March 2017
Articles
Your New Role in the Battle Against Depression
March 15, 2017By Jill Sederstrom
A shortage of mental health-care providers, coupled with pharmacists’ unique skills and access to patients, has led to a significant opportunity for community and health-system pharmacists to aid in detection of depression and in medication selection and counseling for patients with depression.In this issue
Pharmacists Pushing for DIR Relief
March 15, 2017By Christine Blank
Community pharmacists fight against financial pressure for their survival.Cardiac Matters
March 15, 2017By Joseph E. Cruz Pharm.D. BCPS, Germin Fahim PharmD. BCPS
Cangrealor is the first FDA-approved P2Y12 inhibitor.Walgreens Program Creates Cancer-Specialized Locations
March 15, 2017By Christine Blank
How Walgreens is helping pharmacists be more involved than ever in helping cancer patients.More States Mandate Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
March 15, 2017By Aubrey Westgate
A look at PDMPs in PA—what they are doing and how they are helping patients.Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Benefit Pharmacists
March 16, 2017By Aubrey Westgate
How PDMPs are helping both patients and pharmacists.Sugammadex: The First Selective Relaxant Binding Agent
March 16, 2017By Kathryn Wheeler PharmD BCPS
Sugammadex reverses vecuronium and rocuronium, two drugs used to facilitate endotracheal intubation in surgery.Pharmacogenetics in the Community Pharmacy
March 16, 2017By Valerie DeBenedette
Pharmacists can now take a sample of a patient’s DNA in the pharmacy and send it to a pharmacogenetic testing lab. The resulting report allows them to counsel and educate the patient on medication issues and help the prescriber choose the best drugs.Legislation Benefits Patients in Medically Underserved Communities
March 16, 2017By Kathleen Gannon Longo
Pharmacists could become providers helping serve patients with limited healthcare access.Business Group Makes Price Recommendations for Specialty Drugs
March 16, 2017By Nicholas Hamm
The high cost of specialty drugs demands a change in Washington, according to a report.How to Improve DUR Alerts
March 16, 2017By Anthony Vecchione
A look at DUR alerts—why they started, where they are now, and where they need to go.DIRs: PBMs Pay Less Each Year While Prices Go Up
March 16, 2017By David Stanley RPh
PBMs have a business model where they pay less even while prices go up.Drug Topics Welcomes New Editorial Board Members
March 20, 2017By Anthony Vecchione
New board members are helping to keep our publication great.Can Your Pharmacy Cure All This?
March 20, 2017By Susan Kweskin
On a recent trip to Laos, one of our editors discovered a mobile pharmacy peddling herbal medications for everything from chickenpox to lung cancer.