Category Archives: Pharmacy

By Christina Verderosa In 1992, Dean Watts was a district pharmacy manager for Walmart in North Carolina when he decided, If I wanted to work that much, Id work for myself. Meanwhile, back in DeWitt, Larry Barnes, owner of Hampton Drug, decided it was time to sell his business. Both Barnes and Watts got what they wanted, and 20 years later, Deans Pharmacy is celebrating its anniversary. Deans Pharmacy in 1992 was a much different business than it is now. It was located on Court Square in part of the building that now houses Cox Realty, and was mostly a drug store, although it offered a few additional services such as UPS pickup and photo developing. But then Deans Pharmacy began to expand. Traffic slowed down [at the Court Square location], he said. I had the opportunity to buy the lot out here [on Whitehead Drive, across from DeWitt Hospital] and capture the traffic patterns that were changing. In June, 2000, the new Deans Pharmacy opened in its current location. Watts said the advantages were evident immediately. Were right across the street from the hospital and the doctors offices, he said, and we have plenty of parking. But Deans was … Continue reading →

TAZEWELL, Va. -- The Tazewell Police Department is investigating a two pharmacy break-ins today. According to reports from the department, at around 3 a.m. on June 3 the Hayes Pharmacy was broken into by two people one of whom began removing items off the pharmacy shelves. The second suspect allegedly drove the getaway vehicle. On the same day, about an hour and 20 minutes later, the Claypool Hill Pharmacy was broken into as well. Police tell us that they believe the same two suspects in the Hayes Pharmacy break-in were responsible for the Claypool Hill Pharmacy burglary. In both crimes, police say the suspects used a rock to break out a window and entrance was made by one suspect, while the second suspect waited nearby in a vehicle. The suspect that entered the pharmacies is described as 56-57 in height and between 110-130 pounds. Police say theyre reviewing several videos, taken by surrounding video cameras located at banks and traffic lights around the two pharmacies. If anyone have any information regarding these two incidents please contact the Tazewell County Sheriffs office at (276) 988-1161 or the Tazewell Police Department at (276) 988-2503. See the original post: Tazewell Police looking for … Continue reading →

ALBANY The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is adding a $2.5 million athletic facility to its campus. The facility will take two years to complete. The project includes a new synthetic turf soccer field and a rubberized six-lane running track. The soccer field will now meet NCAA guidelines. The first phase has begun and is to be completed by the fall. The second phase includes new lights and a scoreboard, a long-jump pit, bleachers, press box, entrance and signs. It is to be completed in 2013. "This much anticipated renovation will be a tremendous asset to our student athletes and coaches for both practice and games," college President James Gozzo said. "It will also benefit the rest of the campus and the neighboring community by giving the college the ability to host a wider range of athletic and social events." The school has transformed and expanded considerably in recent years, transitioning from a trade school into a more traditional college campus. Dorms have been built or renovated to house students and older campus buildings have been modernized, including a new dining hall. In November, the school launched a $50 million capital campaign. The money will be used to … Continue reading →

JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. -- One of the most common reasons for re-admission after a patient leaves the hospital is problems with medication. Either the patient isnt able to get the necessary prescription medications, or he or she doesnt fully understand how or when to take the medicine. Without that critical component of follow-up treatment, the patient may get sick again and need to return to the hospital. Officials at Johnson City Medical Center (JCMC) are hoping to change all that. Last week, the hospital unveiled a new retail pharmacy in the main lobby of JCMC. HealthPlus & Pharmacy is open to patients, the public and MSHA team members, but its primary mission is to help patients make a smooth and safe transition from hospital to home by making sure they have all the medications and home care supplies they need in hand when they leave JCMC. This is all about patient safety and better quality care, said David Nicely, CEO of JCMC. HealthPlus will make things more convenient for our patients, but mainly it will help them with their recovery process. If we can make it easier for patients to follow the proper medication plan, theyll get well sooner and … Continue reading →

DEERFIELD, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Walgreens (WAG) (WAG), the nations largest drugstore chain, today announced an extended, multi-year agreement in which Walgreens will build on its strategic partnership with OptumRx, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the United States. The agreement provides continued, long-term access to Walgreens pharmacy services at more than 7,800 locations nationwide for members of prescription drug benefit plans managed by OptumRx. Walgreens offers both the pharmacy and overall health care value sought by PBMs like OptumRx who are developing differentiated member services and benefits for their clients, said Kermit Crawford, Walgreens president of pharmacy, health and wellness. We help drive down total health care costs through our industry-leading generic dispensing and conversion rates and our broad range of additional clinical services and advice that help improve patient care and health outcomes. We are pleased that OptumRx recognizes the service and value we bring to its clients. This is a great opportunity to ensure our current and prospective customers have a broad range of options, including access to premier retail outlets like Walgreens, to help meet their health care needs, said Dirk McMahon, chief executive officer, OptumRx. Walgreens and OptumRx share a commitment to quality, safety and … Continue reading →

