CVS paid rivals less

A report from the Columbus Dispatch explains that “CVS shorted some rivals.”

We’ll let the article’s lede do the talking:

“CVS used its role as a pharmacy middleman for the Ohio Medicaid program to pay some of its biggest retail competitors far less than it pays its own stores, according to a section in a state report that CVS is fighting in court to keep secret.”

Allergic to penicillin? Maybe not

People who think they’re allergic to penicillin may actually not be — or might not be any more. A mild reaction may have been mislabeled as an allergy, or they might simply have ‘outgrown’ the allergy.

Hey! Don’t forget! Nominate someone for an award!

If you haven’t already, time’s running out — time for you to nominate a pharmacy professional for one of GPhA’s prestigious awards:

  • The Distinguished Young Pharmacist Award
  • The Excellence in Innovation Award
  • The Generation Rx Champions Award
  • The Larry Braden Meritorious Service Award
  • The Bowl of Hygeia

Get more information on what each of these awards represents, then nominate someone to receive one — all at GPhA.org/awards!

The beginning of the end for DTC drug ads?

Only the U.S. and New Zealand allow drugmakers to target consumers with their ads — and only the U.S. gives pharmaceutical companies a tax break for doing so.

But that might change. The Senate has had its eye on that deduction for some time but didn’t have the votes to pass a bill. With the new Congress, though, eliminating the deduction has some high-powered support.l;p

Diabetes and fractures: This must make sense somehow

People with Type 1 diabetes are more at risk for fractures than average — but (oddly) the same isn’t true for Type 2 diabetes… unless the patients are taking rosiglitazone and pioglitazone.

Going with their guts

There are potential “super donors” out there whose gut bacteria — if transplanted — could help treat a wide range of conditions and diseases, from cancer and obesity to depression and even PTSD.

The long read: Organ transplants

Instead of a lifetime of anti-rejection drugs, what if scientists could retrain transplant recipients’ immune systems?