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.

U.S. Supreme Court ruling on generic drugs

According to the new ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, people harmed by generic drugs may find it harder to get restitution. The court ruled on Thursday that generic drug makers cannot be sued for failing to warn consumers of their products' side effects if they copy the exact warnings on the drugs' brand-name equivalents.

23 Jun 2011

Some drug mixtures may be fatal for elderly: study

British scientists warn that well known brands of hay fever tablets, painkillers and sleeping pills pose a previously unknown threat to elderly people’s health when taken together. Many are available over the counter at pharmacies as well as being prescribed by GPs, nurses and chemists they said.

23 Jun 2011

Study shows high increase in healthcare costs associated with falls

During the winter of 2009-2010 the average temperature for the UK was 1.6 degrees centigrade, making it the coldest recorded winter in the last 30 years. Using winter data from 2005 to 2010, new research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Environmental Health demonstrates an inverse relationship between temperature and the number of falls on snow and ice, which result in emergency admission to hospital, and looks at the cost of these falls.

18 Jun 2011

Policy issues related to dual-eligible patients, cancer medication coverage attract headlines

The Associated Press reports that seniors are facing Medicare cost barriers which sometimes lead them to not fill cancer drug prescriptions. Also, CQ HealthBeat reports that a special team within the Department of Health and Human Services is working on finding ways to save money and improve care for patients on both Medicare and Medicaid.

13 Jun 2011

University of Maryland School of Pharmacy to host National Leadership Roundtable on June 9

With a collective eye on ongoing health care reform efforts, the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy on June 9 will be hosting a timely and wide-ranging National Leadership Roundtable on how an expanded role for pharmacists is improving health outcomes and health care expenditures in communities nationwide.

8 Jun 2011

Gleevec shows significant overall survival benefit for patients w/ GIST after 3 years of adjuvant treatment vs. 1 year

Novartis announced new data today showing a significant improvement in both recurrence-free survival and overall survival for patients taking Gleevec® (imatinib mesylate)* tablets for three years after surgery to remove KIT (CD117)-positive gastrointestinal stromal tumors (KIT+ GIST) compared to one year of treatment. These data will be presented at the 47th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) plenary session on Sunday, June 5.

6 Jun 2011

Study assesses public's willingness to consider pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention

In a recent clinical trial, non-HIV-infected individuals who used the antiretroviral drug Truvada on a daily basis cut their risk of becoming infected with HIV by 44 percent.

4 Jun 2011

Verizon Wireless and Medco unveil mobile medication app with real-time patient-specific drug safety

Verizon Wireless and Medco Health Solutions, Inc. have announced a mobile application that can instantly guide patients and their doctors to the lowest-cost prescription drug to meet their health needs and help them identify potentially harmful drug interactions. Available now on Verizon Wireless Android handsets and BlackBerry devices, the new Medco Pharmacy mobile app delivers critical information to help Medco members manage their prescription medications.

22 May 2011

Study reveals weakness of pharmacies' clinical decision support software in evaluating drug-drug interactions

A study conducted at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy found that only 28 percent of pharmacies' clinical decision support software systems - the computer programs that are in place to alert pharmacists to possible medication problems - correctly identified potentially dangerous drug-drug interactions.

18 May 2011

Nine nurses earn UC Irvine recognition for patient care, education and guidance, teamwork

Each year during National Nurses Week, UC Irvine Medical Center honors nurses who demonstrate excellence in patient care, education and guidance, mentorship, and teamwork.

13 May 2011

U.S. still needs to treat health care delivery as a science, says AHRQ director

Carolyn Clancy, MD, director of the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, says that although the U.S. "leads the way" in science to develop medical methods, the country still needs to treat health care delivery as a science.

7 May 2011

New drugs need to provide more data on how they compare with existing ones: Study

According to US researchers, data on drugs that could save money and help doctors make smarter treatment decisions are often unavailable at the time new medicines hit the market. They released a study this Tuesday in Journal of the American Medical Association which found nearly a third of new drug approvals from the Food and Drug Administration included no data on how well the medications compare with existing alternatives.

5 May 2011

FDA releases final guidance to firms that market OTC drug products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today released its final guidance to firms that manufacture, market, or distribute over-the-counter liquid drug products packaged with cups, droppers, syringes, and spoons to measure and dispense the doses of medication.

5 May 2011

UW School of Pharmacy receives Dohmen donation to enhance students' education

Dohmen Company CEO Cynthia LaConte announced today that the Dohmen Company Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the 153-year-old healthcare services company, has donated $100,000 to the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy.

4 May 2011

Roundup: Mass. officials wrestle with municipal health care issues

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick says he and legislative leaders are in fundamental agreement over what should be included in a municipal health care bill, even while there remains disagreement on the specifics. The House approved a measure last week that would largely strip public employee unions of collective bargaining rights over health care benefits. The Senate is expected to act in the coming weeks.

4 May 2011

New study: Text-heavy labels can reduce acetaminophen overdose

While well known for relieving everyday aches and pains, few realize that when misused, acetaminophen can lead to acute liver failure and even death, often due to accidental overdose by an uninformed consumer. A new small study looked at what's missing in consumer education about acetaminophen and how to overcome those gaps.

3 May 2011

Five Loyola employees donate kidneys to complete strangers

Loyola University Medical Center is believed to be the first organization in the country, and perhaps the world, in which five employees have each donated kidneys to complete strangers with no strings attached.

28 Apr 2011

Wolters Kluwer Health enters agreement to acquire Lexi-Comp

Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for professionals, students and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health and pharmacy, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Lexi-Comp, Inc., a leading global provider of drug information and clinical content for pharmacists and clinicians.

27 Apr 2011

Survey: Pharmacists top OTC product picks in more than 77 total categories

The 2010 Pharmacy Today Over-the-Counter Product Survey, conducted by the American Pharmacists Association, reveals pharmacists believe that 81% of consumers purchase the over-the-counter product that was recommended by their pharmacist, 92% of pharmacists walk a patient to the OTC section to assist with a product selection and the average patient consult takes only three minutes of the patient's time.

26 Apr 2011

Geisinger's Geriatric Assessment Program helps seniors promote good health

Some seniors may need help getting around town, while others may need assistance getting around the house. Regardless of the degree of need, Geisinger Health System utilizes a systematic approach through its Geriatric Assessment Program to identify the medical and social needs of a geriatric patient to design a custom course of treatment to help seniors and their families successfully manage the aging process.

25 Apr 2011