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GSK is selling a French R&D site (Les Ulis) as part of a global restructuring move but says it will continue growing its manufacturing presence in the country… GSK is consolidating its R&D network by concentrating its operations into two global centres – Philadelphia in the US and Stevenage in the UK – that will be supported by a number of smaller ‘satellite’ sites.

…abbreviations "TPA" and "t-PA" are causing medication mix-ups between alteplase (Activase) and tenecteplase (TNKase)….This confusion is a significant contributing factor to wrong drug errors between Activase and TNKase, according to the FDA and Institute for Safe Medication Practices… To avoid this, ISMP recommends removing the abbreviations from all standardized order sets, electronic order entry screens, and treatment protocols, and referring to the medications by their brand names, generic names, or both in all verbal and written communication.

Heather Bonome, PharmD, director of Pharmacy Segment at URAC, discusses the standards that illustrate quality in specialty pharmacy. (video)

There was a time when the success of a pharmaceutical sales representative depended on product knowledge, presentation, sales skills, reach and frequency, confidence and persistence. But that combination alone no longer yields the same results. It’s become increasingly difficult for reps to gain access to individual healthcare practices and institutions,…However, the "Death of a Pharma Salesman" paradigm is at odds with what many consider a new era in pharmaceutical sales—an entirely restructured professional reality…what’s happening now is not the death of an entire profession, but rather the decline of an outdated model.

Increasing QbD (Quality by Design) needs and a range of technical service centres have driven up the prices of Evonik’s drug delivery excipient portfolio,…Oral dose pharmaceutical excipients and polymers used for depot formulations and bioresorbable implants, are increasing in price…price changes are necessary to "maintain the high level of service and quality" of the excipients, The price hike affects…polymers used to encapsulate and control the release of small molecule APIs, peptides and proteins. Polymers falling under Evonik’s Resomer brand – used in medical implants and devices – will also be affected.

Independent pharmacies will want to consider updating their credit card processing terminals to accept EMV chip cards this fall…Named after their original developers (Europay, MasterCard, and Visa), EMV cards have a small, metallic square on the front of the card that serves as a microprocessor to store data securely, making the cards nearly impossible to counterfeit…starting October 1...the liability for credit card fraud will shift from banks to stores that are not EMV compliant…liability will shift to "whichever party is the least EMV-complaint in certain fraudulent transactions...

CEO, CFO step down amid financial mess at NHS hospitals…rollout of a $300M Epic EHR implementation at Cambridge University Hospitals in the UK is making a bad financial situation worse, according to news reports from across the pond…"The introduction of the new computer system was troubled and difficult and I suspect that's contributed to their problems, but I think the basic responsibility for this is the [financial] pressure that's been put on the National Health Service by the government. The Conservatives promised extra for the health service - we haven't seen it."

California pharmacists could soon participate in dispensing lethal medications to terminally ill patients, pending Gov. Brown’s review of the state’s End of Life Option Act…"It will be critical for pharmacists to be highly engaged with patients, their physicians, and caregivers in discussions about end-of-life considerations,"…"As a member of the health care team and expert in medication use, pharmacists may be placed in situations that require their expertise and should be conversant in the medication-related aspects of these choices, regardless of whether they choose to actively participate in end-of-life actions or not."

Many community colleges have chosen to meet the increasing demand for highly trained pharmacy technicians by developing training courses…Technician training programs help students cultivate the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the changing pharmacy environment, and also prepare them to take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board exam. Some states even require technicians to complete an accredited course before working in a pharmacy. Information about more schools that have recently opened technician training programs can be found here.

1. Belmont College (St. Clairsville, Ohio)
2. College of the Redwoods (Eureka, California)
3. Illinois Valley Community College (Oglesby, Illinois)
4. Iowa Western Community College (Council Bluffs, Iowa)
5. Tri-County Technical College (Pendleton, South Carolina)

Walgreens is providing up to $15 million worth of free flu shot vouchers through its collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services, in an effort to improve immunization rates among uninsured and underinsured…the voucher initiative has been instrumental in helping to protect more people from the flu each season,… providing access to flu shots at no cost for those who are eligible, we can make a significant impact by protecting more people throughout the flu season…