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.

B.C. pharmacists are authorized to administer flu shots

As British Columbians get ready for flu season, the BC Pharmacy Association is reminding patients that they can get their seasonal vaccination from their pharmacist.

27 Oct 2010

Intensive population management program reduces risk of death, health care costs

A new study from Kaiser Permanente Colorado is one of the first to show that an intensive population management program that matches heart disease patients to personal nurses and clinical pharmacy specialists not only reduces the risk of death but reduces health care costs as well.

25 Oct 2010

UC San Diego researchers receive two federal grants for biomedical informatics

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, led by Lucila Ohno-Machado, MD, PhD, chief of the Division of Biomedical Informatics in the Department of Medicine, have received two federal grants totaling more than $25 million to develop new ways to gather, analyze, use and share vast, ever-increasing amounts of biomedical information.

25 Oct 2010

FDA approves REMS for NUVIGIL and PROVIGIL tablets

Cephalon, Inc. today announced that Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for its medications NUVIGIL (armodafinil) Tablets [C-IV] and PROVIGIL (modafinil) Tablets [C-IV] have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

25 Oct 2010

Pharmacy graduate awarded national recognition for pioneering research in genetics

A young pharmacy graduate has been awarded national recognition for her pioneering research in the field of genetics which has the potential to treat diseases such as cancer and Parkinson's.

19 Oct 2010

PharmaTrust to launch third generation MedCentre remote dispensing system

PharmaTrust is launching the next generation of the MedCentre remote dispensing system with world-class features that redefine and take remote dispensing services to the next level. The MedCentre is a modular, scalable solution designed to meet both patients' need for convenience and counseling and healthcare professionals' responsibility to deliver the highest level of care.

18 Oct 2010

PPC offers on-site medication dispensing programs for hospitals

The fastest-growing privately held healthcare company in the country is building its business by building in-office medication dispensing programs for physicians and hospitals in 10 states. Incorporated just five years ago, Physicians' Pharmaceutical Corporation (PPC) placed No. 1 among health companies and No. 15 overall on the 2010 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies.

14 Oct 2010

Centice introduces new PINPOINT Rx system for drug identification

Centice Corporation, a pioneer in chemical verification and identification using Raman spectroscopy and computational sensor technology, announced today the availability of the new PINPOINT Rx™ system. Combining advanced spectroscopy hardware technology, analytical software and internal databases, PINPOINT Rx™ captures the spectral signature of a prescription drug and checks this signature against a known database.

13 Oct 2010

More insured Americans avoid prescription drugs due to cost

The Wall Street Journal: "Growing numbers of Americans with health insurance are walking away from their prescriptions at the pharmacy counter, the latest indication that efforts to contain costs may be curbing health-care consumption. A review of insurance-claims data shows that so-called abandonment — when a patient refuses to purchase or pick up a prescription that was filled and packaged by a pharmacist — was up 55% in the second quarter of this year, compared with four years earlier.

13 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 12, 2010

Today's early morning highlights from major news organizations look at a probe of a California hospital chain, the effect that the governors' races around the country will have on the federal health law and a review of prescription purchases that shows more Americans are foregoing their medicines.

12 Oct 2010

New, multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Center established at Kimmel Cancer Center

The odds of developing some type of cancer increase with age; sixty percent of cancer in the United States occurs in persons aged 65 and older. At the same time, senior patients may have acute or chronic diseases that make treating their cancer challenging. That's why the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson has established a new, multidisciplinary Senior Adult Oncology Center to provide a comprehensive consultation for senior patients in order to meet those special challenges.

12 Oct 2010

Abbott to withdraw Meridia medicine from the U.S. market

Abbott will voluntarily withdraw Meridia (sibutramine) from the U.S. market at the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

11 Oct 2010

Weight loss pill off shelves due to heart attack risk

Final verdict on a popular weight loss drug Reductil is to be delivered today. It is being debated whether the pill should be taken off the shelves in Australia and New Zealand. The drug Sibutramine sold as Reductil is linked to increased risk of heart attacks.

10 Oct 2010

VAP bundle helps eliminate hospital-acquired infection

Critically ill patients on a breathing tube are at risk not only from their injuries or diseases, but also from infections they can contract in the hospital. One of the most common infections is pneumonia from breathing tubes. A study of a new multidisciplinary protocol that has all but eliminated such infections at one hospital was reported on today at the 2010 Annual Clinical Congress of the American College of Surgeons.

7 Oct 2010

DIS to generate $436 million in 2010 to improve patient care

Canada's investments in drug information systems (DIS) will generate $436 million in cost savings and efficiencies in 2010, announced Richard Alvarez, President and CEO, Canada Health Infoway (Infoway). The findings are outlined in an independent study commissioned by Infoway, released today.

7 Oct 2010

Research Roundups: Racial Disparities at end of life; stopping medicine mistakes; Grand Junction, Colorado's Cost Lessons

Racial Disparities In The Outcomes Of Communication On Medical Care Received Near Death Black patients receive more life prolonging measures and less comfort-directed care at the end of life (EOL) than white patients, such as increased rates of resuscitation, intensive care unit hospitalization, and feeding tube use at the EOL, write the authors of this study that examined whether differences in patient-physician communication contribute to these differences.

4 Oct 2010

APhA urges consumers to discuss proper medication usage with pharmacists

In honor of American Pharmacists Month, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) encourages consumers to hold an open dialogue with their pharmacists about a growing problem in the United States, the proper usage of and adherence to medications.

1 Oct 2010

Merck's ROTATEQ vaccine receives Prix Galien USA 2010 Award for Best Biotechnology Product

ROTATEQ® (Rotavirus Vaccine, Live, Oral, Pentavalent), Merck's vaccine for rotavirus gastroenteritis in infants and children, received the Prix Galien USA 2010 Award for Best Biotechnology Product, Merck announced today.

30 Sep 2010

KeyVive provides Simplatype mHealth SMS technology to improve healthcare

KeyVive, Inc., a healthcare technology company that uses social media and self management tools to help individuals with chronic illnesses, is dialing up a ground-breaking, HIPAA compliant mHealth technology for people not only affected by diabetes, but also with other diseases.

28 Sep 2010

New Canadian book helps demystify the health care system

If your usual cure for what ails you is to "take two pills and call in the morning" you might be in need of some better medical advice. Take as Directed is a new book from Dalhousie University pharmacy professor Neil MacKinnon and Dal Medical School alumni Rhonda Church. Aimed at helping Canadians from all walks of life navigate the health care system, Take as Directed is essential reading for anybody who is concerned about their health and well being.

23 Sep 2010