Sales of ready-to-drink teas may have slowed, but new introductions will continue to fuel the category. A recent Mintel report forecasts a sales increase of 18% from 2012 to 2017 for the segment.

The Arizona Corporate Excellence Awards has named Avella Specialty Pharmacy as the fastest-growing private company based in the state, Avella said.

Walmart boosted its sustainable reputation Thursday with the announcement of a new solar initiative at its distribution center near Phoenix.

McKesson Patient Relationship Solutions has been named a finalist in both the 2012 Medical Marketing and Media Awards and the PM360 Trailblazer Awards, McKesson announced Friday.

99 Cents Only Stores is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

Healthcare providers in today’s environment are committed to promoting patient safety while providing access to the most reliable and innovative treatments. Medication reconciliation, which is defined by The Joint Commission as “the process of comparing a patient’s medication orders to all of the medications that the patient has been taking,” is designed to prevent drug-related errors — including adverse interactions, overdoses or allergic reactions — and can assist healthcare providers, especially during care transitions when patients are most likely to receive new medications or alternative doses.

Changes in healthcare consumption, advances in technology and support from pharmacists are among seven new trends that could affect programs designed to improve medication adherence, according to a new study by McKesson.

In healthcare technology circles, e-prescribing is among today’s hottest topics. A vital component of patient-centered care, it creates a connectivity platform that encourages collaboration between the physician and pharmacist who are in joint pursuit of an enhanced patient experience.

Following the Senate’s defeat of a proposal that would have permitted “personal importation” of prescription drug medications, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores lauded the Senate’s decision to support patient safety.

E-prescribing owes a debt of gratitude to meaningful use. Without the Office of the National Coordinator’s inclusion of the capability as a core measure, enabling physician technologies may not have taken off with such vigor. But where MU’s e-prescribing requirements — such as two-way transmissions, complete active medication lists and formulary information — leave off, real innovation — characterized by real-time transactions, automated requests and responses, and Intelligent Routing like Emdeon provides — begins with many valuable benefits for providers, pharmacies and patients.

Walgreens announced that it is offering Arizona residents protection against whooping cough, also known as pertussis, at all of the drug store chain's points of care throughout the state.

The Emdeon team always looks forward to the NCPDP Annual Conference. The 2012 version is coming up in early May at the Arizona Biltmore. As expected, NCPDP has done an excellent job in scheduling a large number of important and interesting topics. Emdeon’s Lathe Bigler will be discussing the impact of health information exchanges (HIEs) and accountable care organizations (ACOs) on our industry, and I am scheduled to talk about the industry’s observations and lessons learned regarding the implementation of D.0.