From the Chicago Tribune:
A northern Idaho pharmacist who tackled a gun-toting robber and received a special award from the city of Coeur d'Alene has been fired for violating company policy.
Jerry Gunderson said he was dismissed from the Shopko pharmacy late last month because he resisted the robbery.
A Shopko spokeswoman at the company's corporate office in Green Bay, Wis., declined to comment.
On Nov. 18, Gunderson chased after the gunman who police say had just stolen six bottles of anti-anxiety prescription medicine, then tackled him near the entrance of the store.
Gunderson said he initially was only trying to get information for police. ...more
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Internet drug purchases included in spending bills
From the Associated Press:
The Senate dealt a blow to the drug lobby Thursday by voting to permit people in the United States to order lower-cost drugs from Canada over the Internet.
The prescription drug plan, by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., passed the Senate by a 55-36 vote that added it to a $42.9 billion bill funding the Homeland Security Department. The Senate then approved the homeland security measure by a 84-6 vote Thursday night.
Critics said Vitter's amendment would open a gaping loophole that would expose people to Internet scams and unsafe drugs, but the allure of importing U.S.-made drugs from other countries where government policies have driven prices lower has long had a pull on lawmakers.
But so too has the drug lobby, which has always defeated attempts to allow consumers widespread access to "reimported" drugs. Several Democratic leaders, including Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and his top lieutenant, Dick Durbin of Illinois, initially opposed Vitter's amendment, only switching their votes after it became clear the popular idea would pass.
Their doubts about the idea may ensure the drug importation rule gets dropped during House-Senate negotiations on a final bill. Currently, U.S. travelers may return with a three-month supply of drugs when crossing the border. ...more
The Senate dealt a blow to the drug lobby Thursday by voting to permit people in the United States to order lower-cost drugs from Canada over the Internet.
The prescription drug plan, by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., passed the Senate by a 55-36 vote that added it to a $42.9 billion bill funding the Homeland Security Department. The Senate then approved the homeland security measure by a 84-6 vote Thursday night.
Critics said Vitter's amendment would open a gaping loophole that would expose people to Internet scams and unsafe drugs, but the allure of importing U.S.-made drugs from other countries where government policies have driven prices lower has long had a pull on lawmakers.
But so too has the drug lobby, which has always defeated attempts to allow consumers widespread access to "reimported" drugs. Several Democratic leaders, including Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and his top lieutenant, Dick Durbin of Illinois, initially opposed Vitter's amendment, only switching their votes after it became clear the popular idea would pass.
Their doubts about the idea may ensure the drug importation rule gets dropped during House-Senate negotiations on a final bill. Currently, U.S. travelers may return with a three-month supply of drugs when crossing the border. ...more
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Ill Patients Forced to Pay for Cancer Pills
I think this story perhaps explains in part why drug costs are outpacing other aspects of medical care.
From the New York Times:
Chuck Stauffer’s insurance covered the surgery to remove his brain tumor. It covered his brain scans. And it would have paid fully for tens of thousands of dollars of intravenous chemotherapy at a doctor’s office or hospital.
But his insurance covered hardly any of the cost of the cancer pills the doctor prescribed for him to take at home. Mr. Stauffer, a 62-year-old Oregon farmer, had to pay $5,500 for the first 42-day supply of the drug, Temodar, and $1,700 a month after that.
“Because it was a pill,” he said, “I had to pay — not the insurance.”
Pills and capsules are the new wave in cancer treatment, expected to account for 25 percent of all cancer medicines in a few years, up from less than 10 percent now.
The oral drugs can free patients from frequent trips to a clinic to be hooked to an intravenous line for hours. Fewer visits might save the health system money as well as time. And the pills are a step toward making cancer a manageable chronic condition, like diabetes.
But for many patients, exchanging an I.V. bag for a pill is a lopsided trade because the economics and practice of cancer medicine have not caught up with the convenience of oral drugs. ...more
Robber gets surprise when pharmacist opens fire
From WRDW (GA):
It was a robbery with a big surprise for the robber. A gunman walked into a CVS drugstore expecting to hold up the place. What he didn't expect was to find a pharmacist who had a gun and was not afraid to use it.
The shooting happened just after midnight at the CVS on Walton Way and 15th Street.
