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Oral oncolytics are relatively new to the field of cancer therapy. However, they now make up about 25% of the oncology market and their use is continually expanding. The current insurance system is not efficiently equipped to handle their rapid entry into the market.
The only predictable aspect of the influenza season is its unpredictability, according to experts.
More than a third of young people believe prescription stimulant abuse is a big problem among their peers, according to a new survey.
Approximately 90,000 Americans die every year as a result of kidney disease. This disease produces no symptoms until it is in the advanced stages, so people in the early stages are not likely to know they have it unless they are tested.
A severe decline in the use of estrogen therapy (ET) due to misunderstanding the findings of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Estrogen Plus Progestin Trial has particularly affected hysterectomized women in their 50s, leading to excess mortality, according to a study published online in the American Journal of Public Health.
FDA sent out a MedWatch warning, on July 12, 2013, after Medtronic recalled its MiniMed Paradigm insulin infusion sets.
A new retrospective case-control study among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) found a 30% decreased risk of COPD exacerbation with any statin use.
Patients taking the new generation of oral anticoagulants (nOACs) are associated with a significantly higher risk of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB), according to a new study.
FDA advisers recommended in early June the easing of restrictions on the diabetes drug rosiglitazone (Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline), following an independent re-examination of GSK’s RECORD study conducted by Duke Clinical Research Institute.
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Telmisartan and valsartan, used to reduce blood pressure in people with diabetes, are associated with a lower risk of hospitalization for heart attack, stroke, or heart failure, according to a study published on the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) continues to receive reports of dose measurement confusion with HumuLIN R U-500 concentrated insulin injection, according to a recent safety alert from the agency.
The use of electronic health records (EHRs) saved more than 3% in ambulatory health costs but did not reduce overall inpatient costs, according to a new study.
The new update to the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guideline on the pharmacologic interventions for breast cancer risk reduction now lists aromatase inhibitor exemestane (Aromasin, Pfizer) as an option for postmenopausal women for primary risk reduction that are at an increased risk of developing invasive breast cancer.
With 40% of drugs in this country coming from other nations and 80% of active ingredient manufacturers located outside the United States, last year Congress gave FDA new powers to oversee those products.
A nonprofit dedicated to ensuring online pharmacy safety, whose roots date back to an informal advocacy group started 4 years ago, was this week officially chartered in Washington, D.C.
According to the World Health Organization, only 50% of patients living with a chronic illness take their medication on time as directed. An American dies every 19 minutes from skipping medication or taking meds incorrectly, costing US hospitals more than $100 billion every year.
FDA has approved afatinib (Gilotrif, Boehringer Ingelheim) for patients with late-stage (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors express specific types of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test.
FDA has approved a once-daily buprenorphine/naloxone (Zubsolv, Orexo) sublingual tablet CIII for use as maintenance treatment for people with opioid dependence. It should be used as part of a complete treatment plan that includes counseling and psychosocial support.
FDA approved two new indications for the use of lurasidone HCl (Latuda, Sunovion and Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma) as monotherapy and adjunctive therapy with either lithium or valproate, for adults with bipolar depression.
Investigators had already determined that the Age-Related Eye Disease Study (AREDS) formulation slowed the progression to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with a 25% decrease in the likelihood of progression to advanced AMD compared with placebo.
Obesity is associated with an increased risk of infection. Unfortunately clinical trials examining the safety and efficacy of antibiotics in obese patients are deficient. Thus, clinicians predominately rely on pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data for appropriate antibiotic dosing. The current literature for vancomycin, aminoglycosides, beta-lactams, fluoroquinolones, linezolid, and macrolides was reviewed to evaluate appropriate dosing in obese patients. Due to the limited number of studies and various pharmacokinetic parameters of antibiotics, dosing should be based on both patient- and drug-specific factors.
ICORE Healthcare-a subsidiary of Magellan Pharmacy Solutions-released the latest installment of its annual Medical Pharmacy & Oncology Trend Report.1 This report is unique in that it is the only trend and spend report that looks specifically at the medical benefit, under which almost half of all specialty pharmaceutical costs are currently managed and paid. Now in its third year, the report’s findings indicate that specialty pharmaceuticals are continuing to play an increasingly large role in managed care plan budgets and are certainly deserving of the increased payer attention they are receiving.
Utilization management programs may increase appropriate use of medication and quality of healthcare
Prime Therapeutics LLC (Prime) helps people get the medicine they need to feel better and live well. The company is headquartered in St. Paul, Minn., and manages pharmacy benefits for health plans, employers, and government programs including Medicare and Medicaid. The company processes claims and delivers medicine to nearly 20 million members, offering clinical services for people with complex medical conditions. Prime is collectively owned by 13 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans, subsidiaries or affiliates of those plans.
In April 2013, FDA approved doxylamine succinate 10 mg, pyridoxine hydrochloride 10 mg (Diclegis, Duchesnay) for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnant women who do not respond to conservative management. Diclegis is a delayed-release formulation combining 10 mg of the antihistamine doxylamine succinate and 10 mg of the vitamin B6 analog pyridoxine hydrochloride. This combination was once marketed in the United States as Bendectin. However, legal suits claiming related birth defects forced the manufacturer to withdraw Bendectin from the market in the 1980s. Doxylamine/pyridoxine has not been studied in women with hyperemesis gravidarum.
The 4-year data from the landmark ENESTnd (Evaluating Nilotinib Efficacy and Safety in Clinical Trials – Newly Diagnosed Patients) trial continues to demonstrate the improved clinical benefit of front-line nilotinib (Tasigna) versus imatinib (Gleevec) in patients with newly diagnosed, Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in chronic phase
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