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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.

Experts evlauate impact of Medicare Part D program on independent and chain pharmacies

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Medicare Part D) added prescription drug coverage to Medicare beginning in January 2006.

30 Jun 2010

Pharmacy technician certification associated with reduction in medication errors, survey finds

Results from a recent Pharmacy Technician Certification Board sponsored survey find that lead pharmacists perceive pharmacy technician certification as an essential component in reducing medication errors, ensuring patient safety, and increasing positive health outcomes. The results, unveiled at the American Pharmacists Association Annual Meeting in March 2010 by researcher Shane Desselle, R.Ph., PhD, FAPhA, Associate Dean for Tulsa Programs, Chair, and Professor of the Department of Pharmacy: Clinical and Administrative Sciences at University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy, were gathered from a random sample of over 3,250 pharmacists serving in a variety of practice settings across the United States.

28 Jun 2010

Prescription Solutions introduces Clinical Vantage to improve health and well-being of members

Prescription Solutions, a leading pharmacy benefit management organization and a UnitedHealth Group company, has launched Clinical Vantage, a suite of clinical programs that enables clients to create specialized solutions to meet their particular needs to improve the health and well-being of members.

25 Jun 2010

PharmaTrust to introduce MedCentre remote pharmacy dispensing machine in UK

PharmaTrust will become the first company to introduce a remote pharmacy dispensing machine into the UK later this year. The Oakville, Ontario-based company announced yesterday at an event at Grocer's Hall in London that it is commencing trials of its MedCentre dispensing technology at five hospitals in the UK. Guests included government representatives, pharmacy stakeholders and media.

22 Jun 2010

Omega-3 effective for treating depression in patients without anxiety disorders

The use of Omega-3 supplements is effective among patients with major depression who do not have anxiety disorders, according to a study directed by Dr. Fran-ois Lesp-rance of the Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier at the Universit- de Montr-al (CRCHUM), head of CHUM's Department of Psychiatry and a professor at the Universit- de Montr-al. The study was published June 15 in the online Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

22 Jun 2010

MediConnect Global's PHR system now compatible with a wide array of mobile devices

MediConnect Global Inc. today announced its popular consumer web-based personal health record system is now compatible with a wide array of mobile devices including the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and most Google Android and HP/Palm WebOS smartphones.

21 Jun 2010

PharmaTrust to demonstrate MedCenter technology at Annual Healthcare Conference

PharmaTrust has been invited to participate in the Private Company forum of the Goldman Sachs 31st Annual Healthcare Conference in Los Angeles, June 14th to 17th. The company will demonstrate its revolutionary Healthcare…Everywhere MedCenter which will connect conference 'patients' in Los Angeles to PharmaTrust pharmacists in Toronto.

11 Jun 2010

ASHP honors First DataBank pharmacist with the title of Fellow for excellence in pharmacy practice

First DataBank, a leading provider of drug databases that help drive patient safety, today announced that the American Association of Health-System Pharmacists will honor First DataBank pharmacist Joan Kapusnik-Uner, Pharm.D, with the title of "Fellow" in recognition of the excellence she has achieved in pharmacy practice. The 2010 Fellows will be honored on Tuesday, June 8, 2010, during the ASHP Summer Meeting in Tampa, FL.

7 Jun 2010

Fraud roundup: LA hospital workers investigated; Guilty pleas in Texas and N.J. cases; Fla. candidate defends his actions

Los Angeles County officials are investigating allegations that Olive View-UCLA Medical Center staff accepted gifts from nursing home employees in exchange for placing Medi-Cal and Medicare patients at their facilities, a possible violation of the county's code of ethics, as well as state and federal anti-kickback laws.

3 Jun 2010

Independent pharmacists launch education campaign to explain impact of massive funding cuts

Independent pharmacists have launched a new effort to sharpen the focus on the impact the McGuinty government's massive funding cuts will have on local independent pharmacies. Independents are concerned that their fates are being overlooked, as the government claims to be battling with chain drug stores.

28 May 2010

Pharmacist-led HBPM program improves blood pressure control

A pharmacist-led home blood pressure monitoring program supported by the American Heart Association's Heart 360 website dramatically improved blood pressure control for patients with uncontrolled hypertension, according to a study.

21 May 2010

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies to develop online nursing courses

21 May 2010

AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announce Critical Care Pharmacology online nursing course

Elsevier/MC Strategies, a pioneer in providing e-learning solutions to more than 1,300 healthcare organizations, has partnered with the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) to develop a series of online nursing courses. Today, AACN and Elsevier/MC Strategies announced the first course in this series: AACN Critical Care Pharmacology.

20 May 2010

Eisai calls on Alzheimer's patients and caregivers to nominate pharmacists for 2010 C.A.R.E. Pharmacy Award

Eisai Inc., in coordination with the Alzheimer's Association, calls on individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers across America to nominate local pharmacists for the 2010 C.A.R.E. Pharmacy Award. This award recognizes the vital role that pharmacists play in helping the estimated 5.3 million Americans living with Alzheimer's disease and their almost 11 million caregivers.

18 May 2010

Graymark Healthcare first-quarter consolidated net revenues increase 7% to $27.6 million

Graymark Healthcare, Inc. today announced progress on Fiscal 2010 Initiatives and financial results for the Quarter ending March 31, 2010.

13 May 2010

Study on risk factors, potential harm associated with medication errors at hospital admission

A recent study conducted at Northwestern Memorial Hospital found that almost 50 percent of medication discrepancies were related to a failure to understand all of the prescription medications patients were taking at the time of hospital admission. While it's common for patients not to recall all of their medications, especially when they are not feeling well or being unexpectedly admitted to the hospital, the results can be serious.

6 May 2010

Bar-code eMAR combination of technologies reduce transcription, medication administration errors

Using bar-code technology with an electronic medication administration record (eMAR) substantially reduces transcription and medication administration errors, as well as potential drug-related adverse events, says a new study funded by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The study is published in the May 6 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

6 May 2010

Clinical Solutions introduces 'Seven competencies for e-care'

Clinical Solutions, the leading provider of health-based customer relationship management (CRM) and clinical content solutions, is today launching the 'Seven competencies of e-care' as the focal point for its new market strategy and website http://www.clinicalsolutions.com.

5 May 2010

Fifth Community Pharmacy Agreement planned by the Pharmacy Guild of Australia

According to an Australian Financial Review report the major pharmaceutical companies have agreed to reduce the Australian government’s medicine bill by AUD $2 billion over the next four years only if they are assured of price modifications in future. The details of the agreement are to be revealed next week and experts believe it will reduce the burden on the federal budget which is still considering the source of funds to pay for its health reform package.

4 May 2010

Calif. doctors say e-health saved lives; in Mich., doctors visit patients online

Reuters/The Washington Post: An electronic medical system first introduced in 2007 has shown a 20 percent drop in hospital deaths -- the equivalent of about 36 lives saved -- over 18-months at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital in Palo Alto California, doctors there have found. The system, a computerized physician order entry, or CPOE, allows "doctors to relay prescriptions to pharmacists without delay, and without the need for the pharmacist to decipher doctors' scrawl."

3 May 2010