Category Archives: Pharmacy

DALLAS, TX--(Marketwire - Sep 18, 2012) - The Transition Companies LLC is pleased to announce the acquisition of Paradise Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Town Hill Pharmacy by Rite Aid ( NYSE : RAD ). The Transition Companies LLC ("TTC") is pleased to announce the sale of Paradise Enterprises, Inc. d/b/a Town Hill Pharmacy ("Town Hill") to Rite Aid ("Rite Aid"). TTC acted as Town Hill's sole M&A advisor for this transaction, which closed in August 2012. Brandon Fitzgerald, Director of Transactions Operations, said: "This transaction was atypical and required the guidance of an M&A professional experienced in this industry. But ultimately, the most rewarding aspect of the transaction is seeing the positive impact that we've had in our clients' lives that this deal has brought about." Town Hill is an independent retail pharmacy in Eastern Kentucky. The owners sought a comfortable transition into retirement, but had much of their net worth tied to the business. Jim White, co-owner of Town Hill, commented, "...let me say how pleased we have been doing business with The Transition Companies, and you Brandon. [You] have gone beyond our expectations in being professional, helpful and above all friendly... A Heartfelt Thanks to you and your staff … Continue reading →

PORTLAND, OR and CHICAGO, IL--(Marketwire - Sep 18, 2012) - OnePoint Patient Care, an independent hospice pharmacy services provider, announced today that it has launched its newest Hospice Pharmacy Center of Excellence in Portland, Ore., and has begun providing local medication dispensing, cost-management programs and pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services to Providence Hospice, a leading Portland-based hospice. With the addition of Providence to its roster of hospice partners, OnePoint has begun dispensing medications daily to more than 3,000 new patients in the third quarter. Under its Center of Excellence model, OnePoint creates for its hospice partners a local 24-hour Hospice Pharmacy in their city to locally fill and dispense medications, create custom compounds and provide same-day deliveries to 100 percent of the hospice's patients, regardless of patient setting. Since launching its Center of Excellence model earlier this year, OnePoint has already established Centers of Excellence in Boston, Las Vegas, Nashville, Chattanooga and now Portland, with several more planned. OnePoint also offers its hospice partners exceptional clinical advice, customized formulary compliance and cost-management programs, and best-in-class pharmacy benefits management (PBM) services, along with a streamlined implementation process that ensures an easy transition for new hospice partners. "We know one of the … Continue reading →

TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Comprehensive Care Corporation ("CompCare" or the "Company") (OTC BB: CHCR), which provides behavioral health, substance abuse and pharmacy management services, is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement with WellDyneRx, one of the most prominent pharmacy benefit management companies in the nation, to implement CompCare's newly designed Pharmacy Savings Center Program. CompCare currently manages, on an "at-risk" basis, the prescription drug benefit of a number of its clients' health plans. Under its existing program, CompCare receives a fixed fee, per member per month, in exchange for CompCare assuming the financial risk of paying for the client's members' prescription drugs as well as performing ancillary pharmacy management services. "Over the past year, the Company has been developing an enhanced pharmacy program which would not only expand its pharmacy management services, but also provide us with the ability to guarantee to our clients a pharmacy spend of approximately 10% less than the client spent the previous year," said Clark A. Marcus, Chairman and CEO. "We have now secured certain relationships that allow CompCare to enter into 'at-risk' pharmacy contracts with clients offering per member per month pharmacy costs for our services that are at … Continue reading →

Published: Monday, September 17, 2012, 12:01 a.m. The 112th Congress has reconvened after a five-week recess, primarily to pass a continuing appropriation resolution that will allow federal departments, including defense, to continue to spend at 2012 budget levels until new funding bills are passed after the Nov. 6 election. The measure that both chambers are expected to approve next week, before lawmakers resume campaigning, would expire March 27. That date, however, does not remove the threat of budget sequestration on Jan. 2 when deep, across-the-board cuts in federal programs are scheduled to take effect unless Republicans and Democrats can cut a major deficit-reduction deal. The measure will allow the House and Senate to delay passing a final defense authorization for fiscal 2013, which begins Oct. 1. And that is where the reprieve occurs for users of the Tricare pharmacy benefit. Both the House and Senate versions of the defense bill block the Obama administration's plan to increase Tricare enrollment fees for military retirees, but they would allow hefty increases in co-pays at Tricare retail pharmacies and through mail order or "home delivery" program. Language in the House bill (HR 4310) is more favorable to beneficiaries, allowing only part of co-pay … Continue reading →

Q: You've written about the health benefits of coffee. I don't like the taste, so I get my caffeine from tablets (NoDoz). Am I getting the same benefits as those who drink coffee? A: Coffee is much more than a caffeine delivery vehicle. There are at least 1,000 different compounds in a cup of brewed coffee, and it's hard to tease out the effects of caffeine from all the other chemicals. Epidemiological studies have shown that coffee consumption is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 2010) and heart failure (Circulation: Heart Failure online, June 26, 2012). Regular coffee can delay Alzheimer's disease progression (Journal of Alzheimer's disease online, June 5, 2012). Other chemicals in coffee may enhance the effects of caffeine on the brain (Journal of Alzheimer's disease, July 2011). A recent study found serendipitously that regular coffee reduced neck and shoulder pain triggered by computer work (BMC Research Notes online, Sept. 3, 2012). Whether the subjects would have gotten the same results from a caffeine tablet is unknown. Q: My sister (60 years old) just broke her femur without any trauma. She simply stepped down, and as she stepped, her … Continue reading →

