Retail Clinics

PRINCETON, N.J. — Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk has created an online resource for diabetes patients that educates them about Novo Nordisk drugs and devices, recipes and nutritional values, and allows them to connect with other patients.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration is capping the amount of the painkiller acetaminophen in prescription drugs due to the risk of liver toxicity, the agency said Thursday.

ATLANTA — Nationwide rates of asthma have been on the rise in recent years, though they’ve risen at a slow pace, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the report, released Wednesday, around 24.6 million people in the United States had asthma in 2009, meaning a prevalence of 8.2%. Rates have risen by around 1.2% per year since 2001, with asthma attack prevalence staying between 3.9% and 4.3% between 1997 and 2009.

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Nearly half (48%) of Americans between the ages of 45 and 70 years have no financial plans in place to protect themselves against outliving their assets and the rising cost of health care, should they live longer than they expected, according to a survey released last week by the Society of Actuaries.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS Caremark's retail-based clinic operator, MinuteClinic, is experiencing exponential gains in utilization and posted a 22% increase in acute visits during the past year, Larry Merlo, CVS Caremark president and COO, told investors Wednesday during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference.

NEW YORK — Cough, cold and flu are among the most commonly experienced conditions in adults and children, leading them to seek medical care.

In an effort to support healthcare provider education around these topics, Kaz has sponsored CE lessons for pharmacists, technicians, and nurse practitioners.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — While a majority of physicians are comfortable with generic medications, there is a small segment who still have negative perceptions about the effectiveness and quality of generic drugs, and that may lead to doctors prescribing unnecessarily expensive medications, according to a new study by researchers at Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital and CVS Caremark.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Despite an increase in flu activity, a recent CVS/pharmacy survey showed that 56% of respondents still had not received their flu shot, although 93% were aware that there already have been reported cases of the flu this season, the pharmacy retailer stated.

Flu activity steadily is increasing in the United States, with eight states now having reported widespread outbreaks of influenza cases, according CVS/pharmacy, which cited the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.