Community/Retail

As the number of medications prescribed to adults has increased, so has the number of children exposed to and poisoned by prescription medications, indicating a need for better counseling and improved drug packaging.

A pair of new studies investigates the link between hypomagnesemia and use of proton pump inhibitors, but many questions remain.

A study suggests that serum glucose levels that are elevated but not high enough to diagnose diabetes may indicate an elevated risk for Alzheimer's disease.

A comprehensive review of otitis media in North America addresses how shifts in the organisms that most commonly cause the condition affect preferred treatments.

A study finds that use of sulfonylureas in the period leading up to an acute coronary syndrome is not associated with increased risk of death or heart failure.

Use of several statins appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, and researchers advise that this risk be balanced against the drugs' cardiovascular benefits.

A literature review finds that triple therapy including newer anticoagulants, aspirin, and clopidogrel may increase the risk of bleeding and should be limited to patients at highest risk for thromboembolic events.

Rates of melanoma in children have increased 2% per year since the 1970s, with girls, those aged 15 to 19, and those living in areas with high UV-B exposure at greatest risk.

Pharmacy managers should be careful not to overlook their most important assets: employees.

Keeping your pharmacy clear of clutter is key to maintaining productivity and morale.

In order to achieve large, long-term goals, break them up into easily achievable, short-term goals.

Rebecca P. Snead, RPh, of the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, discusses the movement for pharmacist provider status.

A pharmacy in Lake City, Tennessee, has been operating for 80 years under the management of several generations of a single family.

COPD patients who took azithromycin daily for a year were re-hospitalized at significantly lower rates than those who took placebo.

A meta-analysis of studies including almost 2 million patients finds that use of ADHD medications increases neither the risk of sudden death nor the risk of adverse cardiac events.

A hypertension treatment program in which patients received online guidance from pharmacists led to improved blood pressure control even a year after the program ended.

Urban elementary school students with poorly controlled asthma tend to produce poorer schoolwork and sleep less well than those whose asthma is well-controlled.

Just 17% of children who had lived in the United States for up to 2 years had asthma or allergies, compared with 27% of those who had lived in the country for 10 years or longer.

A bill passed by the Florida legislature would allow pharmacists to substitute biosimilars for brand-name biologics provided that a number of criteria are met.

Planning in advance for an FDA inspection of your compounding pharmacy will help prevent rash decisions after the inspectors walk in the door.