Fred B. Gable, 82, of Center City, who retired in 1980 as assistant dean of the Temple University School of Pharmacy, died Wednesday, May 30, of hypertensive cardiovascular disease at home. But he was more than a teacher and administrator. "He brought his love for music and dance to pharmacy students with the formation of the Mortar & Pestle Players," his daughter, Tracy Gable, said in a phone interview. Mr. Gable organized the troupe in 1960 for annual campus productions, and until 1972, "he directed and staged all of them except for two, and for those two, he supervised the students who were directing them." Among the productions, she said, were Bye Bye Birdie in 1966 and Funny Girl in 1968, she said. Mr. Gable produced a series of campus convocations from 1957 to 1974, she said, that ranged from a series of authors talks to lectures by newsmakers to performances by the Lyric Opera Company of Philadelphia. He was proudest of the pharmacy schools art collection, she said, which now includes more than 140 pieces. He helped launch it in 1968, she said, by suggesting that the graduating class contribute a painting in the memory of a young man … Continue reading →

BAYONNE After receiving a tip earlier in the day, Bayonne police arrested Friday a town resident and pharmacy technician who admitted to stealing more than 2,000 Oxycontin pills over a six-month period, officials said today. Mena Mekhael, 21, of Lord Avenue, was arrested as he was leaving the Jerry's Drug & Surgical Supply at 455 Broadway near West 21st Street, at 6:45 p.m. Friday, police said. He was hit with a slew of drug charges, including theft of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), possession of CDS Oxycontin, possession of CDS Xanax, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, and possession of marijuana under 50 grams, police said. The store's head pharmacist reported to police Friday morning that 2,119 Oxycontin pills were missing from the pharmacy's inventory, Bayonne Acting Police Chief Ralph Scianni said. When police arrested Mekhael he was carrying 20 Oxycontin pills and 17 Xanax pills in his pockets, Scianni said, adding that a search of Mekhael's car turned up six more Oxycontin pills and four more Xanax pills, as well as a bag of marijuana. During questioning, Mekhael admitted to stealing over 2,000 pills since he started working at the pharmacy in December and using the profits to … Continue reading →

By Carlos E. Medina Correspondent The Federal Drug Administration, which is tasked with ensuring the safety of drugs in the nation, has limited oversight over compounding pharmacies like Franck's because of a 74-year-old law that allows pharmacists to compound, or create unique variations of existing drugs for patients. But that law, and the FDA's lack of authority over the practice of compounding, may draw new scrutiny in the wake of a well-publicized mistake at Franck's that killed two dozen prized polo ponies in 2009 and the production of contaminated solutions that reportedly damaged the vision of 33 eye surgery patients in recent months. Compounding pharmacies make medications and other medical preparations from scratch. They cannot make straight copies of commercially available medications and can only make medications when they are ordered by a doctor. These pharmacies fine tune drugs to a patient's need, whether that means creating a specific dosage not offered by a manufacturer or a liquid form of a drug only available in pill form. Historically, compounding was the way most people got their prescription medicines. As recently as the 1960s pharmacists routinely ground and mixed compounds in their stores to make the medicines prescribed by local doctors. … Continue reading →

Q: I am a very active Army physical-training instructor. I am 45 years old and have always had a great sex drive until I started taking Crestor six months ago to lower my cholesterol. My sex drive has totally disappeared. I am unable to maintain an erection and feel tired all the time. It has been causing me a great deal of stress and anguish. Is Crestor causing my erectile dysfunction and libido problems? A: Sexual side effects have been reported with some statins, such as lovastatin, pitavastatin (Livalo) and simvastatin. The official prescribing information for Crestor, however, makes no mention of low libido or erectile dysfunction. There is reason to believe that all statins may have a negative impact on sexual function by lowering testosterone levels (Journal of Sexual Medicine, April 2010). Cholesterol is a building block for testosterone, so it is not surprising that cholesterol-lowering drugs might have an impact on this hormone. Results from French research suggest that such drugs may trigger or worsen erectile dysfunction (Drug Safety, July 2009). Ask your doctor if there's another way to control cholesterol. If not, a test for testosterone or an ED drug might be helpful. Q: To prevent foot … Continue reading →

01-06-2012 12:02 Three of the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy's recruitment ambassadors share their experiences with the School, with pharmacy, and with the Recruitment Ambassadors. The ambassadors are an exclusive group of our highly talented and dedicated student leaders. Representing one of the top ranked pharmacy schools in the country, they engage with prospective students, parents, faculty, administrators, and alumni to establish connections and to provide professional development and access to the pharmacy student perspective. Visit link: Recruitment Ambassadors, UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy - Video … Continue reading →