Investigators say this isn't the first time CVS has been robbed, but this time was different. A pharmacist fired at the suspect, protecting himself and the store.
The surveillance pictures tell the story. In a matter of seconds a masked robber wearing black enters this CVS Pharmacy and starts demanding money. Clenching a pistol, the robber gives the cashier a bag to fill and then heads towards the back.
"The suspect then asked about the register in the pharmacy and began heading back to the pharmacy," says Richmond County Sheriff's Sergeant Ken Rogers.
But Investigators say the overnight pharmacist, Michael Swindle, heard the commotion, grabbed his gun and made his way out into the store. ...more
It was a robbery with a big surprise for the robber. A gunman walked into a CVS drugstore expecting to hold up the place. What he didn't expect was to find a pharmacist who had a gun and was not afraid to use it.
The shooting happened just after midnight at the CVS on Walton Way and 15th Street.
Investigators say this isn't the first time CVS has been robbed, but this time was different. A pharmacist fired at the suspect, protecting himself and the store.
The surveillance pictures tell the story. In a matter of seconds a masked robber wearing black enters this CVS Pharmacy and starts demanding money. Clenching a pistol, the robber gives the cashier a bag to fill and then heads towards the back.
"The suspect then asked about the register in the pharmacy and began heading back to the pharmacy," says Richmond County Sheriff's Sergeant Ken Rogers.
But Investigators say the overnight pharmacist, Michael Swindle, heard the commotion, grabbed his gun and made his way out into the store. ...more
Pharmacists get paid more for consultations
From the (Nashville) Tennessean:
A push by Medicare and other insurers to control patients' misuse of medications as a way to cut unnecessary drug costs has given many pharmacists a chance to make additional money by getting paid for in-depth consultations or other extra services.
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Kroger, for instance, is training more pharmacists to handle up to one-hour consultations with patients that it began offering members of sponsoring health plans two years ago. As profit margins shrink, the new fees could help pharmacists develop another stable source of revenue.
Already, health plans are required to offer such pharmacist-patient chats to members enrolled in private Medicare plans known as Medicare Advantage. Those conversations can produce fees of $160 for up to one-hour conversations covering a patient's medical background and other services.
Other pharmacists perform extras for patients, including packaging patients' drugs in ready-to-use individual dosages to reduce the chances of a patient's taking too many pills or the wrong ones.
"You've got to find creative niches to stay alive," said W. Shane Reeves, co-owner of Reeves-Sain Drug Store, a small Murfreesboro pharmacy chain with two stores. ...more
A push by Medicare and other insurers to control patients' misuse of medications as a way to cut unnecessary drug costs has given many pharmacists a chance to make additional money by getting paid for in-depth consultations or other extra services.
Advertisement
Kroger, for instance, is training more pharmacists to handle up to one-hour consultations with patients that it began offering members of sponsoring health plans two years ago. As profit margins shrink, the new fees could help pharmacists develop another stable source of revenue.
Already, health plans are required to offer such pharmacist-patient chats to members enrolled in private Medicare plans known as Medicare Advantage. Those conversations can produce fees of $160 for up to one-hour conversations covering a patient's medical background and other services.
Other pharmacists perform extras for patients, including packaging patients' drugs in ready-to-use individual dosages to reduce the chances of a patient's taking too many pills or the wrong ones.
"You've got to find creative niches to stay alive," said W. Shane Reeves, co-owner of Reeves-Sain Drug Store, a small Murfreesboro pharmacy chain with two stores. ...more
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Pharmacist warns of 'pharm parties'
From the Madison (IN) Courier:
"Pharm parties" where party-goers ingest random prescription drugs collected from family medicine cabinets without regard for potentially lethal drug interactions are a rapidly increasing trend among teens and young adults, a pharmacist told a town hall audience Monday in Carrollton, Ky.
Pharmacist Dave Sallengs likened the possible deadly consequences of mixing prescription medication to the death Jan. 22, 2008, of Academy Award-winning actor Heath Ledger, who accidentally overdosed on six different painkillers and sedatives.
Sallengs said the number of 12- to 17-year-olds abusing controlled substances in the U.S. grew 212 percent between 1992 and 2003, and the number of prescriptions written for controlled substances in the U.S. grew 150 percent.
