Content about pharmacist

NEW YORK — Three bills introduced in California's state legislature earlier this month would recognize pharmacists as healthcare providers.

The bills, introduced by state Senate Health Committee chairman Ed Hernandez, would allow pharmacists, nurse practitioners and optometrists to practice the full extent of their education and training.

It’s often the case that those in the midst of revolutionary times don’t really see how fundamentally the world around them is changing until long after the changes have occurred. So let’s start by declaring that the revolution has begun: Genomic research will dramatically transform both the practice of pharmacy and the way patients are treated with medications for many diseases.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration is renewing calls for legislation to give the agency more authority to regulate pharmacy compounding.

NEW YORK — Alcon has launched a mobile website designed to facilitate dialogue between patients and pharmacists about eye and ear treatments, the company said Thursday.

Alcon announced the launch of Drops101 Web Tools, which offers access to information about two of its products: Ciprodex Otic (ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone), for acute otitis externa and acute otitis media in children with tymponostomy tubes; and Moxeza ophthalmic solution (moxifloxacin hydrochloride) for bacterial conjunctivitis.

WASHINGTON — Gov. Bob McDonnell of Virginia has signed into law the first bill that could limit the reach of follow-on biologics, though the bill includes a two-year sunset clause, meaning it will expire in 2015.

McDonnell signed House bill 1422 and the identical Senate bill 1285, which would prevent a pharmacist from dispensing a biosimilar to substitute for the original, branded biologic if the prescriber indicated that substitution was not allowed or if the patient insisted on receiving the branded product.

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Hamacher Resource Group is offering pharmacists a new service that it said would allow them to get the top prescriptions dispensed in their two-digit ZIP code to ensure they are accurately and competitively pricing drugs.

HRG said the service, Rx Top Sellers, would provide data on the top 200, 500, 750 or 1,000 prescriptions and include cash median prices that are charged by food-drug retailers and independent pharmacies, as well as mass merchandise retailers.

Last week, I wrote about medication therapy management and a new bill in the House of Representatives to expand the pool of patients who qualify for MTM programs through Medicare. This week, I’m writing about — wait for it — medication therapy management.

CHICAGO — Chicago State University’s College of Pharmacy has announced that CVS Caremark has donated $250,000 for the development of the CVS Caremark Student Center and Technology Laboratory.

“This donation will help to improve the College’s physical space and technological resources, which greatly enhances student success within the College of Pharmacy. To say thank you is an understatement,” stated Dean Miriam Mobley Smith with the College of Pharmacy.

WASHINGTON — The National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) today applauded the introduction of S. 557, the Medication Therapy Management Empowerment Act of 2013, introduced yesterday by U.S. Sens. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., along with the support of original cosponsors U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Al Franken, D-Minn., Tim Johnson, D-S.D., and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. The legislation seeks to expand access to MTM services for senior citizens enrolled in the Medicare program.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — PharmaSmart International’s comprehensive blood pressure program has recently been validated in two new, independent scientific studies, the company announced today. The company also announced a partnership with Rx-30 Pharmacy System that offers an automated clinical integration of validated PharmaSmart biometrics within the patient record.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illustrating the vital role of community pharmacy in healthcare delivery, 300 community pharmacists, pharmacy executives, pharmacy students and other pharmacy advocates representing 41,000 chain pharmacies from 38 states took to Capitol Hill this week, donning their white coats for the 5th Annual NACDS RxImpact Day on Capitol Hill.  

A 12-to-1 return on investment. That’s what researchers in Minnesota estimated public and private health plan payers can get when they pay pharmacists to provide medication therapy management.