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 →