Author: Peter

Billions of dollars are at stake in a Las Vegas trial that centers on two men who were diagnosed with bladder cancer after taking the diabetes drug Actos… Robert Eglet… represents Mary Iorio, the widow of Maurice Iorio.. filed a product liability case… against Takeda Pharmaceutical Co… Thousands of plaintiffs across the country have filed product liability lawsuits against Takeda. The company is accused of failing to inform consumers and medical professionals about the risk of bladder cancer...

Swedish drugmaker Meda AB is exploring options including a sale of its U.S. operations amid a boom in health care deals,...Meda is working with advisers at Rothschild on the potential sale process, which may start as early as September,...deal could be worth about $1 billion and may attract interest from pharmaceutical companies with an interest in respiratory treatments,...

• Samsung LabGeo PT10 - private patient kiosks...with a new point-of-care lab technology
• Higi Kiosks - cloud-based interactive..for health-and-wellness tracking, data sharing..patient education
• RxASP 1000 - prescription packaging system… accommodate up to 1,000 RFID canisters
• CoBot - new robotic technology…PharmASSIST CoBot…ease workflow and perform "mindless repetitive tasks"
• Surescripts optimizes tech, expands applications - new capabilities is an electronic prior-authorization feature that allows prescribing physicians to check any patient’s insurance eligibility for any prescription automatically, at the touch of a screen, before sending that prescription to Surescripts’ routing network

ACA (Affordable Care Act), primary care doc shortage, aging population, chronic disease make this telehealth's moment..CVS is working with three telehealth companies -- American Well, Doctor On Demand and Teladoc -- on how, together with pharmacies, they might expand and improve on...patient care.

Nevada's health insurance exchange is losing its only locally based carrier. Nevada Health CO-OP, a nonprofit insurer created by the Affordable Care Act and federally funded to offer health coverage through the Nevada Health Link marketplace, said Wednesday that it cannot make enough money to stay in business after Jan. 1…second year of high claims costs and limited growth projections for enrollment made it "clear" the insurer would have a hard time providing "quality care at reasonable rates" in 2016.

National Association of Chain Drug Stores has announced the winners of the 2015 NACDS Total Store Expo Product Showcase. The 12 winning products — evaluated by the Expo’s retail attendees — were among 178 items on display in this year’s Product Showcase, which covered categories ranging from over-the-counter health care, beauty care and consumables to general merchandise, pharmacy and home health care. This year’s winners in each category were the following:

1. Shea Baby - BABY CARE
2. Chocolate Energy – CONSUMABLES
3. LA COLORS Color Craze Gel-Like Nail Polish - COSMETICS & FRAGRANCES
4. Gigwalk Enterprise Mobile Application - FRONT-END SERVICES
5. Party Poppers - GENERAL MERCHANDISE
6. Butterfly Body Liners - HEALTH CARE/OTC
7. Able Life product line - HOME HEALTH CARE
8. Poo-Pourri - HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS/NONEDIBLES
9. Dr. Hauschka Natural Skin Care line - PERSONAL CARE/HBC
10. Meducation - PHARMACY OPERATIONS EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
11. EpiPen - PHARMACY PRODUCTS
12. Problem Solved! Stocking Stuffer - SEASONAL

Everyone is a potential victim of the dangerous condition known as sepsis, which kills more than 258,000 Americans each year…. Early recognition and immediate treatment can reduce the morbidity and mortality of sepsis. In other words, healthcare professionals need to be fast and loud to beat sepsis.

The following are 4 specific things formulary managers can do in the battle against sepsis:

1. Increase consumer and patient awareness
2. Act fast: Treat sepsis as a medical emergency
3. Know and screen for risk factors
4. Participate in continuing education about sepsis

After much industry lobbying and public debate, the FDA has proposed a system for naming biosimilar drugs. It's a sort of hybrid of the generic name on one hand and the unique brand name on the other. ..it would allow the FDA to make some biosims easy to substitute for the brand-name original--and others not so easy… both branded meds and biosims would share a "core drug substance" name… Each product would also carry a four-letter suffix….individualized product-by-product,..

Sepsis Alliance and… Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will mark Sepsis Awareness Month in September by collaborating on a variety of efforts and new resources. Throughout the month of September, CDC will release a new series of fact sheets, host a twitter chat to engage the public in a conversation about sepsis, and host a blog series on its Safe Healthcare Blog to share first-hand experiences of doctors, first responders, patients, and family members coping with the devastating effects of sepsis.

Do pharmacists feel that discipline by the state board of pharmacy is effective in deterring future errors? Should the pharmacist’s name be published in the state board of pharmacy newsletter for all the pharmacists in the state to see? Readers were vocal on this subject and plenty more.

• Official actions
• The public
• Script volume
• Working conditions
• E-stuff
• Next-gen pharms
• The right stuff