane, PharmD, has earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for patient safety - one who has transformed the way pharmacists perform their jobs.

24 Feb 2012

Making a medicinewise choice between brands

Following reports the first generic version of atorvastatin will be hitting pharmacy shelves this week, NPS is urging consumers to be medicinewise when making a choice between medicine brands.

22 Feb 2012

Pharmacist-led interventions can help reduce medication errors in primary care

Medication errors are common in primary care but the number of mistakes could be reduced significantly if GPs introduced an in-house pharmacist-led intervention scheme.

21 Feb 2012

Mobius selects The Apothecary Shops as distribution partner for Mitosol Kit for Ophthalmic Use

Apothecary Shop Wholesale, Inc., an affiliate of The Apothecary Shops Specialty Pharmacies, has received exclusive distribution rights from Mobius Therapeutics, LLC for its new drug Mitosol (mitomycin for solution) 0.2 mg/vial Kit for Ophthalmic Use.

18 Feb 2012

Tips to understand drug-related recall

With the new year came many drug recalls. In the first six weeks of 2012, there were at least 13 drug-related recalls. Some were due to bacterial contamination. Eight distinct bacterial contaminants were identified in one over-the-counter product.

8 Feb 2012

Vending machine to dispense “morning after pills” at college sparks debate

Now students at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania can get the “morning after” pill by sliding $25 into a vending machine, an idea that has drawn the attention of federal regulators and raised questions about how accessible emergency contraception should be.

7 Feb 2012

AACN launches Critical Care Pharmacology

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) and Elsevier | MC Strategies announce the launch of AACN: Critical Care Pharmacology, a comprehensive, evidence-based online nursing course to help nurses further develop their competencies in the safe administration of medications commonly used in critical care.

4 Feb 2012