Cultural Competence

All over the United States and Canada, retail pharmacy innovators keep stepping up to fill in more of the gaps that separate people from quality, proactive resources for health, wellness and preventive care.

WASHINGTON — Former surgeon general C. Everett Koop died Monday. He was 96.

Koop, who served as surgeon general from January 1982 to October 1989, was outspoken about the damaging health effects of smoking and also an early advocate of educating Americans about AIDS. In 1988, he released "Understanding AIDS," a U.S. Public Health Service brochure based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, which was sent to 107 million households.

NEW YORK — The alleged health benefits of a Mediterranean diet have been touted for years, but a new study adds weight to the claims.

The study, published online Monday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that a traditional Mediterranean diet — characterized as rich in extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables and including moderate wine consumption, as well as low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats and sweets — reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease.

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Men and women have complex and often different views about how their skin imperfections affect their appearance and confidence, according to a new survey.

IRVINGTON, N.Y. — Less than one-quarter of American adults have ever had a skin check by a dermatologist despite rising rates of skin cancer, according to a new survey.

NEW YORK — Control of A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol among patients with diabetes has improved markedly, but more room for improvement remains, according to a new study.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — A nonprofit organization based in California is looking for a volunteer pharmacist for a medical mission to Peru.

IMSHelps has assembled a team of nearly 100 doctors, surgeons, nurses, dentists and support personnel who will visit Huacho, Peru, for a 10-day medical mission, starting Aug. 8. The group said it was specifically looking for pharmacists who had previously volunteered on international medical missions and who were willing to travel without a spouse or significant other.

NEW YORK — Safeway pharmacists will use a program developed by the University of California San Francisco School of Pharmacy to help people quit smoking, under a partnership with the supermarket operator announced by the university.

Safeway pharmacists will receive training in smoking-cessation counseling techniques developed by the UCSF pharmacy faculty, while stores will locate OTC nicotine-replacement therapies near pharmacy areas, giving customers convenient access to the pharmacist.