For pharmacists, from Drug Topics: News stories for pharmacists about Rx and OTC products for treatment of illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer
November 3, 2009
By:Brandon J. Sucher, PharmD, CDE, Allana J. Sucher, PharmD, BCPS
More than 22 million patients in the United States are affected by asthma and collectively were admitted for approximately 444,000 hospitalizations in 2006. With appropriate assessment and treatment by patients and healthcare providers, hospitalizations and deaths from asthma exacerbations can be significantly reduced. This article reviews the role of available asthma medications and provides an overview of the NAEPP's recommendations for management of asthma for patients 12 years of age and older.
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October 9, 2009
By:Seena Haines, PharmD, FAACP, Lisa M. Sims, PharmD
Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults, as well as the increasing prevalence of pediatric obesity, has spurred research into how the condition may affect children and adolescents. Pharmacists should be able to define insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in children and adults according to national guidelines, list the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome in children that may increase their risk as adults, describe the role of lifestyle modification in children and adults with metabolic syndrome, and identify the role of medical and surgical treatment for metabolic syndrome and/or obesity.
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October 8, 2009
By:Raichell S. Brown, PharmD, JD
The FDA recently alerted pharmacists to medication error reports about mefloquine (Lariam) prescriptions calling for 250 mg daily rather than the recommended dose of 250 mg weekly for malaria prophylaxis.
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September 4, 2009
By:Cristina E. Bello-Quintero, MD, PharmD
In the practice of geriatric dermatology, pharmacists should be able to explain the physiology of aging skin; describe dermatologic conditions frequently encountered in the elderly, including decubitis ulcers, skin infections, blistering diseases, skin cancers, and melanoma; identify dermatologic manifestations of nutritional deficiency in geriatric patients; and review the role of the pharmacist in managing dermatologic pharmacotherapy.
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September 4, 2009
By:Mari Edlin, Maude L. Campbell, Clinical Managing Editor, Healthcare Central Content Group
The term "cardiometabolic disorders" (CMD) refers to a cluster of interrelated risk factors (hypertension, elevated fasting glucose, reduced high-density lipoprotein, elevated triglycerides, and abdominal obesity) that promote the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. With an estimated 47 million Americans facing increased risk of heart disease because of these conditions, management of patients' CMD is a priority for pharmacists.
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August 28, 2009
By:Alaina Scott, Senior Editor
A study released by CVS Caremark found that more than 50 percent of patients under the age of 45 who are prescribed a medication to treat high cholesterol are not optimally adherent to their therapy.
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August 10, 2009
By:Mari Edlin
Commercial medication therapy management programs are gaining in strength and popularity for medical, financial, and practical reasons. In Minnesota, a pilot program for state employees was so successful that two years later it expanded into a program for all fully insured members. Another program is in use by Minnesota Medicaid and General Mills. And in North Carolina, the Asheville Project is still going strong.
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August 10, 2009
By:Drug Topics staff
Alaska's first Walgreens drugstore will feature the only 24-hour pharmacy in the state.
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August 10, 2009
By:Day M. Scott, PharmD, BCPS, Dana A. Brown, PharmD, BCPS
Parkinson's disease usually affects people over the age of 50. About 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year, with more than half a million Americans affected at any given time. Pharmacists should be able to explain the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of the disease, identify potential complications, discuss current nonpharmacologic therapies and pharmacotherapies, and recommend appropriate treatment strategies.
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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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