Sallengs, the manager of the drug enforcement and professional practices branch office of the Kentucky inspector general, said the number of people abusing prescription drugs exceeded the number of people abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin combined during that same period. ..more
"Pharm parties" where party-goers ingest random prescription drugs collected from family medicine cabinets without regard for potentially lethal drug interactions are a rapidly increasing trend among teens and young adults, a pharmacist told a town hall audience Monday in Carrollton, Ky.
Pharmacist Dave Sallengs likened the possible deadly consequences of mixing prescription medication to the death Jan. 22, 2008, of Academy Award-winning actor Heath Ledger, who accidentally overdosed on six different painkillers and sedatives.
Sallengs said the number of 12- to 17-year-olds abusing controlled substances in the U.S. grew 212 percent between 1992 and 2003, and the number of prescriptions written for controlled substances in the U.S. grew 150 percent.
Sallengs, the manager of the drug enforcement and professional practices branch office of the Kentucky inspector general, said the number of people abusing prescription drugs exceeded the number of people abusing cocaine, hallucinogens, inhalants and heroin combined during that same period. ..more
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Drug Imports May Become Legal in U.S. Under Obama, McCain Plans
From Bloomberg:
Americans may soon be able to buy cheap drugs imported from other countries without fear of breaking the law, now that a five-year push in Congress for new rules has gained support in President Barack Obama’s budget.
A proposal to allow drug imports was introduced today by Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican defeated by Obama for the presidency, along with Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, of North Dakota, and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, of Maine. Obama called for the changes in his budget last week, and views the measure as one way to reduce health-care costs so that medical coverage for the uninsured can be expanded.
Brand-name drugs in other countries cost as much as 70 percent less than in the U.S. Allowing imports would save Americans $50 billion over the next decade, including $10 billion for the U.S. government, the lawmakers said. Dorgan and Snowe previously introduced similar legislation opposed by the pharmaceutical industry and former President George W. Bush. ...more
Americans may soon be able to buy cheap drugs imported from other countries without fear of breaking the law, now that a five-year push in Congress for new rules has gained support in President Barack Obama’s budget.
A proposal to allow drug imports was introduced today by Senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican defeated by Obama for the presidency, along with Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan, of North Dakota, and Republican Senator Olympia Snowe, of Maine. Obama called for the changes in his budget last week, and views the measure as one way to reduce health-care costs so that medical coverage for the uninsured can be expanded.
Brand-name drugs in other countries cost as much as 70 percent less than in the U.S. Allowing imports would save Americans $50 billion over the next decade, including $10 billion for the U.S. government, the lawmakers said. Dorgan and Snowe previously introduced similar legislation opposed by the pharmaceutical industry and former President George W. Bush. ...more
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Wash. pharmacist put old drugs back in supply
From the Seattle Post Intelligencer:
The pharmacist at TOP Food and Drug in suburban Edmonds seemed like an excellent employee.
Friendly and helpful to the customers, he even ran a collection drive, asking people to bring back any unused prescriptions so he could donate the medicine to Third World countries.
Instead, he put much of that medicine back in the pharmacy's supply - even if its expiration date had passed - thus improving the store's profits while masking that he was also skimming thousands of dollars in copayments and other transactions.
The now-former pharmacist, Milton Cheung, will be sentenced Friday after admitting his conduct in a plea agreement with federal prosecutors last fall. The government and Cheung's attorney agreed to recommend a 15-month sentence, while the pharmacy's parent company, Bellingham-based Haggen Inc., has agreed to create a compliance program to improve record-keeping at all its pharmacies.
"Customers were never advised that they were receiving expired and adulterated drugs," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Friedman wrote in a memo to the court. "And while there are no reports of adverse patient reaction, Cheung had no right to expose the public to the risk of product tampering, bacteria and other market adulteration inherent in his scheme." ...more
The pharmacist at TOP Food and Drug in suburban Edmonds seemed like an excellent employee.
Friendly and helpful to the customers, he even ran a collection drive, asking people to bring back any unused prescriptions so he could donate the medicine to Third World countries.
