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.

Adherence counseling during HIV treatment greatly improves patient outcomes

Intensive adherence counseling around the time of HIV treatment initiation significantly reduces poor adherence and virologic treatment failure in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a recent study in PLoS Medicine by Dr. Michael Chung, assistant professor of Global Health at University of Washington, who works at the Coptic Hope Center for Infectious Diseases in Nairobi, Kenya.

3 Mar 2011

New study: Cannabis ingredient can improve appetites and sense of taste in cancer patients

The active ingredient in cannabis can improve the appetites and sense of taste in cancer patients, according to a new study published online in the cancer journal, Annals of Oncology today.

23 Feb 2011

NCPA, NACDS explain importance of pharmacies in Medicaid program

The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association have sent a joint letter to every Governor and State Medicaid Director, explaining the importance of pharmacies in Medicaid, offering recommendations, and expressing a desire to work together to cut costs without endangering Medicaid beneficiaries' access to pharmacy prescription drug services.

21 Feb 2011

PBMI awards CVS Caremark and ArcelorMittal the 2011 Rx Benefit Innovation Award

CVS Caremark announced today that the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) awarded the company and its PBM client ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company, the 2011 Rx Benefit Innovation Award. The award recognizes the Pharmacy Advisor program, which was developed by CVS Caremark to manage costs, improve medication adherence and close gaps in care for members with diabetes.

19 Feb 2011

Healthcare practitioners can increase referrals to cardiac rehabilitation programs by 40%

Healthcare practitioners can increase the number of patients with heart disease referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program by 40 per cent, helping them to reduce their risk of dying and improve their quality of life, say researchers at the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre.

15 Feb 2011

UCSD: Medication education can help patients with diabetes better stick to drug treatment plans

Researchers at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego say that medication education is a key factor in helping patients with diabetes better stick to their drug treatments plans.

10 Feb 2011

UMMC researchers develop MOPAT tool to assess acute pain in non-communicative patients

A valid and reliable tool to assess acute pain in non-communicative patients has been developed by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Nursing.

9 Feb 2011

Pharmacist-directed anticoagulation service improves quality of care for HIT patients

A Henry Ford Hospital study has found that a pharmacist-directed anticoagulation service improves the way medication is managed for patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, a common but life-threatening thromboembolic disorder.

9 Feb 2011

Abacus introduces new e-blood pressure control system for hospitals

Abacus Health Solutions has developed a new e-health enabled blood pressure monitoring and feedback system to improve health outcomes for hospital specialty clinics.

8 Feb 2011

Patient need to share medication side effects with health care team: Retired family doctor

"I had a wonderful gentleman patient who had resistant blood pressure," recalls Vicki Koenig, M.D., a retired family doctor in Exmore, VA. "When he came for a blood pressure check on the latest new med and it was great, I was ecstatic. Then he said, 'But I notice my urine's a little dark.' His was one of the first cases of fatal liver complications from this medication."

5 Feb 2011

Cegedim's consolidated fourth quarter 2010 revenues increase 10.1%

Cegedim, a global technology and services company specializing in the healthcare field, generated consolidated Q4 2010 revenues of €266.5 million, a 10.1% increase on a reported basis and up 2.9% like for like. Revenue growth was stronger than the Group had expected, due in large part to an excellent December in every business sector.

5 Feb 2011

Frequency of analgesic drug errors in hospitals is nearly 3 per 1000 prescriptions: Study

The frequency of analgesic drug errors in hospitals is nearly 3 per 1,000 prescriptions, based on a study performed in a 631-bed tertiary care facility and published in The Journal of Pain, the peer-review journal of the American Pain Society.

28 Jan 2011

Triad alcohol prep pads with ARIXTRA Starter Kits not to be used

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has become aware of a United States market recall of all lots of alcohol prep pads, swabs and swabsticks manufactured by the Triad Group and marketed under various brand names. The Triad Group recall has been initiated due to concerns about potential microbial contamination of the alcohol products with Bacillus cereus that could potentially lead to life-threatening infections.

25 Jan 2011

Tips for getting good night's sleep

Bedrooms are important to getting a good night's sleep, according to the first ever Bedroom Poll from the National Sleep Foundation. The poll found that Americans love their bedrooms and believe that comfort and cleanliness are fundamental to good sleep.

25 Jan 2011

Pharmacists can help patients to manage their medication and stop smoking

Consulting a pharmacist, or other healthcare professional, when quitting smoking boosts a patient's chance of long-term success from three per cent to 30 per cent.

17 Jan 2011

56% of respondents have still not received flu shots

As we enter peak flu season, flu activity is steadily increasing in the United States, with eight states now reporting widespread outbreaks of influenza cases according to the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.

12 Jan 2011

Tips for storing and cleaning out the medicine cabinet

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) encourages the public to make an annual medicine cabinet cleanout part of their New Year's resolutions. Pharmacists recommend patients use this time to properly dispose of all the unused and expired medications that accumulated over the previous year.

5 Jan 2011

New program may help reduce hospital readmission rates for high-risk seniors

SCAN Health Plan and Lakewood IPA have partnered with Dovetail Health in a program designed to reduce readmission rates for high-risk seniors following discharge from hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.

4 Jan 2011

Winter grips Scotland with unprecedented rise in health concerns

Over three days of festivities Scotland’s NHS 24 has received almost 30,000 calls. This made 27th of December NHS 24’s busiest day since January 2007. The surge in demand for the service was due to the closure of GP surgeries over the festive weekend.

29 Dec 2010

Male partners' sympathy levels during menstrual periods lacking

New research from Lloydspharmacy reveals that whilst an overwhelming number of women suffer from menstrual cramps, male partners' sympathy levels at that time of the month appear to be lacking. Although 87% of men claim to be very or fairly compassionate, a quarter of women (25%) who have suffered discomfort with 'Mother Nature's gift' say their partners are unsympathetic.

24 Dec 2010