Content about Pharmacist Society

PITTSBURGH — Patients that opt to fill their prescriptions through a $4 generic program could help garner societal savings of nearly $6 billion, a new study found.

LISLE, Ill. — Pharmacy benefit manager SXC Health Solutions has appointed president and CEO Mark Thierer as chairman of the board, the company said.

Thierer previously was a director at the company and replaces Terrence Burke, who will retire from the company this year. Board compensation committee chairman Steve Cosler has been appointed lead independent director for the company.

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. — Two organizations focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder have joined Drive4COPD, an organization founded by drug maker Boehringer Ingelheim that seeks to raise awareness of the disease.

Drive4COPD announced that the U.S. COPD Coalition and the COPD Alliance had joined the campaign, which now includes 40 associations and companies. The U.S. COPD Coalition adds another 38 organizations.

NEW YORK — "Fake drugs are a big threat and an exploding threat," Kumar Kibble, deputy director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told the news program "60 Minutes" in a segment that appeared Sunday night.

DANBURY, Conn. — A drug maker focused on development and commercialization of diabetes treatments unveiled its accelerating clinical development plans of two drug candidates.

Biodel said BIOD-105 and BIOD-107, known as ultra rapid-acting insulins, are designed to result in more rapid insulin action, compared with currently marketed mealtime insulin analogs.

WASHINGTON — A study published last week in Nutrition Journal found that dietary supplement usage and patient recommendations were common for physicians across several medical specialties, including dermatology, cardiology and orthopedics.

FOSTER CITY, Calif. — Drug maker Gilead acknowledged the receipt of an unsolicited mini-tender offer by TRC Capital.

Gilead said that TRC seeks to purchase up to 3 million shares of the company at a price of $37.25 per share, or about $111.75 million. The drug maker said it is recommending shareholders reject the bid, stating that the offer is priced below the current market price for Gilead shares and is subject to numerous conditions. As of March 2, TRC's offer price represented approximately a 4.56% discount to the $39.03 closing price of Gilead common stock.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Ten members of Congress expressed concerns over a provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that is said to reduce Medicare program costs, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

WASHINGTON — Reps. Charles Boustany, R-La., and John Larson, D-Conn., on Friday introduced bipartisan legislation that would eliminate the “use-it-or-lose-it” provision associated with flexible spending accounts.

CAMP HILL, Pa. — Rite Aid is working with Sharps Compliance to help customers dispose of unused medications, the retailer said Monday.

Customers can buy a Sharps Compliance medication-disposal envelope at a Rite Aid store for $3.99, place unused prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs inside and then send it via the U.S. Postal Service to the incinerator.

ELMSFORD, N.Y. — Specialty pharmacy provider BioScrip had sales of $450.4 million in fourth quarter 2010 and $1.6 billion for the year as a whole, according to financial results released Friday.

Sales for the quarter were $108.8 million higher than in fourth quarter 2009, while sales for the fiscal year were $300 million higher than in fiscal year 2009. However, the company still had net losses of $67.1 million for the quarter and $69.1 million for the year.

BOCA RATON, Fla. — Diabetica Research Solutions said its DRSI ReStore! Energy brand has teamed up with television personality and author Charles Mattocks.

Mattocks, known to fans as "The Poor Chef," will make appearances with DRSI ReStore! Energy, including on such shows as "Dr. Oz," "Fox News" and "Oprah," as well as through his diabetes community website, newsletters and his blogs, while he continues testing recipes for diabetics using the supplement. Mattocks recently was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.