Regulatory and Washington

WASHINGTON - The American Pharmacists Association will host its 4th Annual Capitol Hill Health Fair on Sept. 22 as part of its advocacy and community outreach efforts in advance of American Pharmacists Month, the association announced Tuesday.

ATLANTA - Some 5 million Medicare Part D enrollees age 65 and older are not taking their blood pressure medicine properly, increasing their risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and death, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released Tuesday.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Four U.S. Senators on Monday introduced bipartisan legislation to boost transparency in Medicare Part D drug spending and to prohibit retroactive “DIR fees.”

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in collaboration with Walgreens, will help provide more than $10 million worth of free flu shot vouchers this flu season to improve flu immunization rates among uninsured Americans, Walgreens announced Thursday. Through the initiative, which is in its seventh year, Walgreens has provided more than $50 million worth of vouchers to communities across the country.

WASHINGTON – The Food and Drug Administration earlier this week released a Federal Register notice that has major implications for new dietary ingredient notifications and has created a stir among industry advocate groups.

WASHINGTON - Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., along with Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and seven other Members of Congress, on Thursday introduced the Improving Transparency and Accuracy in Medicare Part D Spending Act (H.R. 5951), which would ensure community pharmacists receive reimbursement at the rate posted at the time the prescription is filled.