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..vast majority of patients wants continued access to OTC medications containing pseudoephedrine and opposes making the drugs prescription-only…This conclusion comes from an Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America survey of more than 2000 adults … who experienced cold, cough, flu, asthma, or allergies…71% of patients unfavorably view pharmacies and grocery stores that remove OTC medications containing PSE from their shelves..

For the first time in history global pharmaceutical spending crossed the $1 trillion plateau in 2014. Think about that for a moment: $1 trillion equates to 1.3% of global GDP,… looking forward, global pharmaceutical spending is only expected to increase…spending could rise by 30% between 2014 and 2018 to $1.3 trillion… Why.. need to cover research and development and marketing costs…other reasons for rising prescription costs often fly under the radar… world's five most expensive drugs:

1. Glybera: $1.21 million
2. Soliris:　$700,000
3. Naglazyme:　$485,747
4. Vimizim: $380,000
5. Elaprase: $375,000

Michael Zeglinski, Vice President of Specialty Pharmacy Operations at BriovaRx, discusses whether the R&D cost for biosimilars will affect the overall cost reduction.

96% of online pharmacies are noncompliant with federal and state laws or National Association of Boards of Pharmacy safety and pharmacy practice standards…Internet Drug Outlet Identification Program revealed that 10,588 of the 11,015 online drug outlets it analyzed were noncompliant.

Rupal Mansukhani, PharmD, clinical assistant professor at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy at Rutgers, talks about how pharmacists can play a bigger role in providing immunizations. (video)

An extra 1.2 million people have diabetes now than a decade ago, according to new figures – leading to a warning that its cost could "bankrupt the NHS" (National Health Service) ..The number of those living with the condition has soared by 59.8 per cent since 2005, meaning more than 3.3 million now have it… Prescriptions for diabetes now take up 10 per cent of GP (General Practioner) practices’ annual prescribing budget in England. A total of 47.2 million items were prescribed in the last financial year, at a cost of £860m.($1.34b)...

Hemophilia therapies account for 41% of outpatient pharmacy expenditures among publicly insured children with serious chronic illness… records showed that outpatient pharmacy expenditures totaled more than $475 million, or 20% of total health care expenditures…

PharmTalk is a special production from the University of Arizona, College of Pharmacy that features Keith and Kevin Boesen.

Some pharmacists specialize in understanding the drugs that help people with behavioral health issues. This time the team visits with a hospital-based pharmacist who works with psychiatric patients.

• Provider Status Update - Christopher Tolopeski, Director of Federal Regulatory Affairs of American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
• Management of Medications in a Hospice and Palliative Care Patient - Justin Kullgren, PharmD, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice, South University College of Pharmacy and Hospice and Palliative Care
• Melanoma: Considerations in Pharmacotherapy - Jacob Frick, PharmD, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Management of Bipolar Disorder - Heather Mooney-Magallon, PharmD, Mental Health and Ambulatory Care, Sierra Nevada VA HCS

Jessica Kerr, PharmD, CDE, and assistant department chair at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville talks about new strategies pharmacists can use to optimize insulin therapy. (video)