Community/Retail

A new report from the CDC finds that almost 50% of asthma patients received a flu shot in the 2010-2011 season, compared with 36% of asthma patients in the 2005-2006 season.

Jonathan G. Marquess, PharmD, CDE, explains why going out of your way to serve diabetes patients can help grow your pharmacy's business.

Speakers at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting ranging from ASHP President Gerald Meyer, PharmD, to Michael Lee, PharmD, of the Indian Health Service, argued that pharmacists are closer than ever before to achieving their goal of attaining provider status.

A study comparing rates of contagious disease before and after the introduction of vaccines finds that vaccines have prevented more than 100 million disease cases in the United States over the past 90 years.

Quality and performance measurement has become an integral part of the health care system. As pharmacists continue to increase their role and exposure as health care providers, they are well positioned to assist in identifying ways to improve the quality of care delivered and to play an integral role in the development of quality measures, according to Curtis Collins, PharmD, MS, BCPS (AQ-ID), FASHP, who spoke at the ASHP Midyear Meeting.

As the prevalence of obesity continues to increase and treatment strategies evolve, pharmacists are not only in a position to advise on appropriate use of pharmacotherapy for obesity, but also to assist in improving outcomes from gastric bypass surgery.

Genomic sequencing is rapidly increasing its value as a clinical tool in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, including cancer. In his presentation, Justin M. Balko, PharmD, PhD, from Vanderbilt University, provided a background on the current state of next-generation genomic sequencing (NGS), and the potential role that pharmacists play as this science continues to evolve.

Retired general and former secretary of state Colin Powell discussed his thoughts on the US health care system and the role pharmacists play within it during his keynote address at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

In this session, a sustainable business model for pharmacists practicing in an accountable care organization environment was described by Kelly Boesen, PharmD, BCPS, and Sandra Leal, PharmD, MPH, CDE, FAPhA, of the El Rio Health Center in Tucson, Arizona.

A reduction in pediatric health care visits related to otitis media between 2001 and 2011 appears to be due to uptake of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, according to the results of a new study.

New and experienced pharmacists are always on the lookout for ways to improve their careers. This presentation focuses on some key strategies for identifying new opportunities that allow new and experienced pharmacists to develop and apply their clinical skills.

Illicit drug use continues to be a prevalent and growing problem in the United States, and the use of newer substances is on the rise. Because of the increasing prevalence and "tweaking" of compounds to avoid detection, the identification of drug abuse by practitioners often relies on signs and symptoms. In this session, presenters reviewed some of these agents, including their history and their impact on those abusing them.

The editor of the Pharmacy Times Health-System Edition offers pointers on getting as much as you can out of the 2013 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting.

A new poll from Gallup finds that young adults and those with low incomes report lower levels of familiarity with the Affordable Care Act than do older adults or those with higher incomes.

Electronic prescribing has the potential to make pharmacy workflow more efficient and help reduce adverse medication events, but its uptake has been complicated and delayed by the health care system's complexity.

Joe Moose, PharmD, discusses the importance of working with physicians and other health care providers to serve patients' needs.

Using a benefit-based approach instead of a treat-to-target approach in determining how to treat hypertension could help prevent more cardiovascular events with less medication.

More than 1 in 5 pediatrician visits result in an antibiotic prescription, and a new report urges prescribers to carefully consider whether these prescriptions are warranted.

Stephan Foster, PharmD, FAPha, discusses which vaccines pharmacists should be providing in addition to the seasonal influenza vaccine.

A systematic review of previous studies finds no evidence of decreased cognitive function associated with statin use.

Robert Granko, PharmD, MBA, discusses the importance of building trust among those who will use data analytics and be affected by its use in health-system pharmacy.