Community/Retail

Diabetes mellitus affects 23 million people in the United States. Adjusting for population age differences, survey data between 2004 and 2006 indicate that 6.6% of non-Hispanic whites, 7.5% of Asian Americans, 10.4% of Hispanics, and 11.8% of non-Hispanic blacks have diabetes mellitus.1 Totaling $174 billion in 2007, diabetes care accounts for 19% of total healthcare costs.

Pregnant women and obese individuals were much more likely to become severely ill from exposure to the H1N1 virus compared with the general population, according to a new WHO report.

With melanoma on the rise, skin cancer education is an issue that requires greater intervention from health care professionals. Pharmacists should use this month--designated as Skin Cancer Awareness Month--as an opportunity to drive home the importance of prevention.

Nearly 500 manufacturers and 150,000 pharmacy retailers will converge in San Diego this June to participate in the National Association of Chain Drug Store's annual Marketplace Conference, which will focus on product innovation, consumer marketing strategies, and supplier-retailer collaboration.

Patients with glaucoma-a group of diseases of the eye that cause damage to the optic nerve-may have questions about risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Aspirin is an alternative to ibuprofen or acetaminophen for the temporary self-treatment of migraine, according to a new review by researchers at the University of Oxford.

A newly approved formulation of Purdue Pharma's opioid painkiller makes the drug more resistant to tampering by breaking or crushing, which the FDA says has been linked to fatal overdose and high rates of abuse in recent years.

As government officials promise clarity for consumers on health care reform, many corporations are preparing for new challenges the legislation will bring. Those challenges may seem a little less daunting for pharmaceutical companies, whose lobbying efforts were reflected in the final bill.

Do you know an exceptional pharmacist, student pharmacist, or pharmacy technician? Someone who embodies the spirit of pharmacy while striving to advance the profession in unique and innovative ways? If so, Pharmacy Times and Parata Systems invites you to participate in the Next-Generation Pharmacist program. Whether you choose to nominate an admired colleague or nominate yourself for one of the 10 categories--send us your nomination for the Next-Generation Pharmacist Awards by May 31, 2009.

Health Care Reform is here, right? That is true on one level, in that President Obama has signed a health care bill into law. But the signing of the bill only begins the process of change.