Category Archives: Pharmacy

SAN DIEGO, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Millennium Laboratories has joined CompPharma, LLC, a consortium of workers' compensation pharmacy benefit management (PBM) firms, as its first affiliate member. In addition, Millennium will be the Prime Sponsor, the highest sponsorship level, at the organization's annual meeting. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120515/LA08193LOGO) Comprised of the nation's largest workers' compensation PBMs, CompPharma identifies and prioritizes challenges facing the industry, and then seeks and implements solutions members can cost-effectively share.One of its missions is to educate and assist public policy makers who are responsible for regulating the workers' compensation marketplace. Millennium will share its industry and public affairs expertise to advance CompPharma's initiatives. "Today's workers' compensation payers face unique challenges resulting from the rise in the use of prescribed medications. Millennium, in its role as CompPharma's first affiliate member, welcomes the opportunity to closely work with the PBMs to identify innovative solutions to meet these challenges," said Howard Appel, President of Millennium Laboratories. "Together, our partnership will support the fundamental goal of both organizations; to improve outcomes for workers' compensation claimants and help them get back to work to resume productive, healthy lives." "We look forward to bringing our unique perspective as a clinical diagnostic company to … Continue reading →

Friday, May 18, 2012 I think if was just fate, said Gregoria Trina Ito, who passed her exam last Wednesday to become a U.S. Certified Pharmacy Technician. Three years ago, my work for Immigration was ending and my sister suggested I apply at Brabu Pharmacy. I didn't know what to expect. During my interview, my boss said that as a new business he didn't know if it would succeed, or how many hours he could offer me, but I took the job anyway. Brabu Pharmacy and Wellness Center opened in June 2009, with only two employees. April Aldan, having cashiering experience in a pharmacy, immediately began training to become a pharmacy technician, an aspiration she had for some time. Having worked for just one month, her family made plans to move to the mainland. She decided to move with them and finish her studies in California. It was fate again, said Ito, I was just hired as a cashier two weeks before when April told me she was leaving. I only had a couple of days to catch on. It was all new, but I got a lot of encouragement and I really liked what I was learning. Ted Parker, … Continue reading →

Written by Karen Gellender: kgellender@antonnews.com Friday, 18 May 2012 00:00 Cottage Pharmacy in Woodbury is a rarity. Independently owned and operated for 37 years, its a pharmacy that lacks any chain affiliation, proudly going its own way in an era when a CVS seems to crop up on every other corner. Furthermore, Cottage is not only surviving but thriving; last fall, the business saw a move to a new location in Woodbury Common that is 50 percent larger than their old store on Jericho Turnpike, leading to the expansion of several departments and the opportunity to carry many new product lines. How has the business remained so vibrant, in light of all the competition? Whether you fill your prescription of drug XYZ here or there, the price is going to be the same, says Matthew Carrus, general manager. Prescription drugs are what they are; its whatever your insurance is going to reimburse you for. Thats why we compete in other ways. While there are many components to Cottage Pharmacy which includes the pharmacy itself, a surgical supply department, a cosmetic and gift boutique, and a separate division that provides personal care aids and companion services to seniors and those who … Continue reading →

Health News of Wednesday, 16 May 2012 Source: GNA The Pharmacy Council on Wednesday inducted 126 newly qualified and registered pharmacists into the service, to help bridge the gaps in access to health care. Mr Joseph Nyoagbe, Registrar of Pharmacy Council, inducting the pharmacists said the country would need 1,238 pharmacists to meet health care expectation from the public. Currently there are 2,184 pharmacists on our register as at April 30, 2012. This includes pharmacists in the Diaspora. This brings to the ratio one pharmacist to 11,300 people, he said. The induction on the theme: Going Beyond Strategy to Action-The Pharmacist, Your Reliable Partner was organised by the Pharmacy Council, the regulatory body of Pharmacy practice in Ghana. He said the theme affirmed and demonstrated the commitment of Pharmacy Council to the Ministry of Healths (MOH) programme and activities as stated in its Programme of Work for 2012, using its mandate as well as legitimate regulatory tools available in realising this shared vision. Mr Nyoagbe congratulated the newly qualified members and urged them to uphold the ethics of the profession and exhibit a high sense of commitment towards the quality delivery of health care in their respective areas of operation. … Continue reading →

SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Millennium Research Institute (MRI), a nonprofit national research center formed in 2010, and the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) announced today five scientific articles co-authored by UCSD doctoral pharmacy students have been accepted by the Journal of Analytical Toxicology (JAT). The articles, which address metabolism of medications including hydrocodone, hydromorphone, methadone, oxymorphone and carisprodol, will appear simultaneously in the May issue of JAT. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120515/LA08193LOGO) "This research on inter- and intra-subject variability in metabolism of these five most commonly prescribed pain medications adds important new knowledge to the field of pain management that may assist healthcare providers by providing information to avoid drug-drug interactions resulting in enhanced patient safety," said Amadeo J. Pesce, PhD, DABCC, principal investigator at MRI, and UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy partnership director and student mentor. "We are pleased that the collaboration with MRI on the scientific posters presented at PAINWeek 2010 has evolved into publications for the scientific community on drug metabolism," said Rabia Atayee, PharmD, BCPS, assistant professor of clinical pharmacy at the UCSD Skaggs School of Pharmacy. "Our affiliation with MRI continues to be vital … Continue reading →

