Community/Retail

Mr. Eckel is professor at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

At a healthcare forum hosted by Politics magazine, current and former members of Congress said they believed President Obama would sign some sort of a healthcare reform package, most likely later this year. “There would be too much political damage done if something doesn’t pass, so Congress will find a way,” said Congressman Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX).

A new study from the RAND Corporation concludes that retail medical clinics provide quality health care and preventive services for routine conditions, and at a lower cost than other providers. 

Individuals who go to work with a migraine, with the thought that it is better to “endure the pain” and stay at work, are actually less productive than individuals who stay home because of a migraine, with the level of productivity while suffering from a migraine is impacted by whether the migraine is chronic or episodic, the results of two new studies show.

With pharmacy robberies looming as an ever-present threat, some are coming up with innovative tactics for thwarting the crimes. Largely committed in pursuit of OxyContin, the robberies have been especially prevalent in Washington State and California.

The National Community Pharmacists Association is pushing for less stringent regulations under the Health Information Technology Act, saying the new rules will be unnecessarily costly and time-consuming for independent pharmacies.

Easing fears on whether—and how quickly—a vaccine to combat the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus will become available, the FDA this week approved 4 new vaccines to fight the virus and expects they will be distributed nationwide within the next 4 weeks.

The National Community Pharmacists Association continues to offer educational opportunities for pharmacists, as well as seek their input on issues impacting the practice of pharmacy.

Pharmacy advocates are working intensively with the administration and Congress to get relief from a recent appeals court ruling, which even the most conservative estimates suggest would cost pharmacies $350 million in reimbursement for their Medicaid prescriptions.

An analysis of emergency department visits by CDC researchers finds most childhood medication poisonings are a result of accidental ingestion rather than parent or caregiver error. Experts believe safety innovations in medication packaging will help.

New study results have shown an alarming increase in ADHD medication abuse among teens, evidenced by a sharp increase in calls to poison control centers over an 8-year time frame.

The former pharmacy worker who compounded the supplement linked to the deaths of 21 polo horses in April is suing the Ocala, Florida, pharmacy from which she was fired. Sheila Harris is alleging that the termination came as a result of her cooperation with authorities investigating the deaths.  

As Americans return to school and work, federal officials are projecting a spike in H1N1 cases-the government has issued new guidance for employers and educators in hopes of stemming the tide.

The National Community Pharmacists Association continues to offer educational opportunities for pharmacists, as well as seek their input on issues impacting the practice of pharmacy.

Many Americans appear to be trying nontraditional medicine, if recently released research is any guide. More than one-third of adults have used some form of complementary and alternative medicine, according to the government's latest national health interview survey.