04-10-2012 05:44 A deadly meningitis outbreak may be linked to a Framingham pharmacy. The rest is here: Meningitis scare linked to local pharmacy - Video … Continue reading →

Esmeralda Downs life changed 15 years ago when she answered Bill and Ann Pearsons ad for a pharmacy technician. In addition to hiring her, the Pearsons paid for her education at Western University of Health Sciences, where she earned a PharmD degree in 2012. They also paid for community college tuition, a class at CSUSB, health insurance, and a gas card so she could commute to college. Esmeralda calls the Pearsons her guardian angels. Its very seldom you find people like this, Esmeralda said. Ive had a hard time in my life, and I could not have done it without them. Bill and Ann met at the USC School of Pharmacy, and both graduated in 1967. Bill went to work for Redlands Community Hospital, and Ann worked at an independent pharmacy in San Bernardino that the couple later bought, then sold. Bill said that his fathers story of being accepted into Stanford University during the Depression motivated him to help people get through college. If you have somebody who has the ability, youve got to help them get there, Bill said. Before becoming a pharmacy technician, Esmeralda had been a forklift driver and a bus driver. She needed to change … Continue reading →

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In keeping with West Coast Universitys history and reputation in health care education, Dr. Barry Ryan, WCUs President, is pleased to announce plans to begin a Doctor of Pharmacy program at its Los Angeles campus. The program will be the Universitys first professional doctoral degree program, pending approvals by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The School of Pharmacy anticipates seating its inaugural class in the fall of 2013. West Coast University School of Pharmacy plans to offer a traditional 4-year degree program, which will provide an educational program that blends innovative clinical experiences and challenging interprofessional education opportunities in our technologically advanced patient simulation centers, all within a rigorous academic curriculum. This integrated approach facilitates the ability of students to capture the big picture of health care, and appreciate a wider breadth of understanding of the interconnectedness of pharmacy within the wider range of health care professions, said Dr. Ryan. In anticipation of its launch, construction has commenced on what will be the new School of Pharmacys technologically advanced facility, located at 590 North Vermont Avenue, Los … Continue reading →

A Winnipeg-based internet pharmacy, believed to be Canada's biggest, has been ordered by U.S. officials to stop marketing drugs to American customers through 3,700 websites registered in different countries. CanadaDrugs.com, owned by Manitoban Kris Thorkelson, was sent a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Sept. 21. "We continue to see the proliferation of illegal online pharmacies that sell potentially dangerous medicines. FDA targeted those websites selling unapproved and potentially dangerous medicines that can be detrimental to public health," an FDA public affairs officer said in a statement to CBC News. "Some of these products contain active ingredients that are approved by FDA only for use under the supervision of a licensed health-care practitioner or active ingredients that were withdrawn from the U.S. market due to safety issues." Thorkelson has already been named in an FDA investigation into an international wholesale drug distribution network that has allegedly sold counterfeit versions of cancer drugs Avastin and Altuzan to American oncologists. CanadaDrugs.com could not be reached for comment today. However, earlier this year a spokesperson said the company doesn't sell Avastin. Last month's stern warning to stop marketing was part of an international crackdown on the sale of illegal … Continue reading →

ST. LOUIS & PLYMOUTH, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- LDM Group, LLC (LDM), a leading provider of behavior based health management programs, and Thrifty White, a Minnesota based pharmacy chain, today announced that they are partnering to support the Million Hearts Initiative, a national public and private initiative led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whose goal is to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. Under this partnership, Thrifty White will use LDMs technologically advanced direct-to-patient messaging program CarePoints to deliver targeted health and wellness information to patients at the pharmacy. Pharmacists will be uniquely positioned to educate patients about the importance of adhering to medication and the specific role each medication plays in improving blood pressure control, lowering heart attack risks and reducing strokes. We at the LDM Group are extremely excited about the opportunity to be a part of the Million Hearts Initiative and the ongoing fight against heart disease, said Mark Heinold, President of LDM Group. Thrifty White continues to find ways to enhance the patients experience in the pharmacy and LDM is happy to support their efforts to help reduce heart disease by providing patients with reliable and trusted health … Continue reading →