For pharmacists, from Drug Topics: Guest columnists provide commentary on every aspect of pharmacy practice
November 3, 2009
By:Bruce T. Roberts, RPh
In the prescription drug market, discriminatory pricing is common for independent community pharmacies and their patients. This fall, a Federal District Court in New York will consider a critical case: Drug Mart Pharmacy Corp. et a. v. American Home Products Corp. et al. The outcome of the case may determine whether discriminatory pricing techniques are illegal.
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October 8, 2009
By:David Stanley, RPh
Everyone seems to realize that when the lady being a pain in the neck carries a Gucci handbag, she's someone who helps pay the pharmacy's bills. Not so many people seem to realize that this is equally true of the lady carrying the Medicaid card.
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September 4, 2009
By:Thomas H. Clarke Jr., JD, MS, Frederick S. Mayer, PharmD, MPH
Manufacturers, promoters, and sellers of dietary supplements are prohibited by law from making claims to treat or cure illness or disease, or their symptoms. Pharmacists should encourage patients to check with medical professionals before commencing use of any dietary supplement.
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September 4, 2009
By:Kenneth R. Baker, BS Pharm, JD
The best technique for counseling patients is a combination of Show & Tell and the Indian Health Services questions. If pharmacists could quickly decide which prescriptions needed extended counseling, they could employ this approach when it is most necessary. Now there's an algorithm for that.
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August 10, 2009
By:Kenneth R. Baker, BS Pharm, JD
Pharmacy mistakes can sometimes lead to injury or even death. Pharmacists can be held liable in a civil suit for money damages; now a pharmacist in Ohio may be convicted of a criminal charge in the accidental death of a two-year-old girl. It is possible that the effect of criminal liability upon professional practices will worsen outcomes rather than improve them.
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August 10, 2009
By:John Klimek, RPh
Pharmacy in the 21st century will be more integrated into provision of health services than ever before. Electronic health records will become increasingly important, as will e-prescribing, prescription data, pharmacist intervention/counseling, and collaboration with other healthcare providers.
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July 1, 2009
By:Pat daCosta, PharmD, RPh
When the subject of medication errors arises, confusion of drugs with similar names is a real hazard. On written prescriptions, one drug name may be misread as another, and with verbal orders, a drug name may be misheard. Pharmacies are seeking ways to deal with the challenge.
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June 1, 2009
By:Jared Combs, PharmD
Just like other people, pharmacists can become addicted to drugs. Unlike other people, pharmacists can score simply by strolling across the room and opening a bottle of "fringe benefits."
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May 1, 2009
By:Kenneth R. Baker, BS Pharm, JD
Pharmacists can interact directly and personally with patients only during counseling. This practice reduces the risk of mechanical prescription errors and shows patients what the pharmacist's education and training were all about.
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| Drug Topics is a monthly news magazine, guided by a board of pharmacy leaders, reporting on all phases of community, retail, and health-system issues and trends. We cover managed care and professional, national, and state activities as well as new therapies involving prescription and OTC drugs.
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