Instead, he put much of that medicine back in the pharmacy's supply - even if its expiration date had passed - thus improving the store's profits while masking that he was also skimming thousands of dollars in copayments and other transactions.
The now-former pharmacist, Milton Cheung, will be sentenced Friday after admitting his conduct in a plea agreement with federal prosecutors last fall. The government and Cheung's attorney agreed to recommend a 15-month sentence, while the pharmacy's parent company, Bellingham-based Haggen Inc., has agreed to create a compliance program to improve record-keeping at all its pharmacies.
"Customers were never advised that they were receiving expired and adulterated drugs," Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Friedman wrote in a memo to the court. "And while there are no reports of adverse patient reaction, Cheung had no right to expose the public to the risk of product tampering, bacteria and other market adulteration inherent in his scheme." ...more
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
N.D. House defeats bill that would have changed pharmacy ownership
From the Jamestown (ND) Sun:
North Dakota pharmacists and defenders of the state’s small towns came out on top Friday in the biggest battle of the 2009 Legislature.
The House soundly defeated a proposed repeal of the state’s 40-year-old law that requires pharmacies in the state be majority-owned by a pharmacist. House Bill 1440 went down on a 57-35 vote after an hour-long debate that at times got emotional.
“Trust the people of North Dakota,” said Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, who favored repeal and more choice for North Dakotans in where to shop for prescriptions.
“Let the people decide. Nobody’s forcing anyone to do anything different,” he said. ...more
North Dakota pharmacists and defenders of the state’s small towns came out on top Friday in the biggest battle of the 2009 Legislature.
The House soundly defeated a proposed repeal of the state’s 40-year-old law that requires pharmacies in the state be majority-owned by a pharmacist. House Bill 1440 went down on a 57-35 vote after an hour-long debate that at times got emotional.
“Trust the people of North Dakota,” said Rep. Jon Nelson, R-Rugby, who favored repeal and more choice for North Dakotans in where to shop for prescriptions.
“Let the people decide. Nobody’s forcing anyone to do anything different,” he said. ...more
Monday, February 09, 2009
A battle over mail-order drugs
From the Boston Globe:
Medco's Willingboro plant may be the largest pharmacy in the world. It is the size of six football fields, and it can fill more prescriptions in a day than an average corner drugstore does in a year.
Robotic arms instead of human hands pour pills into bottles and label them. Infrared scanners rather than human eyes check and recheck each bottle. The machines are 23 times more accurate than the average pharmacist, Medco says, thanks to technology so advanced that computers consult the weather forecast along the shipping routes of heat-sensitive drugs and insert a cooling gel pack if needed.
Actual pharmacists, some of whom handle only specific diseases such as diabetes or cancer, check each patient's record, flag potentially harmful drug interactions, and determine whether there may be a cheaper alternative.
Mail-service pharmacies pitched themselves to Barack Obama's team as one tool for beating back rising health costs and improving healthcare quality.
In a country that spends a larger share of its economy on healthcare than any other in dustrialized nation, and where the chronically ill account for 75 percent of all health spending, owners of mail-service pharmacies say Medicare could save billions if more people bought their regular medications from mail-service pharmacies, exploiting their scale, efficiency, and specialized expertise. ...more
Medco's Willingboro plant may be the largest pharmacy in the world. It is the size of six football fields, and it can fill more prescriptions in a day than an average corner drugstore does in a year.
Robotic arms instead of human hands pour pills into bottles and label them. Infrared scanners rather than human eyes check and recheck each bottle. The machines are 23 times more accurate than the average pharmacist, Medco says, thanks to technology so advanced that computers consult the weather forecast along the shipping routes of heat-sensitive drugs and insert a cooling gel pack if needed.
Actual pharmacists, some of whom handle only specific diseases such as diabetes or cancer, check each patient's record, flag potentially harmful drug interactions, and determine whether there may be a cheaper alternative.
Mail-service pharmacies pitched themselves to Barack Obama's team as one tool for beating back rising health costs and improving healthcare quality.