Increase of the Pharmacy Co-Payment Expected in Current Economic Climate The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand (the Guild) believes that todays increase of the co-payment for prescription items from $3 to $5 was expected because the current funding was unsustainable. The co-payment is the fee patients pay per prescription item when collecting their medicines from their community pharmacy. This co-payment is collected by pharmacies on behalf of the Government, as the patient contribution to the cost of their medicines. Most New Zealanders now pay $3 per prescription item up to a maximum of 20 items per family per year, after which items are free. This charge will increase to $5 per item on 1 January 2013, up to the 20 item maximum a year. This is the first time the prescription charge has been increased in almost 20 years. There will continue to be no charge for prescription items for children under six years old The real value of the $3 co-payment has significantly decreased over time, says the Guilds President, Karen Crisp. Health comprises half of all Government spending and we understand the difficult fiscal environment we are currently in. Community pharmacists can help patients get the maximum benefit … Continue reading →

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Aetna (NYSE:AET) today announced that it is adding five new capabilities to Aetna Rx Check, a collection of programs designed to promote safety and prevent the misuse of various prescription drugs such as pain medications and antibiotics. Aetna Rx Check also scans for other drug-related issues, such as drug interactions, that have unnecessary and potentially dangerous consequences to the patient. The Aetna Rx Check Program uses a computer system to analyze members prescription drug claims. The program identifies opportunities to help doctors improve quality of care, prevent misuse, and reduce waste in the health care system. When opportunities to improve care are found, physicians are alerted to possible drug-to-drug interactions, duplication in drug therapy or other serious complications. New programs for 2012: Therapeutic Optimization: Works to switch members taking multiple doses of a medication, to one dose per day by increasing the strength of the medication. Streamlining Therapy Program: Encourages members to try a single drug before switching to a combination product. For example, current guidelines from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommend that patients suffering from asthma use a standalone inhaler before adding a combination treatment that is more powerful and more expensive. Length … Continue reading →

The University and a former professor in the College of Pharmacy have agreed to pay $300,000 to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to settle a civil lawsuit nearly five years after it was first filed in federal court. The settlement agreement pitting former professor Flynn Warren Jr., the University and the Board of Regents against the NABP involved accusations of copyright infringement and misappropriation of trade secrets. In the agreement signed by the parties on April 20, UGA and Warren consented to several conditions, including promising to no longer copy or disseminate NABP copyrighted material and ensure an attorney in the University Office of Legal Affairs will monitor this compliance. WARREN As part of the agreement NABP voluntarily dismissed with prejudice its lawsuit against current pharmacy professor Henry Cobb, who was accused of copyright infringement in the suit. The lawsuit accused the professors of distributing copyrighted test questions which forced the pharmacy licensure exam to be suspended nationwide for more than two months. The controversy began in August 2007, when the NAPB filed a case against Warren and the Regents for copyright infringement, misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract. As a pharmacy professor at the University … Continue reading →

KABUL At least seven Afghan civilians were killed in a pharmacy on Monday in a suspected suicide bombing, an official said, the latest attack in a spate of rising violence in the country. The blast took place in Ghormach, a remote and a restive district in a relatively secure province of northwestern Faryab province, provincial governor Abdul Ahad Shafaq said. The initial information we have says that either a suicide bomber or a blast has killed seven civilians and wounded eight others, Shafaq said by telephone. Among the dead was a member of a provincial council in adjacent Badghis province, Shafaq said. The council member was meeting with a group of local residents in a pharmacy when the blast was detonated. Shafaq said he was basing his account on radio communications he had received from the isolated area, because mobile phone service was not working. Shafaq did not have further details and could not say what the target or motive was for the blast, which was also confirmed by an official with Afghanistans interior ministry. No group claimed responsibility. The deaths come a day after unknown gunmen shot dead a Taliban leader-turned-peace-negotiator in a bold attack near a downtown part … Continue reading →

DALLAS, May 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately-held and family-owned businesses, is pleased to announce the acquisition of certain assets of its client, Lang's Pharmacy Inc., headquartered in Weston, Connecticut, by Walgreens Corporation, headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. The transaction closed on March 13, 2012. Lang's Pharmacy Inc., is a family owned and operated, full-service, independent pharmacy. Serving the town of New Canaan since 1925, Lang's Pharmacy offers cosmetics, hair and body lines, cosmeticians, gift wrapping and delivery, and pharmaceuticals covered by most insurance companies. Lang's Pharmacy, which served the town since 1925 and was owned by Diana Levison and her family for 35 years."It was a combination of a business decision and a quality [of] life decision," Levison said. "There are so many people I care about. I've been here over 30 years myself. It's a family business and I know so many people and their children and now their children's children. I would've done it a couple of years ago, but I wanted to make sure every one of my employees was taken care of in a way that would make them happy." Levison said she's been trying to sell the … Continue reading →