ReportersNotebook — Chain Pharmacy, 1/9/12

SUPPLIER NEWS — Pharmacy technology provider PDX is partnering with Mscripts to allow existing PDX Classic and Enterprise Pharmacy System customers to add mobile to their customer-facing offerings, the companies said. The features will give pharmacies an outreach channel to improve their bin management and will-call services, as well as allow them to easily identify aging prescriptions and use the Mscripts mobile application to remind customers to pick up their prescriptions.


Ranbaxy Labs got the green light from the Food and Drug Administration to launch its generic version of Pfizer’s cholesterol-lowering drug Lipitor on Nov. 30, the day Pfizer’s patent on the drug expired. The FDA approved Ranbaxy’s atorvastatin calcium tablets in the 10-mg, 20-mg, 40-mg and 80-mg strengths. New Brunswick, N.J.-based Ohm Labs manufactures the drug. Ranbaxy said that through an agreement with Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, a portion of the profits from sales of the drug during the exclusivity period will go to Teva, though terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Lipitor had sales of $7.8 billion during the 12-month period ended in September, according to IMS Health.


Mylan said its subsidiary has launched a generic version of a hypertension treatment. Mylan Pharmaceuticals launched and began shipping amlodipine besylate and atorvastatin calcium tablets in various strengths. The drug is a generic version of Pfizer’s Caduet, which had U.S. sales of approximately $339 million for the 12 months ended Sept. 30, according to IMS Health.