In a country that spends a larger share of its economy on healthcare than any other in dustrialized nation, and where the chronically ill account for 75 percent of all health spending, owners of mail-service pharmacies say Medicare could save billions if more people bought their regular medications from mail-service pharmacies, exploiting their scale, efficiency, and specialized expertise. ...more
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Big drugstore operators take aim at N. Dakota law
From the Associated Press:
North Dakotans packed an auditorium on the state Capitol grounds Tuesday to debate a state law requiring pharmacies to have pharmacists as their majority owners. The law is under heavy fire from large retailers who say that if it's repealed, they can offer $4 prescriptions and lower drug costs.
North Dakota, where you can't get a prescription filled at a Walgreens, is the only state with such a law, state officials say.
The National Conference of State Legislatures found at least one other state requiring a percentage of pharmacist ownership but none as restrictive as North Dakota.
Republican state Rep. Jon Nelson of Rugby, a sponsor of a bill to repeal the ownership restriction, said it would give people better choices in buying prescription drugs and would help those who are uninsured and underinsured.
Nine-year-old Jakob Olson of Bismarck was one of the first to speak for the repeal. He said he has gone through seven surgeries, and has asthma and allergies, and said his parents have referred to the legislation as the "Jakob Bill." ...more
North Dakotans packed an auditorium on the state Capitol grounds Tuesday to debate a state law requiring pharmacies to have pharmacists as their majority owners. The law is under heavy fire from large retailers who say that if it's repealed, they can offer $4 prescriptions and lower drug costs.
North Dakota, where you can't get a prescription filled at a Walgreens, is the only state with such a law, state officials say.
The National Conference of State Legislatures found at least one other state requiring a percentage of pharmacist ownership but none as restrictive as North Dakota.
Republican state Rep. Jon Nelson of Rugby, a sponsor of a bill to repeal the ownership restriction, said it would give people better choices in buying prescription drugs and would help those who are uninsured and underinsured.
Nine-year-old Jakob Olson of Bismarck was one of the first to speak for the repeal. He said he has gone through seven surgeries, and has asthma and allergies, and said his parents have referred to the legislation as the "Jakob Bill." ...more
Doctor-pharmacist turf war erupts
From the East Valley (AZ) Tribune:
A turf war of sorts is brewing at the Capitol between doctors and pharmacists over who is qualified to decide when people need vaccinations.
The Arizona Pharmacy Alliance wants to allow its members to administer certain shots without the customers first getting a prescription from a doctor. Mindy Rasmussen, the organization’s director, said that change in law will help ensure that Arizonans get the immunizations they need.
But the move is getting a fight from the Arizona Academy of Family Physicians. Laura Hahn, that group’s executive director, said she fears the proposal would needlessly endanger patient health.
The pharmacists have won the first round: The House Committee on Health and Human Services approved HB 2164 without dissent. It has the added benefit of being backed by the Arizona Retailers Association, many of whose members operate pharmacies.
But even Rasmussen acknowledged that the bill faces an uncertain future unless the objections from the doctors can be overcome. ...more
A turf war of sorts is brewing at the Capitol between doctors and pharmacists over who is qualified to decide when people need vaccinations.
The Arizona Pharmacy Alliance wants to allow its members to administer certain shots without the customers first getting a prescription from a doctor. Mindy Rasmussen, the organization’s director, said that change in law will help ensure that Arizonans get the immunizations they need.
But the move is getting a fight from the Arizona Academy of Family Physicians. Laura Hahn, that group’s executive director, said she fears the proposal would needlessly endanger patient health.
The pharmacists have won the first round: The House Committee on Health and Human Services approved HB 2164 without dissent. It has the added benefit of being backed by the Arizona Retailers Association, many of whose members operate pharmacies.
But even Rasmussen acknowledged that the bill faces an uncertain future unless the objections from the doctors can be overcome. ...more
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Safeway to offer free antibiotics in mid-Atlantic stores
I'm pretty sure the Canadian Safeway pharmacies are not following suit, but I still thought this was an interesting story.
From the Baltimore (MD) Business Journal:
Safeway Inc. said Monday that it will offer free prescription antibiotics at its pharmacies in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C. and Virginia, through March 31.
