Monthly Archives: November 2012

Leading Community Pharmacy Textbook Now in Second Edition

Elsevier Australia has released a second edition of ‘Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment’ – an indispensible guide to identifying and treating patients within the community setting.

Fully revised and updated, ‘Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment, 2nd Edition’ is the ultimate text for differential diagnosis of the symptoms most commonly seen by community pharmacists throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The first ANZ edition of Community Pharmacy, published in 2007, has come to be an essential aid for pharmacy undergraduate students as well as newly-qualified pharmacists. Established pharmacists will also benefit from the wealth of new information featured in this fully updated edition.

New content includes more than 12 new treatment medicines, eight new case studies, and the incorporation of current issues like weight loss products and pre-quit nicotine use, alternative treatments and complementary therapies.

All conditions, products and recommendations have been revised to reflect current local drug scheduling and clinical practice, and the book’s evidence base has been updated in line with sources including the National Prescribing Service, Australian Prescriber, Australian Medicines Handbook, the Therapeutic Guidelines and Pharmaceutical Society of Australia guidelines.

‘Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment 2nd Edition’ features a wide range of pictures to help compare various disease states, along with symptom-specific pharmaceutical questions and algorithms for the purposes of differential diagnosis.

Organised by body system, the book includes evidence-based practice for over-the-counter (OTC) recommendations, along with discussion of the prevalence and epidemiology of, each condition.

This full-colour pharmacy text also offers students and instructors additional web-based resources through Elsevier’s Evolve online platform including additional images for dermatology and ophthalmology, additional case studies and an additional chapter on Evidence-Based Practice.

This new edition also has the added benefit of providing online activities for practicing pharmacists undertaking essential Continuing Professional Development. These activities have been accredited for 10 hours of Group 2 CPD (or 20 CPD credits) suitable for inclusion in an individual pharmacist’s CPD plan and have been accredited by the Australian Pharmacy Council.

Additional learning tools like practical prescribing summary tables, self-assessment questions, abbreviations and tips boxes covering product use advice ensure this edition of ‘Community Pharmacy’ remains an essential pharmacy resource.

For further information about ‘Community Pharmacy: Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment, 2nd Edition’, please visit: http://tiny.cc/83hqk

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Dr Paul Rutter, BPharm, MRPharmS, PhD Dr Rutter is Principal Lecturer of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Wolverhampton, UK.

Dr David Newby, BPharm, PhD Dr Newby is an Associate Professor within the Faculty of Health at the University of Newcastle in NSW, Australia.

ABOUT ELSEVIER

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier’s online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai’s Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

Cuts in Medicaid Pharmacy Reimbursements Will Prompt Pharmacy Closures and Reduce Access to Vital Medications

As the House Human Services Committee held an interim hearing today, Texas pharmacy groups and other industry stakeholders voiced concern about the devastating impact the current implementation of a Medicaid managed care model for pharmacy services will have on their customers and businesses. Pharmacy owners traveled from across the state to testify that a dramatic reduction in reimbursement rates for pharmacy services to Medicaid patients will result in pharmacy closures and lost jobs, thus restricting access to vital medications and pharmacies for Medicaid patients and other Texans.

“The Texas Department of Health and Human Services needs to understand that such severe cuts in reimbursement rates will reduce access to vital medications and other pharmacy services for Medicaid patients,” said Dorinda Martin, R.Ph., owner of Lamar Plaza Drug Store in Austin and Dripping Springs Pharmacy, and president of the Texas Pharmacy Association. “Today’s testimony shows firsthand the terrible impact that the move would have on Medicaid beneficiaries, pharmacies and all Texans.”

Legislation passed by the Texas Legislature in 2011 authorized the move of pharmacy services into managed care in 2012. Under the managed care model, pharmacy reimbursements could be cut by as much as 80 percent, making it impossible for some pharmacies in Texas to continue servicing Medicaid patients or to stay in business. Pharmacy owners, their patients and allies are pushing for solutions to lessen the impact of the implementation of the move, including fair reimbursement rates for pharmacies.

