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Mail, pizza, now medicine: Some health care systems are allowing patients to get their discharge medication delivered while they are still in the hospital… main focus was on patient education and medication counseling…the program allows for more quality time with patients to make sure their medications are safe and effective for them…"When we deliver medications to patients’ bedsides immediately prior to discharge, patients seem more willing to listen and learn about their medications than when they are at a retail pharmacy in the community,"

Three scientists…whose discoveries led to the development of potent new drugs against parasitic diseases…won the Nobel Prize for Medicine…Irish-born William Campbell and Japan's Satoshi Omura won half of the prize for discovering avermectin,…used to treat..river blindness and lymphatic filariasis...China's Tu Youyou was awarded the other half of the prize for discovering artemisinin, a drug that has slashed malaria deaths…She is China's first Nobel laureate in medicine.

75th International Pharmaceutical Federation World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences opened…in Düsseldorf,..the opening ceremony, FIP President Carmen Peña,…called on pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists around the world to ensure that the profession of pharmacy remains relevant and able to respond effectively to the current and future needs of the world’s communities… A way forward is her "Two times two" plan, which she described at the ceremony. It means taking two actions at two levels — one action on professional development and another to promote and defend the profession's interests, each taken at individual and collective levels.

Minnesotans could get their prescription drugs from Canada by 2017 if a state representative has his way…State Representative Joe Atkins plans to introduce a bill next legislative session that would make it legal for Minnesotans to buy…prescription drugs from Canada through their local pharmacies…"Right now – we're turning Americans into criminals. We've got Minnesotans driving up to Canada to buy these drugs at much lower prices.".. His bill would require the commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services to establish the program where local pharmacies could sign up, as well as creating a web site for ordering prescriptions.

Drug distributor AmerisourceBergen Corp agreed to buy PharMEDium Healthcare Holdings Inc for $2.58 billion…expanding its business of supplying compounded drugs to hospitals…"PharMEDium brings ABC a complementary service line that is undergoing a growth renaissance as hospitals more aggressively outsource compounded sterile needs in wake of new government regulations,"…

Canadians, who have access to one of the most advanced health care systems in the world, spend more than $200 billion on health care, $34 billion of which is on pharmaceuticals…medical services are socialized, government-supported drug benefits are limited to children, the elderly and the poor…drug funding is more akin to that in the United States…Building on the growing need for practical, implementable solutions, the…pharmacy industry…is collaborating to bring forward...initiatives to address the sustainability gap..there are several...currently under way, perhaps the best known is "The Healthcare Imperative" ("9000 Points of Care"). This effort targets key health care system cost drivers…

Sixteen pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists from nine countries were honoured at the opening ceremony of the 75th World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences…Their contribution to pharmacy was recognised through a number of awards from the International Pharmaceutical Federation…

Two of these were the federation’s highest awards, recognising excellence in the fields of pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences, namely:

• Dr Thomas Lönngren - André Bédat Award
• Professor Hans Junginger - Høst Madsen Medal

Other awards presented today were:

• Professor Theo D.K. Raynor - Lifetime Achievement in Pharmacy Practice Award
• Dr Régis Vaillancourt - Distinguished Practice Award
• Professor Henri R. Manasse - Joseph A. Oddis Award for Exceptional Service to FIP

FIP Fellowships

• Professor Claire Anderson
• Mrs Jane Dawson
• Dr Jennifer Dressman
• Dr Linda Hakes
• Mr Dominique Jordan
• Professor Jennifer Marriott
• Dr Rebekah Moles
• Professor Hiroshi Suzuki
• Dr Agathe Wehrli
• Professor Albert I. Wertheimer
• Mr Nobuo Yamamoto

CVS Health…announced that it is opening Hearing Centers in seven CVS/pharmacy stores in the Dallas and Cleveland markets and will be providing optical services at CVS/pharmacy in five store locations around the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. market…"Hearing and optical services are a great fit with the existing health offerings in our stores, including industry-leading pharmacy products and services, our MinuteClinic walk-in medical clinics and a comprehensive smoking cessation program,"… "By expanding our retail health offerings…we are providing customers a convenient, single destination on their path to better health."

To celebrate American Pharmacist Month, Rite Aid Corp. has launched its annual "Vote for Your Favorite Pharmacy Team Member Contest."…which runs to Oct. 31, gives customers a chance to win $2,500 in Rite Aid gift cards by nominating a favorite member of their Rite Aid pharmacy team...Now in its 12th year, the contest is designed to recognize Rite Aid pharmacy associates — including pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy managers, pharmacy cashiers and Wellness Ambassadors

Summer was a busy season for FDA drug warnings...Now that fall is in full gear, pharmacists should get familiarized with the drug safety communications sent out this past summer...Here are the FDA’s medication safety alerts since June, starting with the most recent:

1. Ceftazidime and avibactam (Avycaz) - drug strength
2. Tramadol (Ultram, Ultram ER, Conzip) – pediatric use
3. Clozapine (Clozaril) – neutropenia management , REMS Program
4. Ingenol mebutate (Picato) - adverse reactions
5. Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors - joint pain warning
6. Fingolimod (Gilenya) - progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
7. Gadolinium-based contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging - brain deposits
8. Vortioxetine (Brintellix) and ticagrelor (Brilinta) – name confusion
9. Codeine-containing cough-and-cold medications – pediatric use, respiratory conditions
10. Methylphenidate transdermal system (Daytrana patch) - permanent skin discoloration