Under the program, customers of Safeway (NYSE: SWY) can bring in a prescription for selected antibiotics and receive a 14-day supply of generic medication at no cost. Amoxicillin, used to treat bacterial infections, the blood pressure medication atenolol and penicillin are among the free generic drugs offered. ...more
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Retired druggist fears biological attack, urges stockpiling antibiotic
From the East Volusia (FL) News:
With a massive biological attack predicted in the next five years, retired Ormond Beach pharmacist Gerald Murphy is concerned people are throwing their best hope for survival into the garbage.
Last month, a high-powered commission created by Congress and chaired by retired Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Graham of Florida found "it is more likely than not" that a weapon of mass destruction --such as deadly anthrax bacteria -- will be used somewhere in the world.
That finding in the report titled "World at Risk," combined with its emphasis that the nation is not doing enough to prepare, sent Murphy into action. He's doing all he can to get the word out that a 30-day supply of a common and inexpensive antibiotic -- Cipro -- should be a staple in every household like Band-Aids and gauze pads.
"If I go on a ship, shouldn't I take a life preserver with me?" said Murphy, 79, who retired from his beachside shop, The Apothecary, 13 years ago.
Murphy is well-known for his work during the last 15 years trying to change Florida's pharmacy rules so pharmacists aren't required to automatically label a prescription as expired after a year. ...more
With a massive biological attack predicted in the next five years, retired Ormond Beach pharmacist Gerald Murphy is concerned people are throwing their best hope for survival into the garbage.
Last month, a high-powered commission created by Congress and chaired by retired Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Graham of Florida found "it is more likely than not" that a weapon of mass destruction --such as deadly anthrax bacteria -- will be used somewhere in the world.
That finding in the report titled "World at Risk," combined with its emphasis that the nation is not doing enough to prepare, sent Murphy into action. He's doing all he can to get the word out that a 30-day supply of a common and inexpensive antibiotic -- Cipro -- should be a staple in every household like Band-Aids and gauze pads.
"If I go on a ship, shouldn't I take a life preserver with me?" said Murphy, 79, who retired from his beachside shop, The Apothecary, 13 years ago.
Murphy is well-known for his work during the last 15 years trying to change Florida's pharmacy rules so pharmacists aren't required to automatically label a prescription as expired after a year. ...more
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Pushing more doctors to ditch the prescription pad
From the Associated Press:
The push for paperless prescriptions is about to get a boost: Starting in January, doctors who e-prescribe can get bonus pay from Medicare.
For patients, the benefits are obvious — from shorter drugstore waits to increased safety, as pharmacists no longer squint to decipher doctors' messy handwriting.
But persuading U.S. doctors to ditch their prescription pads for electronic prescribing so far has been a long, uphill battle. Only about 10 percent of doctors are taking the plunge like Dr. Ted Epperly in Boise, Idaho, who's adopting the technology now.
Still, the movement is gaining steam as Medicare warns that its bonus payments are for a short time only: Holdouts still sticking to paper in 2012 will find their Medicare payments cut.
And continuing the push for medical information technology is a key part of President-elect Barack Obama's health-reform plans, in hopes that moving to computerized records — not just prescriptions, but all those troublesome paper charts that contribute to medical errors and wasted care — ultimately could save millions of dollars a year. ...more
The push for paperless prescriptions is about to get a boost: Starting in January, doctors who e-prescribe can get bonus pay from Medicare.
For patients, the benefits are obvious — from shorter drugstore waits to increased safety, as pharmacists no longer squint to decipher doctors' messy handwriting.
But persuading U.S. doctors to ditch their prescription pads for electronic prescribing so far has been a long, uphill battle. Only about 10 percent of doctors are taking the plunge like Dr. Ted Epperly in Boise, Idaho, who's adopting the technology now.
Still, the movement is gaining steam as Medicare warns that its bonus payments are for a short time only: Holdouts still sticking to paper in 2012 will find their Medicare payments cut.
And continuing the push for medical information technology is a key part of President-elect Barack Obama's health-reform plans, in hopes that moving to computerized records — not just prescriptions, but all those troublesome paper charts that contribute to medical errors and wasted care — ultimately could save millions of dollars a year. ...more
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Rx plan cuts Montgomery County costs nearly in half
From the Schenectady (NY) Daily Gazette:
The cost of prescription medications for employees of Montgomery County and the city of Amsterdam has been cut nearly in half since they began participating in the CanaRx prescription drug plan.
