Content about Ohio

DUBLIN, Ohio — Cardinal Health on Monday released the independent pharmacist’s social media toolkit, available exclusively to its independent retail pharmacy customers in recognition of the fundamental change in how independent pharmacies interact today with their patients and market their businesses.

WASHINGTON — The American Pharmacists Association wants to ensure that pharmacists continue to play a significant role in health care, and made the pharmacist’s ever-expanding role the main focus of its annual meeting in Seattle, which ended Monday.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer is continuing its pantry donation program by kicking off a springtime campaign.

The Midwest retailer is once again teaming up with its customers and team members in implementing its Simply Give program to help restock the shelves of nearly 200 local food pantries in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky.

This marks Meijer's eighth Simply Give effort, which began on March 20 and will continue through May 14.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Midwest retailer announced it would invest $75 million in a major remodel project that would benefit stores in two states.

Meijer said 10 stores in Michigan and Ohio would benefit from the initiative. The retailer projected that the remodeling program would be completed by the end of the year.

WASHINGTON — Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va.; Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; and Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, introduced new legislation that seeks to curb prescription drug theft through strengthened penalties and additional tools for law enforcement.

If approved, the legislation would:

• Increase possible sentences for robbing pharmacies of controlled substances;

DUBLIN, Ohio — The Cardinal Health Foundation is calling on nonprofits in select areas to apply for grant funding to support local efforts to prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription medications.

The program, which is an extension of the foundation's GenerationRx Initiative it developed with the Ohio State University College of Pharmacy, invites nonprofits from the following areas to apply for grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000:

• Albuquerque, N.M.;

• Central Ohio;

ORRVILLE, Ohio — The J.M. Smucker Co. said it is increasing the list price for many of its coffee products sold under the Folgers and Dunkin' Donuts brand names.

The company said prices will rise an average of 10% for the aforementioned items as part of its sustainability efforts.

J. M. Smucker noted that it holds a license for the Dunkin' Donuts brand and sells the brand-name packaged coffee products across various retail channels, not including Dunkin' Donuts restaurants.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — New legislation that supports medication therapy management, which is known to improve patient health outcomes and lower healthcare costs, has been endorsed by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacists Association.

The Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act of 2011, which was introduced by Sen. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., builds on legislation that Hagan authored in 2010 and also was co-sponsored by Sens. Al Franken, D-Minn., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Tim Johnson, D-S.D.

NEW YORK — Fears about the likelihood of medication errors have officials in Pennsylvania mulling the possibility of restrictions on patients transferring prescriptions from one pharmacy to another, according to published reports.

CNBC reported Sunday that a rule recently put in place by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy that allows only one transfer per year had inspired Pennsylvania officials to consider a similar rule for their own state.

AKRON, Ohio — Hygenic/Performance Health, makers of Perform and Biofreeze pain relievers, donated Perform pain reliever product samples and coupons in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society 2011 Run to Stop MS, MS Walks and MS Bike events.

POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — A customer visiting any of Fruth Pharmacy’s 25 stores in West Virginia and southern Ohio will find many of the same products and services one would find at any national chain pharmacy; but on top of that, the chain offers a highly personal approach to retailing.
“

The thing that sets Fruth apart is excellent customer service,” Fruth Pharmacy president Lynne Fruth told Drug Store News. “It’s kind of a mix of the best of what the bigger chains can provide with that small-hometown service.”