| | OTC antacids win consumer loyalty
| | More than 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month, and at least 25 million suffer on a daily basis. A Nielson study reported early in 2009 announced that 94 percent of patients are satisfied with their OTC remedies. The study estimated that OTC medications annually save patients an average total of $174 each in office visits and medication costs. Because of fewer patient visits top physicians, the study attributes $757 million in annual savings to the U.S. healthcare system. | |  |
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| Practical management of asthma (CE)
| | | More than 22 million patients in the United States are affected by asthma and collectively were admitted for approximately 444,000 hospitalizations in 2006. With appropriate assessment and treatment by patients and healthcare providers, hospitalizations and deaths from asthma exacerbations can be significantly reduced. This article reviews the role of available asthma medications and provides an overview of the NAEPP's recommendations for management of asthma for patients 12 years of age and older. |
| | Metabolic syndrome throughout the life cycle (CE)
| | | Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults, as well as the increasing prevalence of pediatric obesity, has spurred research into how the condition may affect children and adolescents. Pharmacists should be able to define insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in children and adults according to national guidelines, list the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome in children that may increase their risk as adults, describe the role of lifestyle modification in children and adults with metabolic syndrome, and identify the role of medical and surgical treatment for metabolic syndrome and/or obesity. |
| | | Superstars of community pharmacy
| | | Each year, pharmacists who offer special services are recognized by their peers and wholesalers through nominations for Drug Topics' annual Top Independent Pharmacists awards in categories pertaining to service, competition, crisis response, and merchandising/promotion. This year's awards honor pharmacists in Washington State, North Carolina, Illinois, and New York. |
| | Herbal supplements are hot sellers
| | | With the settlement of the class-action lawsuit brought against First DataBank and McKesson by third-party payors accusing the companies of conspiring to inflate average wholesale prices (AWP) of hundreds of drugs, AWP values will roll back from 1.25 to 1.20 times the drugs' wholesale acquisition cost (WAC). |
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Practice Tools