Currently, pharmacies receive reimbursement for Medicaid prescriptions through the state’s Vendor Drug Program. Under the new plan, pharmacies will be subject to rates set by pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and managed care organizations that are responsible for administering the managed care pharmacy program. PBMs will require pharmacies to accept below-cost reimbursement rates, which will devastate both Texas patients and employers.

“Seventy-five percent of the prescriptions we fill are for Medicaid and 10 percent are for Children’s Health Insurance Program, so 85 percent of our customers will be affected,” said Louis Rumsey, R.Ph., owner of Elam Road Pharmacy in Dallas, Texas. “The prescription reimbursement cuts that come with the move to Medicaid managed care will force me to close my business and my customers will be left without good options for their pharmacy services.”

As currently implemented, the move of pharmacy services to this model would cause widespread pharmacy closures resulting in a loss of access for many patients and thousands of job losses in the state. Texans in rural areas will be particularly impacted by this loss of access, as numerous patients will be forced to travel long distances to the nearest pharmacy.

Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst recently expressed his support for helping pharmacists in Texas continue to service Medicaid patients in response to a question asked by Martin during a November 17th Texas Tribune/TribLive event in Austin. Click here to listen to the conversation between the pharmacist, Dorinda Martin, and Dewhurst.

Martin asked Dewhurst, “We are very concerned about the implementation of Medicaid managed care. We would like to know, as a group of pharmacists in the State of Texas employing about 40,000 people, how you can help us in your present and future position to continue to service the Medicaid patients of this state?”

Dewhurst responded to Martin, “That is an excellent, excellent question … Our independent pharmacists play a huge role, and I want to make sure that we are containing costs, but we’re not driving people out of business. At the end of the day, you’ve got to be able to make a profit.”

The discussion surrounding this move comes at a time when pharmacies in other states across the country are experiencing the negative impact resulting from Medicaid managed care for pharmacy services. For example, Kentucky pharmacies are already seeing job loss and economic distress only weeks after moving from a state-run Medicaid prescription program to managed care.

“It is clear that this move would significantly threaten Texas pharmacies and all Texans,” said Tammy Gray, spokesperson for the Pharmacy Choice and Access Now (PCAN) coalition in Texas and owner of Buda Drug Store. “Our leaders must act to prevent the loss of thousands of jobs and the closure of numerous pharmacies, resulting in the loss of access to local pharmacies for patients who need it most.”

New regulatory measures to address concerns of pharma industry required: TN Governor

Evolving new regulatory measures to address the emerging concerns of Indian pharma industry in its multifaceted dimension is the need of the hour, according to Dr K Rosaiah, Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Inaugurating the golden jubilee national pharmacy week celebration organized by Indian Pharmaceutical Association (IPA), Tamil Nadu branch, the governor said the potential and expertise of the members of Indian pharmaceutical fraternity have to be utilized to hasten the growth of Indian pharma sector as it is now emerging as one of the major contributors to Indian exports. At present, the Indian pharmaceutical industry is ranking 4th in terms of volume and 13th in value terms. India accounts for the eight percent of global production and two percent of world markets in pharmaceuticals, Rosaiah said.

He suggested that priority areas for Indian pharmaceutical R&D have to be identified and the country’s expertise in developing new and innovative processes for known molecules needs to be explored. He also emphasized the need of initiating new drug development for diseases of relevance to the Indian population.

“With low cost innovation, low capital requirements, cost effective running facilities, well established manufacturing processes and R&D infrastructure, India is destined to emerge as an alternative source for affordable medicines. We need to look at pharmaceutical sector as a strategic and flagship industry,” he said.

Regarding pharmacist as a healthcare professional, Rosaiah opined that awareness on the role and responsibilities of a pharmacist as a healthcare professional should be brought in among people, authorities, pharmacists, students of pharmacies and chemists and druggists. For this, a concerted effort from associations like IPA is required. He further advised that the pharmacist should provide patient oriented services and be cautious on their adverse reactions.

Dr B R Jagashetty, drugs controller of Karnataka, G Selvaraj, director of drugs control, Tamil Nadu, PBN Prasad, deputy drugs controller, CDSCO Chennai, R Narayanaswamy, J Jayaseelan and MM Yousuf spoke on the occasion.

The Governor presented the Best Pharmacist award to S Manivannan, deputy drug controller, CDSCO, New Delhi, at the function.