Community/Retail

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) applauds today's introduction of H.R. 592, the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, which will improve patient access to health care through pharmacists and their patient care services.

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today would formally designate pharmacists as healthcare providers under Medicare Part B. Supported by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, the bill would amend The Social Security Act of 1935 to enable pharmacists to provide to Medicare patients in underserved communities services that pharmacists already are providing for other patients under state law.

HIV-positive patients who live in the Deep South have lower survival rates compared with their counterparts residing across the rest of the nation.

It's true that, "Inch by inch, life's a cinch. Yard by yard, life's hard."

People's perceptions of the cost of a drug may affect how much they benefit from the drug, even when they are receiving only a placebo, according to a new study of people with Parkinson's disease.

Former National Football League players who participated in tackle football before the age of 12 were more likely to have memory and thinking problems in adulthood.

A recent report published in JAMA Internal Medicine confirmed a link between dementia risk and commonly used anticholinergic agents, some of which are taken regularly by older adults.

The National Community Pharmacists Association has endorsed H.R. 592, the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act, which was introduced by U.S. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) , Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Ron Kind (D-Wis.). The bill permits state-licensed pharmacists in medically underserved communities to both provide and be reimbursed for an expanded scope of patient-care services under the Medicare Part B program. In response, NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey, RPh, MBA, issued the following statement:

Today, Congressman Brett Guthrie, Congressman G.K. Butterfield, Congressman Todd Young, and Congressman Ron Kind joined together to introduce H.R. 592, which will allow Medicare to reimburse pharmacists in medically underserved communities for certain health care services.

Drug addiction is one thing, but diverting that poison onto the streets when pharmacists are told in no uncertain terms not to do so isn't looked upon so forgivingly.

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a condition in which tissue in the esophagus is replaced by tissue similar to that found in the intestinal lining, which predisposes a patient to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC).

The Walgreens Flu Indexâ„¢ is a weekly report developed to provide state- and market-specific information regarding flu activity, and ranking of those experiencing the highest incidences of influenza across the country. With the ability to generate hyper-local data that's as specific as a single zip code, the Index aims to drive consumer awareness and prevention within communities, while also serving as a valuable resource for health departments, media and others at the local level.

Cardinal Health Specialty Solutions today announced that it has signed a three-year agreement with RainTree Oncology Services to serve as its exclusive distributor for injectable, infused, oral oncolytic and supportive care specialty medications; and for Cardinal Health's VitalSourceTM to serve as its group purchasing organization for injectable and infused medications.

In a friend-of-the-court brief filed today with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of King v. Burwell, leading groups fighting chronic disease provide scientific evidence of the grave consequences if millions of people nationwide were to lose the tax credits provided under the Affordable Care Act that provide the financial assistance they need to afford health coverage.

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals recently announced that the FDA has accepted for priority review a Biologics License Application for their investigational drug, alirocumab, which is indicated for patients with hypercholesterolemia.

This first episode of a series on pharmacogenomics features an interview with Shawn Desai, PhD, JD, a chemist and member of the Georgia Bar Association.

A needle-fearing Rite Aid pharmacist who had been fired for refusing to attend mandatory immunization training will receive $2.6 million for his troubles.

A Texas pharmacist noted something fishy about a patient's prescription and called the police, who later arrested the customer after confirming he had photocopied his prescription.

Girls' overall achievement in school outperforms boys' in 70% of the countries that a group of researchers examined for a new study published in Intelligence.

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who consume beetroot juice have less trouble exercising.

The FDA has approved Rockwell Medical's Triferic, an iron compound delivered during dialysis, as an iron replacement product to maintain hemoglobin in adult patients with hemodialysis-dependent chronic kidney disease.

While extended-release opioid analgesics are an essential component of pain management, abuse and misuse of these medications can cause substantial morbidity and mortality.

Medication Compliance Tracking Technology

Emphasizing the importance of promoting policies that improve patient outcomes and lead to healthier, safer communities, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores submitted a statement to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health in lead-up to today's hearing titled "Examining Public Health Legislation to Help Patients and Local Communities."

mscripts and Avella Specialty Pharmacy have recently completed analyzing data demonstrating the effectiveness of mobile pharmacy apps in helping HIV patients better manage their disease through improved medication adherence. Results from this analysis show that HIV patients using a mobile app which provides refill reminders, dosage reminders and other prescription management functionality are 2.9 times more likely to be adherent.

A community pharmacy can collaborate with a local hospital to provide quality medication education and adherence coaching.

Avocados may help reduce low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.

The American Pharmacists Association Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management and Academy of Pharmaceutical Research and Science announced the following election slate for the 2015 APhA Elections:

The American Pharmacists Association today announced the slate of candidates for its Board of Trustees, President-elect and Honorary President. The elections for these positions will be held March 27-May 25, 2015. Association members will have the opportunity to meet the candidates at the APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, March 27-30, 2015.

Vitamin D can stimulate the immune system to protect against a specific type of colorectal cancer.