Pharmacy technicians are often the unsung heroes when it comes to patient care. They are the first and last point of contact with patients at the pharmacy, making sure they receive the right medication and understand how to take them correctly. On Pharmacy Technician Day earlier this month, we had the opportunity to celebrate pharmacy…

Though older generic drugs are effective and affordable options for most chronic medical conditions, newer medications often come along, carrying with them excitement and promise. Here are the game changers of 2018. 1) Xofluza, the faster flu medication What is it? Xofluza is a new pill that treats the flu and prevents the spread of…

This month, Xarelto was given the green light from the FDA and is now the first in its class approved for use in patients with existing coronary and/or peripheral artery disease to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events like heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death. After this new approval, Xarelto can now be used…

Our offices are packed with folks “getting things done” before the end of the year because they’ve met their deductible and things are “free” now. Here’s what you can think about cramming in before 2019 starts. 1) Take a shot! Immunizations. Make sure your vaccines are up to date. That means Tdap, Shingrix, Pneumovax 23,…

Everyone agrees that more transparency on drug prices is a good idea. Who’d argue against letting the public know what a drug costs? But nothing is simple when it comes to prescription medication prices, starting with the most basic question: What, exactly, is a drug’s price? In recent weeks, the Trump Administration has pushed to…

Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs that can be caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi. Symptoms include a high fever, respiratory issues and chest pain, making this infection especially dangerous for young children and older adults. Currently, there are two vaccines approved by the FDA for the prevention of pneumonia caused by pneumococcal bacteria: Pneumovax 23…

Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories just voluntarily recalled over 35,000 tubes of nystatin/triamcinolone after it failed a routine manufacturing test. Nystatin/triamcinolone cream is used to treat a common skin infection known as cutaneous candidiasis. This is a class II recall, the most common type of recall, which means that the recalled tubes of nystatin/triamcinolone may cause a…

Let’s start with the fact that Marinol is FDA approved for chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and anorexia from AIDS. Currently, there is no FDA approved medical indication for prescribing marijuana. So, why is one approved and not the other? Do they work? And what are their differences? What is Marinol? Marinol is an FDA-approved medication…

Over the past year, both Cialis and Viagra went generic, making erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs less expensive. This got us wondering, as more men are able to afford their ED drugs, which states are filling the most prescriptions for them? As it turns out, since January 2018, 0.24% of all prescription fills nationwide have been…

Lisa dedicated her life to being a registered nurse, up until she had to abruptly quit last December to take care of her father, who had become very ill. Since she is an only child and her parents lived halfway across the country, she decided to leave her job behind—along with her health insurance. The…