Prescribing Varies Widely Across Regions for
Medicare Patients

Pharmacists in Miami fill a lot more prescriptions per individual Medicare beneficiary than those in Grand Junction, Colorado. Why? That is the question raised by a new Dartmouth study about the effect of regional practice culture on prescriptions. What other areas have especially high or low Medicare prescribing rates?

Flu Vaccine Highly Beneficial for Heart Disease Patients

A new study leaves little room for argument: Patients with heart disease should be getting flu shots. Researchers note that immunization against the flu is especially protective for patients with recent coronary heart disease. How much did an influenza vaccine lower the risks of subsequent coronary events in that subgroup?

HIV Patients on Efavirenz Have Increased Risks
of Suicidality

While the HIV drug efavirenz has long been associated with central nervous system side-effects, little data has existed on its risk for increasing suicidality. Now, a new combined analysis of AIDS trials involving more than 5,000 treatment-naïve adults suggests the drug can more than double the risk of suicide ideation, attempts, and completions, although the overall rate remains fairly low. Here are the details.

Changes in Services, Payments for Independent Community Pharmacies

Independent community pharmacists are changing the way they do business. The latest NCPA Digest finds that most of their payments are now coming from Medicare and Medicaid, while pharmacy services are evolving to improve patient care and lower costs. Find out the other key findings.