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CHICAGO — A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine is taking a look at the potentially dangerous interactions older Americans court when taking several medications — both prescription and OTC, as well as supplements — at once. The study looked at data from the 2005-2006 and 2010-2011, comparing the two on instances of polypharmacy (concurrent use of more than five prescription medications), as well as instances of taking more than five prescription and non-prescription medicine, including OTC medication and supplements. 

DEERFIELD, Ill. - The Walgreens Flu Index on Thursday indicated that most of the nation is contending with relatively high levels of flu incidence for the week of March 13, with Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee topping the charts in states with flu activity. Among states, the biggest flu incidence gainers for the week were Kentucky, Deleware and South Dakota. 

 

The top 10 markets with flu activity for the week of March 13 were: 

 

WASHINGTON — The Senate this week unanimously passed the Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act to help ensure that prescription drugs land in the hands of patients and not those who would abuse them.  

 

LONDON - Andrew Witty, GlaxoSmithKline CEO, will retire from GSK in early 2017, the company announced Thursday. 

 

GSK has implemented a formal search for a successor, who will assume the role March 31, 2017, and will consider internal and external candidates for the role.

 

 

WASHINGTON — The American Pharmacists Association announced Thursday that its House of Delegates had voted to adopt a new policy concerning labeling and measuring of oral liquid medications at the APhA Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Md. 

 

DEERFIELD, Ill. – UnitedHealth Group and Walgreens on Thursday announced the integration of a new pharmacy solution that will enable eligible OptumRx members to fill 90-day prescriptions at home delivery copay levels at any of Walgreens nearly 8,200 pharmacies nationwide or through OptumRx home delivery. 

 

OptumRx is UnitedHealth Group’s free-standing pharmacy care services business, managing more than one billion prescriptions annually.  

 

DUBLIN — Allergan on Wednesday announced the availability of its Vraylar (cariprazine) in the United States. The drug is a once-daily atypical antipsychotic indicated to treat acute manic or mixed bipolar I disorder episodes and schizophrenia in adults. 

 

The drug will be available in 30-count bottles of 1.5-, 3-, 4.5- and 6-mg dosage strengths, as well as a seven-count blister pack containing one 1.5-mg tablet and six 3-mg tablets.