News (blog)

(AP 05/29/09)  OKLAHOMA CITY — Confronted by two holdup men, pharmacist Jerome Ersland pulled a gun, shot one of them in the head and chased the other away. Then, in a scene recorded by the drugstore's security camera, he went behind the counter, got another gun, and pumped five more bullets into the wounded teenager as he lay on the floor.  Read more here.  What woud you do? 

A USA TODAY examination shows employees of major drugstore chains or supermarket pharmacies accounted for nearly one in four of the 295 pharmacists on the panels this year.  Read the full story:  USA Today (12/31/08).

An evaluation of studies published from 2001 through 2005 for the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) found a median savings of $4.81 for every dollar spent on clinical pharmacy services. The savings ranged from $1 to $34.60 per dollar spent.  Read the full report here.

 ASHP Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers Election Results

The Section of Pharmacy Practice Managers (SPPM) has elected two new members to the Section’s Executive Committee. Kathleen Pawlicki, M.S., FASHP, Director of the Department of Pharmacy at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, MI, was selected as Chair-elect. Section members also elected Patricia Killingsworth, R.Ph., BS Pharm. as Director-at-large-elect.  Ms. Killingsworth is the National Pharmacy Services Manager at Catholic Health Initiatives in Denver, CO. For more information on ASHP election results, please go to:
http://www.ashp.org/Import/ABOUTUS/NominationsandElections/2007ElectionResults.aspx
http://www.ashp.org/import/news/NewsCapsules/article.aspx?id=216

   A new code of conduct will change how companies market drugs.
     You'll see fewer pens, mugs, notepads, and other giveaways...and more limits on restaurant meals and promotional events.
     The new code is VOLUNTARY...self-imposed by the drug companies' own association, PhRMA. But most big drug companies will comply...to head off MANDATORY regulation.
     Interestingly, most physicians think they aren't influenced by these gifts. Only 16% think reps influence their OWN prescribing...but 61% say it influences their colleagues.
     Expect your reps to follow these new rules:
     Gifts. Only educational items...textbooks, subscriptions, patient education materials, etc...worth up to $100...are okay.
     Meals. Modest meals along with education in the pharmacy, office, or facility will replace restaurant outings with reps.
     Educational talks. Drug companies can still sponsor CE and educational programs at restaurants, but the CE provider or organizer will make the arrangements...not the drug company.
     Drug samples. These are still okay. No new restrictions.
     Literature. Reps still CAN'T talk about off-label uses...but they CAN hand you reprints of scientifically valid articles in many situations.
     Even some experts who are antimarketing see value in reps distributing good published literature about off-label uses.
     But beware. Literature might be cherry-picked to emphasize desirable outcomes and omit studies that show no benefit or even harm.
     Expect to see more direct-to-consumer ads. They work. About a third of adults ask for an advertised drug...and nearly half get it.
     NoFreeLunch.org, PrescriptionProject.org, and others are pushing legislation to rein in drug company influence. You'll also hear more about paying PharmDs to detail doctors to improve prescribing.