More than 5,000 prescriptions have been issued since the program’s start in 2006 for participants, according to statistics provided by CSEA Local 829 President Eddie Russo.
The cost for 5,403 prescriptions under a typical U.S. prescription plan is estimated at $1.97 million, but instead cost roughly $1 million through the end of October, according to the report from CanaRx.
Including employees, their family members and retired employees, 1,474 people are covered under the Canadian drug plan. ...more
The cost of prescription medications for employees of Montgomery County and the city of Amsterdam has been cut nearly in half since they began participating in the CanaRx prescription drug plan.
More than 5,000 prescriptions have been issued since the program’s start in 2006 for participants, according to statistics provided by CSEA Local 829 President Eddie Russo.
The cost for 5,403 prescriptions under a typical U.S. prescription plan is estimated at $1.97 million, but instead cost roughly $1 million through the end of October, according to the report from CanaRx.
Including employees, their family members and retired employees, 1,474 people are covered under the Canadian drug plan. ...more
Monday, November 24, 2008
Pharmacist Donates Kidney to Customer After Falling in Love
From ABC News:
Some romances build over dinner and flowers. This one blossomed over medication and dialysis.
A pharmacist in Kansas donated her kidney to a customer she fell in love with.
What began as a simple pharmacist-customer relationship turned into much more for Julie Wallace and Justin Lister, who struck up a friendship, then a romance that led to Wallace giving Lister a kidney.
When they met a little more than a year ago, Wallace, 46, was working as a pharmacist and manager at Dillon's grocery store pharmacy in McPherson, Kan., where Lister, 26, was dragging himself in to pick up a cocktail of prescriptions for his kidney disease.
"He kept coming into the pharmacy, getting all kinds of medication and just looking really bad," Wallace told ABCNews.com. "I told him that if there's anything I can ever do for him to let me know." ...more
Some romances build over dinner and flowers. This one blossomed over medication and dialysis.
A pharmacist in Kansas donated her kidney to a customer she fell in love with.
What began as a simple pharmacist-customer relationship turned into much more for Julie Wallace and Justin Lister, who struck up a friendship, then a romance that led to Wallace giving Lister a kidney.
When they met a little more than a year ago, Wallace, 46, was working as a pharmacist and manager at Dillon's grocery store pharmacy in McPherson, Kan., where Lister, 26, was dragging himself in to pick up a cocktail of prescriptions for his kidney disease.
"He kept coming into the pharmacy, getting all kinds of medication and just looking really bad," Wallace told ABCNews.com. "I told him that if there's anything I can ever do for him to let me know." ...more
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Union Yes?
From the Indianapolis Star:
With their white coats and six-figure salaries, pharmacists might seem like an unlikely group of card-carrying union members.
But around the country, 15,000 pharmacists, or about 6 percent of the U.S. total, belong to the Steelworkers, Teamsters and other unions, joining ranks with blue- collar workers who smelt aluminum, build tires and drive beer trucks.
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Most of the unionized pharmacists work in big industrial markets such as Pittsburgh and Chicago, along with smaller cities, such as Tampa, Fla., and Gary, Ind. No union pharmacists work in Central Indiana, according to the Indiana Pharmacists Alliance, a statewide trade group.
But that could change.
The United Steelworkers union is keeping a close eye on a massive mail-order pharmacy springing up in Boone County. The $150 million distribution center, being built by Medco Health Systems, will cover an area the size of six football fields when it opens next year. It eventually will employ 1,300 people, including hundreds of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who may need help negotiating contracts and addressing grievances. ...more
With their white coats and six-figure salaries, pharmacists might seem like an unlikely group of card-carrying union members.
But around the country, 15,000 pharmacists, or about 6 percent of the U.S. total, belong to the Steelworkers, Teamsters and other unions, joining ranks with blue- collar workers who smelt aluminum, build tires and drive beer trucks.
Advertisement
Most of the unionized pharmacists work in big industrial markets such as Pittsburgh and Chicago, along with smaller cities, such as Tampa, Fla., and Gary, Ind. No union pharmacists work in Central Indiana, according to the Indiana Pharmacists Alliance, a statewide trade group.
But that could change.
