A new survey, released today by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), found that senior citizens are being forced to make drastic cuts to their medical and food budgets due to the recession.

The survey, conducted over a three-month period earlier this year, had more than 1,040 respondents aged 65 and over. Findings include:

– 42 percent of seniors had either postponed filling their prescription medications or were taking a smaller dosage than prescribed by their physicians

– 62 percent had cut back on doctor visits or outpatient services

– 77 percent had reduced their spending on food items

“Millions of seniors have been struggling to make ends meet for many years,” said Daniel O’Connell, chairman of The Senior Citizens League. “But this survey makes clear that the recession has made things go from bad to worse for older Americans.“

In addition, 32 percent of respondents reported that their drug plan increased its co-pay or co-insurance in 2009; 18 percent said they would have to postpone their retirement; and six percent reported having to take Social Security earlier than expected due to job cuts.

Since 2000, seniors have lost 20 percent of their buying power, according to a TSCL study released in May. That trend will likely continue, as senior costs continue to exceed the COLA.

The 37 million Americans aged 65 and over who receive a Social Security check each month are unlikely to find any short-term relief, since the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is forecasting no Social Security COLA in 2010 or 2011.

Source: The Senior Citizens League

The CCA, AIMp, BPSA, and NPA are appealing for an immediate reinstatement of community pharmacists to the Shortage Occupations List after the removal of community pharmacists from the list by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) last month.

The pharmacy bodies have submitted evidence jointly to MAC of the shortage of community pharmacists and the need for non-EU pharmacists to be permitted to work in UK community pharmacy.

The evidence submitted includes workforce statistics that demonstrate the difficulty in assessing the number of pharmacists required from simply looking at the workforce census data. In addition the picture is not uniform across the country and several areas of the UK have particularly hard to fill vacancies.

There is an increased demand for community pharmacists due to the rise in pharmacy numbers throughout the United Kingdom (2008 to 2009), increasing opening hours and demand for pharmacists to deliver additional services.

The MAC decision has practical consequences for pharmacy businesses and human consequences. Amongst others, it affects non-EU overseas pharmacists in the UK who have just completed their diploma and who have had offers of pre-registration training jeopardised by the ruling. BPSA has submitted evidence of the hardship being caused to these students. The decision, if not reversed, will have a consequential impact of registrations in 2010.

The pharmacy bodies are asking for an urgent meeting with the MAC secretariat and officials from the UK Border Agency to argue for an immediate reinstatement of community pharmacies onto the Shortage Occupations List.

Source
National Pharmacy Association

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) will publish this month the sixth edition of Handbook of Pharmaceutical Excipients and the corresponding single-user CD ROM, titled Pharmaceutical Excipients 6.

Written by approximately 150 pharmaceutical scientists from around the world who are expert in pharmaceutical formulation or excipients manufacture, the new editions contain 340 fully referenced monographs on the most commonly used excipients in pharmaceutical dosage formulation. Forty monographs are new and all the monographs from the fifth edition have been completely revised and updated, many including NIR spectra.

The 40 monographs new to this edition include glycine, hydroxypropyl betadex, methionine, neotame, pentetic acid, poly(DL-lactic acid), and tagatose.

Each monograph consists of 22 categories of information: nonproprietary names, synonyms, chemical name and CAS registry number, empirical formula and molecular weight, structural formula, functional category, applications in pharmaceutical formulation or technology, description, pharmacopeial specifications, typical properties, stability and storage conditions, incompatibilities, method of manufacture, safety, handling precautions, regulatory status, related substances, comments, specific references, general references, author, and date of revision.

Monographs are cross referenced and indexed so that excipients may be identified by chemical, nonproprietary, or trade names. Scanning electron microphotographs are included for many of the excipients. An appendix includes an expanded, completely updated list of worldwide suppliers of excipients that is organized alphabetically and geographically.

Pharmaceutical Excipients 6 (single-user CD ROM) includes the complete text of 340 monographs with graphics. Other features: custom-written user interface; full text searching; hot-linked contents list, index, and suppliers’ directory; copy and paste and printing facility. Pharmaceutical Excipients is also available online through MedicinesComplete. Trial and annual licenses are available for individuals, groups, or organizations. Pricing information is available from Sales@MedicinesComplete.com.

The excipients references, published jointly by APhA and the Pharmaceutical Press, the publications department of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, London, United Kingdom, are edited by Raymond C. Rowe, PhD, Paul J. Sheskey, BPharm, and Marian E. Quinn, MS. Rowe is Chief Scientist, Intelligensys Ltd., Stokesley, North Yorkshire, UK, and Professor of Industrial Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford, UK; Sheskey is Application Development Leader in the Dow-Wolff Cellulosics R&D Group at The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan; and Quinn is Development Editor, The Pharmaceutical Press, London, UK.

The regular price for the book (ISBN 978-1-135-2; 888 pages, hardbound) or CD ROM (978-1-58212-136-9) is $399.95 ($359.95 for APhA members). The book and CD-ROM are available as a package (ISBN 978-1-58212-137-6) for $599.95 ($539.95 for APhA members). Until August 31 prices are discounted, with the book or CD ROM selling for $375 ($337.50 for APhA members) and the book-CD ROM package selling for $550 ($495 for APhA members). Orders may be made through APhA’s toll-free order department (800-878-0729) or online via http://www.pharmacist.com. To obtain the discount through August 31, purchasers should use offer code D9005.

Source
American Pharmacists Association (APhA)