Community/Retail

The American Psychological Association welcomed the release today of the Executive Summary of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report on the CIA's detention and interrogation program during the George W. Bush administration. The document's release recognizes American citizens' right to know about the prior action of their government and is the best way to ensure that, going forward, the United States engages in national security programs that safeguard human rights and comply with international law.

GPhA has agreed to support compromise automatic substitution legislation that would allow interchangeable biologics to be automatically substituted at the pharmacy. This step brings millions of Americans closer to the day when they will be able to access safe alternatives to costly biologic medicines. Indeed, Express Scripts projects savings of $250 billion in 10 years should only the 11 likeliest biosimilars enter the market.

Actavis plc today announced that it has launched a generic version of Celebrex® 50 mg, 100 mg, 200 mg and 400 mg capsules, as part of a settlement agreement with Pfizer, Inc.

People who have sleep apnea or spend less time in deep sleep may be more likely to have changes in the brain that are associated with dementia.

Today Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.) and Dave Loebsack (D-Iowa) introduced H.R. 5815, The Generic Drug Pricing Fairness Act, which creates greater transparency in how pharmacy benefit managers reimburse pharmacies for generic prescription drugs under Medicare Part D, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. The National Community Pharmacists Association endorsed the bill, which goes further than legislation the same two Congressmen introduced earlier year that has the same remedies, but only applied to Medicare Part D.

John J. Scrivens, Jr., R.Ph., Ph.D., FASHP, a highly respected academic, clinician, and an advocate for a more diverse and culturally competent healthcare workforce, is the recipient of the 2014 ASHP and Association of Black Health-System PharmacistsLeadership Award. The award was presented today during the annual ABHP luncheon at ASHP's 49th Midyear Clinical Meeting in Anaheim, CA.

Andrew Lofts Gray, B.Pharm., M.Sc., FPS, FFIP, Senior Lecturer in the Division of Pharmacology, Discipline of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa, is the recipient of ASHP's 2014 Donald E. Francke Medal. Mr. Gray will receive the award and present a lecture on Wednesday, December 10, during a luncheon at the association's 49th Midyear Clinical Meeting in Anaheim, CA.

Six teams of practitioners who successfully created and carried out innovative approaches to improve the delivery of patient care within their health systems were recognized today during the ASHP 49th Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition in Anaheim. Sponsored in cooperation with Amgen, the award recognizes pharmacists who demonstrate leadership in enhancing patient care and other areas of pharmacy practice.

Baxter International Inc. has been named as one of America's most community-minded companies by the Points of Light Foundation's Civic 50 list, and also received recognition for its inclusion and diversity leadership by several external organizations.

The Walgreens Flu Index is a weekly report developed to provide state- and market-specific information regarding flu activity, and ranking of those experiencing the highest incidences of influenza across the country. With the ability to generate hyper-local data that's as specific as a single zip code, the Index aims to drive consumer awareness and prevention within communities, while also serving as a valuable resource for health departments, media and others at the local level.

Fran Byrnes, Director of ASHP's Conference and Convention Division, received the organization's 2014 CEO Award for Staff Excellence today at the opening session of the 49th ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting in Anaheim, Cal.