The United Steelworkers union is keeping a close eye on a massive mail-order pharmacy springing up in Boone County. The $150 million distribution center, being built by Medco Health Systems, will cover an area the size of six football fields when it opens next year. It eventually will employ 1,300 people, including hundreds of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who may need help negotiating contracts and addressing grievances. ...more
Ban diabetes drug Avandia: consumer group to FDA
From CBC News:
The diabetes drug Avandia should be banned over its risks of heart and liver damage, a U.S. consumer group urged.
In a petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, the group Public Citizen called for the Type 2 diabetes drug, whose generic name is rosiglitazone, to be pulled from the market.
Last week, the American Diabetes Association and a European counterpart unanimously advised doctors against using Avandia in updated treatment guidelines.
"The FDA is in possession of clear, unequivocal evidence that (Avandia) causes a wide variety of toxicities," Public Citizen said in its petition.
"Many of these are life-threatening, such as heart attacks, heart failure (and) liver failure."
In November 2007, GlaxoSmithKline Inc., the manufacturer of rosiglitazone, updated its prescribing information in consultation with Health Canada after a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported a 43 per cent higher risk of heart attack for those taking rosiglitazone compared to people taking other diabetes drugs or no diabetes medication at all. ...more
The diabetes drug Avandia should be banned over its risks of heart and liver damage, a U.S. consumer group urged.
In a petition filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday, the group Public Citizen called for the Type 2 diabetes drug, whose generic name is rosiglitazone, to be pulled from the market.
Last week, the American Diabetes Association and a European counterpart unanimously advised doctors against using Avandia in updated treatment guidelines.
"The FDA is in possession of clear, unequivocal evidence that (Avandia) causes a wide variety of toxicities," Public Citizen said in its petition.
"Many of these are life-threatening, such as heart attacks, heart failure (and) liver failure."
In November 2007, GlaxoSmithKline Inc., the manufacturer of rosiglitazone, updated its prescribing information in consultation with Health Canada after a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported a 43 per cent higher risk of heart attack for those taking rosiglitazone compared to people taking other diabetes drugs or no diabetes medication at all. ...more
Monday, October 27, 2008
Full house greets 'faith-based' pharmacy
From the Washington Times:
Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy, one of fewer than a dozen pharmacies in the country that refuse to stock any kind of birth control, cigarettes, pornography or condoms, opened with a Catholic bishop's blessing and sprinklings of holy water Tuesday in Chantilly.
About 100 people, half of them children, crammed into the DMC Pharmacy in Sully Place Shopping Center to hear Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde preach about "transforming hearts through health care" amid boxes and bottles of Clearasil, Neutrogena and St. Ives Apricot Scrub.
"The most fundamental illness in our contemporary society is a pervasive disrespect for the intrinsic worth and dignity of every human person, whose life begins at conception," the bishop said.
Applauding the pharmacy for providing "a faith-based, family-friendly, pro-life environment," he called the opening of the DMC Pharmacy "a historic moment."
The store, just off Route 50 in one of Northern Virginia's busiest corridors, refuses to dispense birth control on the grounds that it destroys a developing life and that the hormones in birth-control pills are dangerous to a woman's health. Catholic doctrine forbids the use of artificial birth control. ...more
Divine Mercy Care Pharmacy, one of fewer than a dozen pharmacies in the country that refuse to stock any kind of birth control, cigarettes, pornography or condoms, opened with a Catholic bishop's blessing and sprinklings of holy water Tuesday in Chantilly.
About 100 people, half of them children, crammed into the DMC Pharmacy in Sully Place Shopping Center to hear Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde preach about "transforming hearts through health care" amid boxes and bottles of Clearasil, Neutrogena and St. Ives Apricot Scrub.
"The most fundamental illness in our contemporary society is a pervasive disrespect for the intrinsic worth and dignity of every human person, whose life begins at conception," the bishop said.
Applauding the pharmacy for providing "a faith-based, family-friendly, pro-life environment," he called the opening of the DMC Pharmacy "a historic moment."
The store, just off Route 50 in one of Northern Virginia's busiest corridors, refuses to dispense birth control on the grounds that it destroys a developing life and that the hormones in birth-control pills are dangerous to a woman's health. Catholic doctrine forbids the use of artificial birth control. ...more
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