Pharmacy News and Research

RSS

Community pharmacy, also known as retail pharmacy, is the most common type of pharmacy that allows the public access to their medications and advice about their health. Traditionally known as a chemist, it is the healthcare facility that is responsible for the provision of pharmaceutical service to a specific community group or region.

Apoteket and Medco Health Solutions develop centralized prescription safety program

Apoteket, Sweden's largest pharmacy chain, and Medco Health Solutions, Inc. today announced that it has developed one of the first national centralized drug utilization review (DUR) programs outside of the United States to improve prescription safety by reducing adverse drug events and thereby reducing the risk of costly hospitalizations.

7 Jan 2010

Scientists use NIR to predict how quickly pills dissolve in body

Scientists at the University of Maryland, Baltimore have successfully used near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) -- a method already used to test farm product quality -- to predict how quickly pills dissolve in the body.

7 Jan 2010

Rural health care advocates struggle for attention in Texas

The Texas Tribune reports on politics surrounding rural health care in Texas in a three part series: "Politically speaking, it's no time to be an advocate for rural health care. In the last House Speaker's race and on the state's health care regulatory boards, rural lawmakers say they've been outnumbered and under-represented.

7 Jan 2010

NCPA offers lawmakers updated health care reform recommendations

With Senate and House leaders trying to craft a health care reform bill to send to the White House, the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) today offered lawmakers updated recommendations for the would-be final legislation.

7 Jan 2010

Antiretroviral therapy improves health outcomes for HIV patients

High antiretroviral therapy adherence, which has been shown to be a major predictor of HIV disease progression and survival, is now associated with lower health care costs, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Jan 2010

Historic low in drug spending growth coincides with cost-saving tools developed by PBMs

Expenditures on prescription drugs increased just 3.2 percent in 2008 – the smallest annual rate of increase in 47 years – according to new data released today by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

6 Jan 2010

Loyola University Health System launches new program to study healthcare, costs and patient safety

Loyola University Health System has established a new Program in Health Services Research to study how doctors and nurses can provide better health care at lower costs to more people.

6 Jan 2010

UC San Diego bioengineering professor receives 2009 Presidential Science Prize

For Shu Chien - a pioneer in the growing field of bioengineering - understanding and learning the marvels of how the human body works has been the foundation of his decades-long quest to advance science and technology worldwide. The UC San Diego bioengineering professor's significant scientific endeavors have paved the way for recognition of his renowned work at the university's Jacobs School of Engineering and abroad.

6 Jan 2010

H1N1 flu vaccine now available at CVS/pharmacy locations throughout California

CVS/pharmacy announced today that it has expanded the availability of H1N1 flu vaccine to more than 220 stores throughout the State of California.

6 Jan 2010

MHA acquires Net-Rx

Managed Health Care Associates, Inc. (MHA), the largest Alternate Site Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) in the country, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Net-Rx. Net-Rx is a leading provider of pharmacy reimbursement management services and offers a full suite of technology products to help pharmacies lower costs and increase profitability.

6 Jan 2010

Health Strategy Associates and WorkCompCentral.com present webinar on managing prescription drug costs

Joseph Paduda, principal of Health Strategy Associates and author of www.ManagedCareMatters.com, has joined forces with WorkCompCentral.com to present Comp Rx Trends on Jan. 12 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST. The 60-minute webinar with a $149 registration fee gives insight into pharmacy cost drivers and comp payers’ approaches to managing drug spend.

5 Jan 2010

NQF endorses 70 measures to improve gathering of clinical electronic data

As an incremental step toward wider use of electronic data platforms to measure, report, and improve quality, the National Quality Forum (NQF) has endorsed 70 measures that combine data from two or more common electronic sources such as administrative claims, pharmacy and laboratory systems, and registries.

5 Jan 2010

Physicians fail to provide pain treatment for fear of prescription drug abuse

Millions of Americans with significant or chronic pain associated with their medical problems are being under-treated as physicians increasingly fail to provide comprehensive pain treatment - either due to inadequate training, personal biases or fear of prescription drug abuse.

5 Jan 2010

Stop & Shop to hold H1N1 vaccination clinics at select pharmacies

The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company Giant today announced it will hold H1N1 vaccination clinics at select pharmacies starting January 8, 2010. Immunizations will cost $15 and be administered as long as quantities associated with this program are available.

5 Jan 2010

PharMerica announces acquisition of Integrity Pharmacy Services for cash

PharMerica Corporation, a national provider of institutional pharmacy and hospital pharmacy management services, announced today that effective December 31, 2009, it has acquired Integrity Pharmacy Services for cash.

5 Jan 2010

H1N1 vaccine available at Walgreens pharmacies and Take Care Clinics

Every Walgreens pharmacy, every day. The once-scarce H1N1 vaccine is now available daily at all of the more than 7,100 Walgreens pharmacies and 350 Take Care Clinics throughout the country.

5 Jan 2010

CVS Caremark to provide H1N1 flu vaccinations at selected locations

CVS Caremark announced today that it will provide H1N1 flu vaccinations at select CVS/pharmacy locations in the States of Alabama, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania and New York as well at MinuteClinic locations in Massachusetts and Connecticut beginning Thursday, December 31.

30 Dec 2009

Pharmacists can reduce treatment costs and improve outcomes if given the chance

The role of pharmacists hasn't received much attention in the debate on the cost of health care. But national and regional studies show that when pharmacists directly participate in patient care, they significantly reduce treatment costs and improve outcomes.

30 Dec 2009

Over 5,000 "Not Recommended" Internet drug outlets

On December 11, 2009, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy(R) (NABP(R)) reached a bitter-sweet milestone in its ongoing review of Web sites selling prescription medications. NABP now lists more than 5,000 Internet drug outlets as Not Recommended. These sites -- 96% of the total number of sites reviewed -- have been found to be out of compliance with pharmacy laws and practice standards established in the United States to protect the public health.

29 Dec 2009

Selected store locations in Massachusetts, Virginia and California to receive H1N1 flu vaccinations

CVS/pharmacy announced today that it will provide H1N1 flu vaccinations at select store locations in Massachusetts, Virginia and Orange County, California beginning Tuesday, December 29.

29 Dec 2009