Content about Iowa

WASHINGTON — One of the difficulties that federal regulators ran into during the nationwide scandal surrounding the New England Compounding Center — the Massachusetts-based pharmacy blamed for a nationwide fungal meningitis epidemic that has sickened hundreds and killed dozens — was the issue of when such pharmacies cross the line from compounding to manufacturing.

NEW YORK — Two Hy-Vee stores in Iowa will start composting food waste, produce and floral trimmings, according to published reports.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Gazette reported that Hy-Vee stores in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids had partnered with Des Moines, Iowa-based organics recycler Green RU, which will pick up the waste from the stores and haul it to nearby compost centers. The newspaper reported that the company was considering whether to expand the pilot program throughout the chain.

MILWAUKIE, Ore. — The American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists on Wednesday honored Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, with an award of appreciation for introducing and supporting legislation that safeguards Americans' right to choose complementary health care. Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Harkin has been a longtime supporter of patient access to homeopathic medicines, AAHP noted. 

WASHINGTON — Republican and Democratic senators have re-introduced legislation that would ban patent settlements between branded and generic drug companies that critics allege violate antitrust laws, according to published reports.

DES MOINES, Iowa — OutcomesMTM, a medication therapy management delivery system, on Tuesday recognized its top chain and independent pharmacies for 2012. Walgreens and Kerr Drug were named top large pharmacy chain and top regional pharmacy chain, respectively.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee is taking over a construction company that builds its stores and related facilities, the supermarket chain said Friday.

Hy-Vee said it would buy the Weitz Co.'s interest in Hy-Vee Weitz Construction, a joint venture it entered in 1995 to complete Hy-Vee construction projects more efficiently and economically. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

ANKENY, Iowa — Hy-Vee has started building a new store in Iowa, the supermarket chain said.

Hy-Vee announced that the 92,000-sq.-ft. store would be the second in the planned community of Ankeny, Iowa. The company plans to open the store in late 2013.

The new store will include a Starbucks coffee outlet, pharmacy with drive-through service, gelato bar, Chinese buffet, sushi bar and other amenities, as well as an on-site convenience store and gas station.

ANKENY, Iowa — A supermarket chain and a convenience store chain in the Midwest have launched a program that they said would allow customers to save on gasoline at all their stores.

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — A Midwestern supermarket-pharmacy chain is taking part in an event that's part of a program whose stated goal is to make Iowa the healthiest state in the country.

Hy-Vee announced that more than 100 of its stores would take part in the second Healthiest State Walk on Wednesday. Hy-Vee stores will help organize the one-kilometer walks in their communities and offer prizes to encourage people, businesses and schools to participate.

BOONE, Iowa — A supermarket chain and a fruit and vegetable company are donating salad bars to schools to promote health eating.

Hy-Vee and Dole announced the donation of five salad bars in the central Iowa area at the United Community School in Boone, as well as schools in Centerville, Fairfield, Denison and Shenandoah. The donation was part of the First Lady's Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools initiative, which has donated more than 1,440 salad bars to schools across the country.

SARASOTA, Fla. — A Midwestern hospital system will implement a system in which nurses, physicians and others will use smartphones for communications.

Voalte, which develops a clinical communications system, said the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics would use its system to improve clinical workflow by using iPhones to merge voice, text and alarms, allowing patient care providers to send and receive high-definition voice calls, secure text messages and alarms on one device.