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The state’s first public medical school launched a new look complete with updated logo and branding identity...The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine in July officially added “Reno” to its name after a decades-long history of being the University of Nevada School of Medicine, following approval of the new name by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents...“An organization’s branding is far more than a name or logo; branding is the perception of our school in the minds of our many constituents,” said Thomas L. Schwenk, M.D., dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. “Our new name and logo represent the stunning and positive changes taking place as we build a full clinical, teaching and clinical research campus in Reno...The new branding rollout campaign will take place over the next several months...

The School of Medicine has a new name: We now are the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine. The Health Sciences Committee of the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents on June 10 approved a proposal from the school for the new name to be effective July 1, 2016...This name change can be viewed in a range of ways. It is, on one hand, a minor change, a one-word addition of "Reno" to our long-held name of "University of Nevada School of Medicine" that simply reflects our increasing engagement with the University of Nevada, Reno, the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area and Northern Nevada. On the other hand, it signals the stunning and positive changes that are taking place as we build a full clinical and research campus in Reno in collaboration with Renown Health, the Sierra Nevada VA Health System, community physicians and other partners...Our new name marks, more than anything, a rededication to our purpose of serving our community in partnership with the University, hospitals, health care agencies, physicians and many others...

Dr. Robert Rand did not enter a plea during his appearance in federal court Monday in Reno...Rand has been indicted and charged with taking part in a criminal prescription drug distribution ring...His attorney, John Arrascada, told News 4 that Rand would plead not guilty to all charges...Eight other people have been indicted by a federal grand jury. All eight have pleaded not guilty to the charges they face individually, though only Richard Winston West II remains detained...Doctor Robert Rand will be arraigned...to enter a plea on charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances...

On April 30th, 2016, local and federal agencies will once again partner together to sponsor the Prescription Drug Round Up event in Washoe County. Since the area’s first event in the fall of 2009, the Round Ups in Washoe County have collected over 1.6 million prescription pills. More than 230,000 of those pills were in categories that are commonly diverted and abused, such as painkillers, depressants and stimulants...Medications – including household prescription and over the counter pills and liquids – can be dropped off at the Round Up event with no questions asked. Citizens are asked to bring medications in their original containers if possible, and may mark out the patient’s name if they wish. Prescription waste or expired/surplus medications from medical offices or pharmaceutical companies or their representatives are not accepted at this event. In addition, volunteers from Northern Nevada HOPES and the Northern Nevada Outreach Team will be collecting residential sharps and providing information to the community about proper syringe disposal...Round Up Locations April 30th 10:00am – 2:00pm:

• Raleys - 18144 Wedge Parkway, Reno
• Walgreens - 10370 N. McCarran Blvd, Reno
• Save Mart– 4995 Kietzke Lane, Reno
• CVS - 680 N. McCarran Blvd, Sparks
• CVS – 5151 Sparks Blvd, Sparks
• Walmart – 250 Vista Knoll Parkway, Reno
• Incline Village Community Hospital – 880 Alder Ave, Incline Village

• Must I Get an ID on My Patient? - ChaoFen (Stacy) Tan, PharmD Candidate
• Prescription Over-the-Counter Products
• FDA Calls for Review of Opioids Policy, Announces Action Plan
• More Selected Medication Safety Risks to Manage in 2016 - ISMP
• Manufacturer Drug Labeling, Packaging, Nomenclature - Per Liter Electrolyte Content on Various Sizes of Manufacturers' IV Bags
• Patient Education - Discharging Patients Who Do Not Understand Their Discharge Medications
• Compliance News
• USP Publishes Chapter on Handling Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Setting
• FDA Provides Training Video on Keeping Medications Safe in Emergency Situations
• FDA Requires Class-Wide Labeling Changes for IR Opioid Analgesics
• FDA Issues Alert Regarding All Unexpired Sterile Drug Products Produced by Medaus Pharmacy
• E-Prescribing - Who Can Send Electronic Prescriptions? - Melissa Hampton, PharmD Candidate

Renown Health is paying $9.5 million to settle allegations of Medicare fraud after its former compliance director-turned whistleblower accused management of encouraging "systemic" overcharging — and sometimes double-billing — of hundreds of patients...U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden announced the settlement agreement...between the Justice Department and...Renown Regional Medical Center, the largest hospital and health care network in northern Nevada with more than $1 billion in annual revenue...Cecilia Guardiola, a registered nurse and law school graduate, said in a federal whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2012 that she began to discover the "billing deficiencies" shortly after Renown hired her as its director of clinical documentation in June 2009...

The U.S Attorney prosecuting the case against Richie West and Dr. Robert Rand and seven other defendants accused of operating an illegal Oxycodone distribution and street-buying operation says he has records from the Nevada Pharmacy Board. Those records identify when and where the defendants had their prescriptions filled. The system is part of the board's Prescription Monitoring Program...It’s not a perfect system, and there are some loopholes. But it’s helped keep track and monitor those who doctor-shop looking to feed their opioid habits...“So we know who wrote the prescription, what it is, the quantity. Who the patient is that got it, and all of that including who filled it. First thing we do is send an unsolicited report to every one of those physicians, all 10 of those guys, and ladies, and every one of those pharmacies. So now all of a sudden all of those people know the patient that is sitting in that office right now has been to nine other physicians in that same week and then, game over. We don't tell them what to do. We just tell them, doc, you need to know this,” says Executive Director (Executive Secretary) for the Nevada Board of Pharmacy Larry Pinson Pharm. D...Pinson says the information in the database is sensitive. A court order is needed if law enforcement wants access to it...Pinson says the system is designed to get the patient help rather than punish him. And he admits the system is geared toward the patient.

The first fully autonomous drone delivery to a customer home has occurred, and the retailer behind it is not who you would expect...Leading convenience chain 7-Eleven partnered with independent drone delivery service Flirtey and the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems to complete two deliveries from a store in Reno, Nevada on Sunday, July 10. 7-Eleven merchandise, including hot and cold food items, were loaded into a Flirtey drone delivery container and flown autonomously using precision GPS to a local customer’s house... "Drone delivery is the ultimate convenience for our customers and these efforts create enormous opportunities to redefine convenience," said Jesus H. Delgado-Jenkins, executive VP and chief merchandising officer of 7-Eleven. "This delivery marks the first time a retailer has worked with a drone delivery company to transport immediate consumables from store to home...

As the UNLV School of Medicine prepares for its expected July 2017 debut, the state’s Reno-based medical school has begun crafting a new image to distinguish itself...The first step: Changing its name...The Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents on Friday voted to tweak the name of the University of Nevada School of Medicine, which will be now known as the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, effective July 1 of this year...The Reno campus will use the name change to clarify...its affiliation, location and distinct role in the state separate from that of the developing medical school at UNLV...The move to establish its own identity comes at an interesting time for the Reno campus; a month from now, UNLV’s School of Medicine takes another step toward its own accreditation when it hosts a committee site visit...

Federal officials say a Reno-area physician is among nine people, including several employees of a local auto dealership, accused of running in an illegal prescription drug "pill mill" distribution business...Dr. Robert Rand was arrested Friday...Richard Winston "Richie" West II, the son of a Reno auto dealer, was among the eight other defendants arrested...the investigation targeted the distribution of prescription opioid medications including oxycodone...