Texas Road Pharmacy remained open without power BY JAMES McEVOY Staff Writer n the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, residents throughout the region were desperately seeking supplies such as batteries and nonperishable food. However, in a community with a large contingency of seniors, prescription drugs were also of paramount concern. To that end, Texas Road Pharmacy locations in Monroe, Old Bridge and Manalapan not only ensured that they were open the day after the storm, using flashlights to work without power, but also that residents would not go without potentially life-saving drugs. The pharmacy provided 10-day prescription refills at no cost, regardless of whether or not a customer was a regular patron. They also reached out to other pharmacies if they did not have a particular medication. We were dispensing 10 days worth [of medication] for every customer who needed drugs, and there were [even] customers from different pharmacies, said Marco Marvin, store manager of the location on Applegarth Road in Monroe. The only thing we would require from them is to bring the empty bottles from their store so we can just dispense the drugs. While the pharmacy was forced to close the afternoon of Oct. 29 as Sandy … Continue reading →

Posted: 11:38 AM Updated: 12:38 PM The troubling trend came in a year that otherwise was relatively safe, says a Maine State Police spokesman. David Sharp / The Associated Press PORTLAND harmacy robberies in Maine more than doubled last year over 2011, and police are concerned the robberies are becoming more brazen. There were 56 pharmacy robberies last year, with drug addicts taking increasingly desperate measures, said Steve McCausland of the Department of Public Safety. In one instance, a man robbed a pharmacy inside a Wal-Mart filled with customers in broad daylight. "These are desperate acts by desperate people, and from a law enforcement perspective it's extremely troubling because of potential violence," McCausland said. The troubling trend that led a national pharmacy chain to post armed security guards and the establishment of a state panel to identify solutions came in a year that otherwise was relatively safe, McCausland said. The number of homicides for the year stood at 22, slightly below the 10-year average. Several, including a triple homicide in which the victims were left in a burning car in Bangor, were drug-related, police said. The number of fire deaths stood at 19, down from 23 in 2011 but far … Continue reading →

Published: Monday, December 31, 2012 at 4:57 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at 9:59 a.m. The developer of the CVS Pharmacy-Chase Bank branch project is suing Sebastopol, a city where debates over development are often lengthy and virulent. The suit claims that a 45-day moratorium enacted by the City Council on new drive-thrus, an integral part of the CVS Pharmacy project planned for the vacant Pellini Chevrolet dealership, jeopardizes their proposal that already has the necessary approvals. An ordinance banning drive-thrus would be arbitrary, capricious, discriminatory, according to the suit filed in Sonoma County Superior Court on Christmas Eve. Sebastopol, like any city in California, is entitled to re-evaluate its policies while using emergency ordinances to maintain the status quo, Larry McLaughlin, interim city manager, said Monday in defense of the City Council action. McLaughlin also denied that the ordinance was directed at the CVS Pharmacy project, but meant to address the issue citywide. McLaughlin admitted, however, that the ordinance could mean that, if the City Council decides on enacting a ban on drive-thrus, that CVS would be affected. If you have not received a building permit or started building, the city can changes its laws, McLaughlin said. … Continue reading →

A Christchurch pharmacy is bucking the trend of national prescription fee hikes. Prescription charges will, from today, increase from $3 an item to $5 as the Government looks to cover the cost of extra health spending. The Community Pharmacy in Linwood, which since opening two years ago has charged under the rate at $1.50, will now charge no more than $3 an item. Pharmacist Ann Tiller said she and husband, Joe, set up the pharmacy to ensure medicine was accessible to those who could least afford it. She estimated the lower fees had saved the community up to $50,000 in prescription charges. It was difficult increasing prices an additional $1.50, she said. "We have people for whom even $1.50 is a mission, so $3 no doubt is going to make it that much more challenging. Hopefully, it's still at a sufficient level that people still come and get their meds. "We're just trying to keep it as low as we can." Pharmacies could set their own prices up to the higher $5 ceiling, but Tiller said choosing not to did not affect their bottom line. "Basically, it's like our donation back to the community. From the $3 to the $5, … Continue reading →

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) Pharmacy robberies in Maine more than doubled last year over 2011, and police are concerned the robberies are becoming more brazen. There were 56 pharmacy robberies last year, with drug addicts taking increasingly desperate measures, said Steve McCausland of the Department of Public Safety. In one instance, a man robbed a pharmacy inside a Wal-Mart filled with customers in broad daylight. These are desperate acts by desperate people, and from a law enforcement perspective its extremely troubling because of potential violence, McCausland said. The troubling trend that led a national pharmacy chain to post armed security guards and the establishment of a state panel to identify solutions came in a year that otherwise was relatively safe, McCausland said. The number of homicides for the year stood at 22, slightly below the 10-year average. Several, including a triple homicide in which the victims were left in a burning car in Bangor, were drug-related, police said. The number of fire deaths stood at 19, down from 23 in 2011 but far below the average of nearly 50 a year during the 50s, 60s and 70s. There were no working smoke detectors in homes that caught fire in Orrington, where … Continue reading →