BACKGROUND Combinations of professional and commercial communication are typically very controversial, particularly in health care communication on the Internet. Websites of licensed community pharmacies on the other hand tend to raise remarkably little controversy, although they typically contain controversial combinations of clinical and commercial services previously unprecedented in profess...

One priority in achieving “the vision for pharmacy” is to have both pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in all settings contributing to optimal drug therapy outcomes. The context for our argument that pharmacy technicians should provide clinical services and perform patient care activities in areas without a pharmacist can be derived by considering a secondary question: Would patient care be o...

Methods Five pharmacies providing alcohol SBI services in three areas were purposively selected and data collected on service delivery and quality, via three methods: 1) Trained market researchers (MRs) covertly completed a structured checklist for each pharmacy on environment and service promotion, and requested a hangover treatment, recording experiences and outcomes of services offered. 2) M...

1116 Am J Health-Syst Pharm—Vol 68 Jun 15, 2011 Mark H. SiSka, B.S.PHarM., M.B.a., is Assistant Director, Informatics and Technology, Pharmacy Services, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, MN. DenniS a. TriBBle, PHarM.D., FaSHP, is Chief Pharmacy Officer, Baxa Corporation Systems Development Center, Daytona Beach, FL. Address correspondence to Mr. Siska at Pharmacy Services, Mayo Clinic Rochester...

BACKGROUND Demand for health services continues to rise. Greater use of community pharmacy services instead of medical services for minor ailments could help relieve pressure on healthcare providers in high-cost settings. Community pharmacies are recognised sources of treatment and advice for people wishing to manage these ailments. However, increasing the public's use of pharmacy services may ...

1112 Am J Health-Syst Pharm—Vol 68 Jun 15, 2011 Kim Currie mason, Pharm.D., is Director, Pharmacy Services, University of Tennessee Medical Center, Knoxville, and Assistant Professor, Colleges of Pharmacy and Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Address correspondence to Dr. Mason at Pharmacy Services, University of Tennessee Medical Center, 1924 Alcoa Highway, Knoxville, TN 37920 (kma...

Prior RUPRI Center policy briefs have described the role of rural pharmacies in providing many essential clinical services (in addition to prescription and nonprescription medications), such as blood pressure monitoring, immunizations, and diabetes counseling, and the adverse effects of Medicare Part D negotiated networks on the financial viability of rural pharmacies.1 Because rural pharmacies...

BACKGROUND Because of the unique features of specialty pharmaceuticals and insurance plans, specialty pharmaceutical products can be paid through the pharmacy benefit or the medical benefit. While most pharmacists are very comfortable with the conventions of reimbursement in the pharmacy benefit, they are less familiar with the processes for payment in the medical benefit. OBJECTIVE To review...