Community/Retail

Many male patients being treated for prostate cancer undergo androgen deprivation therapy, which has been shown to have several risky side effects, including osteoporosis.

The number of pharmacies accepting electronic prescriptions for controlled substances has increased substantially in a short time period.

Americans are entering 2015 with their highest level of economic confidence since the Great Recession.

The NAPLEX/MPJE 2015 Candidate Registration Bulletin is now available on the NABP website. The revised bulletin contains a link to the revised North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination® competency statements that will go into effect beginning November 1, 2015.

Abuse of most types of prescription drugs among teens declined in 2014.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals of Bridgewater, NJ, has issued a voluntary recall of one lot of Virazole®(ribavirin powder for solution), 100 mL, 6g vial, 4-pack to the user level.

Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers, in an unwelcome New Year's surprise, are discovering that they are unable to fill prescriptions at pharmacies promoted by Aetna/Coventry Part D drug plans listed on the Medicare Plan Finder website used during the 2014 Medicare open enrollment to select a 2015 drug plan.

In 2014, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the United Kingdom seized at least 1.2 million doses of illegally supplied erectile dysfunction drugs, 383,000 slimming products, and 331,000 doses of sleeping pills, tranquilizers, and antidepressants " mostly originating from China and India.

In addition to providing patient education on disease states and medications, pharmacists are now considered the experts and front runners of medication adherence, medication therapy management, prescription synchronization, and medication reconciliation.

A group of leading independent long-term care pharmacies has joined to form the new Senior Care Pharmacy Coalition, dedicated to representing the legislative and regulatory interests of independent LTC pharmacies and those of the vulnerable patients they serve. No other organization in Washington focuses exclusively on the public policy priorities unique to this increasingly important health sector, which provides consultative pharmacy services and medications to seniors in skilled nursing centers and residential care settings across the nation.

Position yourself for success by giving your goals some serious thought upfront.

Roughly 50 million Americans take daily low-dose aspirin for cardioprevention, as it is generally perceived as a safe, effective, and inexpensive OTC preventive medication for cardiovascular disease. For patients who have nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, many guidelines recommend aspirin as thromboprophylaxis among those who are not considered to be high risk.

The FDA today granted the first waiver to allow the use of a nucleic acid-based influenza diagnostic test in a greater variety of health care settings.

Rite Aid Corporation announced today that Jocelyn Zazyczny Konrad, currently vice president, healthcare initiatives, has been promoted to group vice president, pharmacy initiatives and clinical services. Konrad succeeds Karen Staniforth, who was recently promoted to the role of chief operating officer at Health Dialog, a subsidiary of Rite Aid.

Cardinal Health plans to release second-quarter financial results for its fiscal year 2015 on Jan. 29, prior to the opening of trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

Hyperkalemia may be a concern when patients are prescribed trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole.

Cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar disorder is a growing research priority. Long suspected to be restricted to those with symptomatic illness, cognitive impairment has also been found in patients who are well controlled and euthymic.

An Iowa pharmacy is fighting to stay open while its former owner faces a drug conspiracy conviction.

Young adults should watch how much alcohol they drink, because it may affect their immune response.

The FDA today granted orphan drug designation to an experimental drug that treats several types of blood cancers.

No acute condition causes more missed work or school days than the common cold. This $60 billion problem affects approximately 85% of the US population at least once annually. Because the common cold is so common, few researchers have conducted large studies examining its impact on various aspects of daily living.

Valeant Pharmaceuticals is voluntarily recalling a lot of its ribavirin powder for solution (Virazole) to the user level due to microbial contamination.

Acquisition Provides Pfizer with a Preclinical CMV Vaccine Candidate

The American Psychological Association has appointed publishing executive Jasper Simons to lead its growing PsycINFO® and APA database program as publisher, PsycINFO.

A new version of a common antibiotic may allow patients to be treated without the risk of hearing loss.

A supplemental new drug application for the use of Vertex Pharmaceuticals' ivacaftor in cystic fibrosis patients aged 6 years and older who have the R117H mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator gene has been approved by the FDA.

Manufacturing practice requirements leave pharmaceutical manufacturers vulnerable.

Jason Gallagher, PharmD, FCCP, a clinical pharmacy specialist of infectious diseases at Temple University, discusses how drug-resistant pathogen prevalence varies by region.