Content about Pharmacist Society

NEW YORK — Google has removed advertisements for websites that sell drugs without prescriptions, following a series of warning letters from a state attorney general, according to published reports.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Pharmacy automation provider QS/1 has received certification for controlled substances prescribed electronically, the company said.

QS/1 said it received Electronic Prescriptions for Control Substances certification, making it one of the first pharmacy vendors to certify for EPCS in the 10.6 Script Standard.

NEW YORK — Pfizer will receive more than $2 billion from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries to settle a case concerning a gastroesophageal reflux disease drug.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark announced on Tuesday that it has been awarded Specialty Pharmacy accreditation from URAC, a Washington, D.C.-based healthcare accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the healthcare industry.

YARDLEY, Pa. – Krames StayWell has introduced a set of products for accountable care organizations that includes marketing and patient-engagement tools and a new system for ACO member health management.

The company announced the launch of ACO 360, saying it was designed to help ACO patients take more responsibility for their own care with a collection of health outreach, acute care and population management products that support a growing number of government quality requirements for ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program.

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. — Aceto Corp. will sell an authorized generic version of a drug used to treat a rare but devastating degenerative disorder.

Aceto said it would launch the authorized generic version of Covis Pharma's Rilutek (riluzole) tablets in the 50-mg strength through its Rising Pharmaceuticals subsidiary. The drug is used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Sales of the drug were about $64 million in 2012, according to Aceto.

PHILADELPHIA — The Annals of Internal Medicine on Tuesday published a study comparing generic utilization of common diabetes medications across two government programs — Medicare Part D and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Medicare's use of brand-name medicines was two to three times greater than the VA.

According to the study, the disparity comes out of Medicare's reliance on private plans with distinct formularies, whereas the VA administers its own benefit using a national formulary.

LONDON — Anglo-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca will pay up to $1.15 billion for a U.S. developer of drugs for respiratory diseases, AstraZeneca said Monday.

The company announced that it would buy Redwood City, Calif.-based Pearl Therapeutics, which has an inhaled drug for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, called PT003 (formoterol fumarate; glycopyrrolate), in late-stage clinical development.

CARLISLE, Pa. — Free health screenings, a weight-bearing exercise and other activities will be featured at an upcoming diabetes fair sponsored by Giant Food Stores, the supermarket chain said.

Giant, the Ahold USA banner based in Carlisle, Pa., and also known as Giant-Carlisle to distinguish it from fellow Ahold chain Giant Food of Landover, Md., said it would partner with Pinnacle Health, Capital BlueCross and the American Diabetes Association to offer the "Living with Diabetes" event at a Harrisburg, Pa., store.

ATLANTA — Low-calorie sweeteners can be used to prevent and manage Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

The study, conducted by a group of researchers at the Baylor College of Medicine and published in the summer 2013 issue of the journal U.S. Endocrinology, examined the role between excess weight gain and management and prevention of Type 2 diabetes from available literature.

PHILADELPHIA — A joint Food and Drug Administration expert panel voted to recommend keeping a controversial GlaxoSmithKline diabetes drug available for certain patients, GSK said.