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Will Massachusetts’ proposed 3‑day opioid limit work?
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalIn a culture that is facing unprecedented numbers of opioid overdoses and death, new ideas to stem the epidemic are sorely needed. Well, Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts has decided to propose something new.
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Many Ebola survivors now suffering from chronic conditions
Katina Hernandez Medical & Allied HealthcareScottish nurse Pauline Cafferkey was one the 28,000 people infected with Ebola in last year's outbreak of the virus that was responsible for killing more than 11,000 people. The nurse contracted the virus while volunteering at a hospital in Sierra Leone last December and was treated soon after at the Royal Free hospital in London.
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Should a pharmacist be responsible for employee theft?
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalYes. At least that is the opinion of the California court system and their State Board of Pharmacy. The case actually dates back to 2006-2008. During that time, pharmacist-in-charge (PIC) Andrew Sternberg was working at a Target pharmacy in San Fernando, California. Under his watch, a pharmacy technician by the name of Imelda Hurtado was involved in stealing more than 200,000 tablets of Norco with a street value of more than $1 million.
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Despite Daraprim disaster, generic drug rebranding seems here to stay
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe term "rebranding" is defined as a marketing strategy that is employed when a product is created from an already established or existing product with the intent of developing a new or differentiated identity. At times, this can be associated with a significant change to the original product in an effort to increase awareness or reawaken people to the new indication. Other times, it can be the same product presented in different packaging.
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Daraprim: The $750 generic tablet?
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalImagine driving to the gas station, filling your tank and being told the total is $200,000. That is about parallel to the price increase instituted by Turing Pharmaceuticals for their newly-acquired toxoplasmosis drug, Daraprim (pyrimethamine). One day this 60-year-old drug was selling for a modest $13.50 per tablet. The next day it was commanding an impressive $750 a pop.
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The butterfly effect of Target pharmacy staff unionization
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWhile speaking in a somewhat different context, Abraham Lincoln once said, "I am glad to see that a system of labor prevails under which laborers can strike when they want to." I guess certain Target pharmacy employees from Brooklyn, New York, have similar feelings as they became the first in Target's history unionize.
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CDC grants $20 million to combat opioid overdoses
Chelsea Adams PharmaceuticalThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has granted $20 million to 16 states in an effort combat the growing number of deaths due to prescription drug overdoses. The Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States program is part of the Department of Health and Human Services' Opioid Initiative and builds upon the CDC's Prevention Boost and Core Violence and Injury Prevention programs, which went into effect in 2014.
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Does the new ‘pink Viagra’ really work?
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalIt has been popularly called the "pink Viagra." Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, called it "the biggest breakthrough for women's sexual health since the pill." I would certainly call it a victory in terms of marketing, lobbying and approval.
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The importance of evidence-based practice
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalResearchers, healthcare providers and health policy advocates still continue to debate what specifically defines evidence-based practice. They argue over the merits of the evidence for various interventions and how the evidence is utilized and integrated.
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What’s new with the flu? More vaccine options this season
Tammy Gibson Medical & Allied HealthcareIt's that time of year again — time to roll up your sleeve for a flu vaccine. Doctors recommend everyone 6 months and older receive an annual flu shot. No matter what side of the vaccine debate you're on, the facts are clear: Influenza is a huge public health issue. The flu kills an estimated 23,000 to 36,000 people each year in the United States and costs the nation billions in lost productivity and hospitalizations.
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