KIRKLAND, Wash., Sept. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Executive Insight, a publication dedicated to providing health systems with strategies and solutions, will host a webinar with Gary Johnson, Pharm.D., MHA, Chief Pharmacy Officer at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. The webinar, sponsored by Talyst, will discuss the increasing importance of pharmacy technology and how it improves both patient safety and ultimately, a hospital's bottom-line. Dr. Johnson has dedicated his career to improving efficiencies and patient safety. He has been a strong advocate of pharmacy automation for over eight years. Prior to the University of Kentucky, Dr. Johnson was the Director of Pharmacy at the University of Virginia Health System and implemented pharmacy automation to decrease drug expenditures by $7 million. The webinar, "The Hospital Pharmacy as a Revenue Center," will be held on September 18, from 1:00 2:00 p.m. (ET). For more information and to register for the free webinar, visit Executive Insight. About Talyst Talyst is a leader in pharmacy automation and engineers the safer pharmacy. Our solutions provide enterprise-wide medication management across your entire health system to offer greater inventory control, enhanced workflow efficiency, and improved patient safety. As of 2012, Talyst has installed automated systems in more than … Continue reading →

Joseph V. Swintosky, the dean emeritus at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy who officials said led the school to national and international prominence, died Thursday. Dr. Swintosky, of Nicholasville, was 90. Dean of the UK College of Pharmacy from 1967 to 1987, Dr. Swintosky worked to transform pharmacy education and the pharmacy profession, according to a statement from the College of Pharmacy. "The world of pharmacy has lost a giant," Timothy S. Tracy, Dean of the UK College of Pharmacy said in the statement. "Dr. Swintosky placed UK on a trajectory to become one of the nation's top colleges of pharmacy. We would not be the college we are today without his innovative spirit and his commitment to excellence in all we do." Under Dr. Swintosky's leadership, the college was ranked third nationally in the early 1970s and has remained in the Top 10 since that time, the statement said. Dr. Swintosky created the college's master's and Ph.D. programs, a move that cemented UK as a national leader in graduate education and pharmaceutical research. Major transformations in how pharmacy was taught, practiced, and delivered occurred during his tenure, the statement said. UK created the world's first department of … Continue reading →

ORLANDO, September 14, 2012 - Omnicare Specialty Care Group`s specialty pharmacy, Advanced Care Scripts (ACS), has been added to the limited distribution network for Lundbeck`s XENAZINE (tetrabenazine). Xenazine (tetrabenazine) is the only FDA-approved treatment for chorea, or involuntary movements, associated with Huntington`s Disease (HD). Chorea is the hallmark symptom of HD, and studies have shown it affects about 90% of people with the disease. ACS manages and dispenses specialty medications in multiple disease categories, including cancer, infectious diseases, auto-immune disorders, multiple sclerosis and hemophilia. Its expertise across both the specialty and long term care channels allows it to provide comprehensive solutions for prescribers and patients. "As the only approved treatment for Chorea, Xenazine represents an important advancement for patients with Huntington`s Disease," said David Hileman, Senior Vice President of Omnicare Specialty Care Group. "We are pleased to be part of this innovative drug`s limited distribution network and the exclusive provider of product in the long-term care channel. We believe our blister back dispensing model makes us a natural fit to improve the quality of care for this important patient population. Oral blister pack dispensing packaging promotes patient safety and adherence while also reducing the risk of dosing errors through a … Continue reading →

A new pharmacy in town is talking with the town about hosting a sharps disposal program. Holliston Family Pharmacy, which opened at 461 Washington St. two months ago, is eager to help the town with a longtime goal of the Health Department, manager Matt Moen said. "I certainly hope that we can find some common ground to establish a collection point," said Health Agent Ann McCobb. As of July 1, sharps may no longer be thrown away in regular household trash. McCobb said people need a place to dispose of needles, syringes and lancets not just on special collection days, which happen a few times a year. "As a new business in the area and with the pharmacy being obviously very health-oriented, we thought it might be a good goal to assist with," Moen said. Moen said the Board of Health approached the pharmacy a few weeks ago about creating a sharps disposal kiosk at the pharmacy. No agreement has been reached yet. "It would be wonderful to have a place available every day of the week," McCobb said. She said people sometimes give the sharps back to doctors or to special medical waste companies. Moen said they still need … Continue reading →

The Pharmacy Governing Council will try to coordinate events with different health professionals at the University this year to open up opportunities for students to grow as leaders, develop communication leadership and management skills. This topic among others was discussed at the councils first meeting Tuesday night at the Busch Campus Center, said Agnes Hong, president of the council. The first meeting was an introduction, and the next meeting will include officer reports, which will update everyone about what new events are taking place, said Hong, an Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy graduate student. Events planned for this year include an open forum that hosts the deans and head coordinators of every pharmacy department. It is a place where students can ask questions regarding classes, she said. The forum begins within the first two weeks of the spring semester. There are also more events planned for the mentoring program, as well as collaborative events with the organizations and schools within the University for patient outreach programs, she said. The mentoring program, which began Sept. 3, pairs incoming pharmacy transfer or first-year students with veteran pharmacy students, Hong said. We held a picnic that had a barbeque and free activities at … Continue reading →