Pharmacy

Start the new year by taking care of your cervical health. January is Cervical Health Awareness Month, which highlights the importance of proactive healthcare in the prevention of a possibly deadly cancer. Thanks to the Pap test, the human papillomavirus (HPV) screenings, and the HPV vaccination, cervical cancer has largely become…

The cost of another life-saving drug has dramatically increased. Back in September, the price of a two-pack of EpiPens, a widely used medication for severe allergic reactions, skyrocketed to $614—up from $100 back in 2007. The next drug with a soaring price tag: insulin. However, unlike EpiPens, insulin drugs must…

A male contraception study, cosponsored by the United Nations and commissioned by the World Health Organization, was recently stopped after it was concluded that the drug caused too many side effects. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, tested the safety and effectiveness of a contraceptive…

In an effort to curb the growing national opioid and heroin epidemic, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has launched an educational program for middle- and high-school students called “Operation Prevention.” According to the Centers for Disease Control, 78 people die every day in the U.S. because of prescription opioid…

Here’s a quick quiz: Do antibiotics fight bacteria, viruses, or both? Which illnesses should be treated with antibiotics: strep throat, whopping cough, bronchitis? Bacteria are germs that cause colds and flu—true or false? You can find the answers to these questions on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website; the…

The generic version of a two-pack of EpiPen is now priced at $300—a price that’s better than the brand-name cost of $600 for this widely used allergic-reaction antidote. Buying the generic versus the brand-name is definitely the first step in saving money on your meds, but what else can you…

The FDA is warning women and their physicians not to use ovarian cancer screening tests because test results are not reliable and may cause delays in treatment. Currently, there is no safe and effective ovarian cancer screening test because none are sensitive enough to reliably screen for ovarian cancer without…

Shots aren’t just for kids—adults need them, too. Although the recent new State law, which went into effect July 1, highlights the importance of childhood shots, vaccines are vital for all ages. This is an important message from the National Immunization Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Public Health Information Coalition…

Governor Brown signed 807 new State laws for 2016. Many laws—including the increase in the minimum wage from $9 to $10 per hour, the mandate that 50 percent of the State’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2030, and the prohibition of the sale of e-cigarettes to minors—went into effect on…

SACRAMENTO – The California State Board of Pharmacy announces that California’s protocol is now in effect, permitting pharmacists to furnish self-administered hormonal contraception to women without a prescription. Read the entire news release here.