CDC Guide Backs Bigger Role for Pharmacists in Delivering Health Care

Pharmacists seeking to expand their scopes of practice have a powerful ally on their side: the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a new program guide for public health, the CDC makes a compelling case that pharmacists need to play a much bigger role in health care delivery. Here’s what the program guide has to say.

Heparin Label Change Expected to Reduce
Medication Errors

Look for new labels on containers and cartons of heparin by late spring. The FDA is requiring manufacturers to more clearly state the strength of the entire container, as well as how much of the medication is in 1 milliliter. What prompted the change?

Popular Retail Pharmacy Vaccines Paying Off
for Military Health Care

Free vaccines provided at participating retail pharmacies apparently are popular with TRICARE beneficiaries. They have flocked to more than 47,000 drugstores and received more than a million vaccinations. Read more to discover why that is helping the military health system’s bottom line.

TMP-SMX for Skin Infections Resulting in Upswing in Drug Reactions

With skin and soft tissue infections often resistant to some other antimicrobials, pediatricians are increasingly prescribing trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for treatment. The authors of a new study caution that the relatively high adverse drug reaction rate among children should be kept in mind. Find out what prompted that warning.