Pharmacist News and Research

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There are many tasks that a pharmacist is responsible for each day. Pharmacists are some of the most accessible members of the healthcare team, as individuals can seek their advice quickly and easily, even without an appointment.

Research roundup: Meeting the needs of assisted living residents; Medicaid expansion and community health centers; money follows the person

Assisted living facilities provide housing and care to persons unable to live independently, and who often have increasing medical needs. Disease outbreaks illustrate challenges of maintaining adequate resident protections in these facilities. ... Of the 50 states, 84% specify health-based admissions criteria to assisted living facilities; 60% require licensed health care professionals to oversee medical care; ... There is wide variation in how assisted living facilities are regulated in the United States.

25 Nov 2013

Diabetes patients who receive medications by mail are less likely to visit emergency room

Patients with diabetes who received prescribed heart medications by mail were less likely to visit the emergency room than those patients who picked up prescriptions in person, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in the American Journal of Managed Care.

25 Nov 2013

Patients better adhere to medication regimens following hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome

Patients better adhered to their medication regimens in the year following hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome when they were part of a program that included personalized attention from a pharmacist compared with usual care, according to a study by P. Michael Ho, M.D., Ph.D., of the Denver VA Medical Center, and colleagues.

19 Nov 2013

Errors in medication common on admission to mental health services, shows study

A recent study, published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, involving Aston University (UK), South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT) and the University of East Anglia (UK) found medication errors were common on admission to mental health services.

16 Nov 2013

ED visits associated with OTC pediatric cough cold medicines in children decline

A new study, "Cough and Cold Medication Adverse Events After Market Withdrawal and Labeling Revision," shows that emergency department visits associated with over-the-counter pediatric cough cold medicines in children age 3 and younger have declined following voluntary industry labeling initiatives specifically designed to improve safe use in this age.

12 Nov 2013

Community pharmacist program improves COPD care

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who receive a community pharmacist-based intervention have improved inhalation technique and medication adherence, show the results of a randomized trial.

5 Nov 2013

Thomas Jefferson University's Department of Medicine named Comprehensive Hypertension Center

The Department of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University has been named a Comprehensive Hypertension Center by the American Society of Hypertension (ASH). Jefferson is one of only five in the country to earn top recognition for its advanced diagnosis, evaluation and treatment of complex hypertension and associated disorders.

4 Nov 2013

Doctors-in-training must employ etiquette-based communications to improve medical recovery, patient satisfaction

Johns Hopkins investigators have found that doctors-in-training are unlikely to introduce themselves fully to hospitalized patients or sit down to talk to them eye-to-eye, despite research suggesting that courteous bedside manners improve medical recovery along with patient satisfaction.

23 Oct 2013

Be medicinewise: Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of medicines

Today, NPS MedicineWise is urging people to ask questions about their medicines by speaking to a health professional or calling the NPS Medicines Line.

18 Oct 2013

NPS MedicineWise urges everyone to clean out medicine cabinets as part of Be Medicinewise Week

This Wednesday NPS MedicineWise wants everyone to clean out their medicine cabinets and rid their homes, cars and offices of unwanted, unnecessary and potentially harmful out-of-date medicines.

15 Oct 2013

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers tips for playing safe with prescription drugs

As we age, most of us come to depend on prescription drugs to help us live healthier, longer lives. But the very medications that we count on for better health could also land us in the hospital.

10 Oct 2013

Ramsell partners with Alameda County to provide pharmacy benefits management services

Ramsell, a leading provider of innovative solutions for organizations that serve the underserved, today announced a new partnership with Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services to provide pharmacy benefits management services to more than 900 low-income mental health patients.

9 Oct 2013

State highlights: Wendy Davis announces Texas gubernatorial run; Calif. gov. signs pharmacist scope-of-practice bill

Wendy Davis, the Democratic state senator whose abortion filibuster catapulted her to national fame, announced Thursday that she will run for Texas governor, a race that looks to be a banner 2014 contest (Glueck, 10/4).

7 Oct 2013

Intervention of ID physician can reduce medication errors in hospitalized HIV patients

When patients with HIV are hospitalized for other conditions, such as a heart problem, surgery or complications of diabetes, mistakes are often made involving their complicated anti-retroviral therapy (ART) regimens.

5 Oct 2013

VeriMed secures $3 million in venture funding

VeriMed, a technology company that works to provide a secure, transparent and safe supply chain for controlled substances, today announced it has secured $3 million in venture funding. The financing was led by Fortis Capital Holdings, a private investment firm.

25 Sep 2013

Inhaled corticosteroid increases risk for pneumonia reoccurrence

A University of Alberta researcher says health professionals should be cautious about prescribing inhaled corticosteroids to high-risk patients such as pneumonia survivors, citing a twofold risk for repeat infection.

19 Sep 2013

State highlights: New Iowa nursing home regs under fire

New laws and regulations supported by Iowa's nursing homes are drawing fire from a former top regulator, who says lawmakers might as well turn the keys to the state inspections department over to industry lobbyists.

18 Sep 2013

Study finds low doses of vancomycin to be effective in treating serious C-difficile infection

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) treatment in a hospital setting using low dose oral vancomycin showed similar effectiveness compared to high dose, according to a new study by researchers at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

12 Sep 2013

Sam's Club Pharmacy to host free health screenings for diabetes

To promote early detection and an overall healthy lifestyle that can help prevent the onset of diabetes, Sam's Club Pharmacy will host free health screenings Saturday, Sept. 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

7 Sep 2013

LDM expands professional and patient communication network with Kmart

LDM Group, LLC, (LDM) a leading targeted healthcare communications company, announced today that it is expanding its professional and patient communication network with the addition Kmart, an Illinois based retail chain with over 870 pharmacies nationwide.