T o counter the rise in drug counterfeiting, three states now have prescription drug pedigree laws on their books, another 15 have similar legislation in the pipeline, and the Food & Drug Administration is threatening to enforce its long- dormant Prescription Drug Marketing Act (PDMA) regulations related to drug pedigrees by the end of 2006.

As mandatory mail-order pharmacy continues to grow and encroach on the market share of traditional pharmacies, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores met in Philadelphia last month and discussed ways to respond to this competition. Potential solutions included: retail pharmacies' contracting with their own pharmacy benefit managers to service mail-order plans, mounting a public relations campaign to attack the accepted belief that mandatory mail plans save money, and offering alternative 90-day retail programs that provide mail-order savings but retain contact between patient and pharmacist.

A study is presented on the interrelationship between drug packaging and patient compliance

Humana describes its new consumer-driven health plan

Even though it will be costly to implement bar coding, hospitals should bite the bullet and invest in this technology.