News

FDA approved ferric pyrophosphate citrate (Triferic, Rockwell Medical Inc.) for commercial sale as an iron replacement product to maintain hemoglobin in adult patients with hemodialysis dependent chronic kidney disease.

FDA approved the first generic version of Nexium (esomeprazole magnesium delayed-release capsules, Ivax Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceuticals USA) to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in adults and children aged 1 year and older. Esomeprazole is a proton pump inhibitor that reduces the amount of acid in the stomach.

FDA has approved parathyroid hormone (Natpara, NPS Pharma) once-daily injection to control hypocalcemia in patients with hypoparathyroidism.

Celiac disease occurs due to a genetic intolerance to dietary ingested gluten peptides. This initiates an immune response, predominantly in the small bowel, that results in malabsorption and associated symptoms including chronic diarrhea with weight loss, steatorrhea, postprandial abdominal pain, and bloating.

Approximately one-third of patients on a novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) received inappropriate dosing based on indication, renal function, or concomitant interacting medications during hospitalization in the intensive care unit, typically for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation, according to data presented at the Society of Critical Care Medicine meeting in Phoenix.

It is important to ensure established migraine medications are available for the patients who need them, according to a new study published in the January issue of Headache.

FDA has approved secukinumab (Cosentyx, Novartis) for the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

Many studies have shown that nonadherence to medications is associated with numerous adverse outcomes (including hospitalizations, higher costs, and increased mortality).

Consumer-driven healthcare has transformed from media buzzword to meaningful action, but it’s the economics behind the healthcare universe that have finally turned the consumer-driven concept into a reality for benefits administrators, employers and consumers alike.

Healthcare providers need to help patients understand how alcohol can interact with their medications, according to a study from the National Institutes of Health and published in the February 2015 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.

FDA approved Phoxillum Renal Replacement Solutions.

According to the research firm Gartner, Inc., information technology is subject to a five-phase acceptance cycle: a Technology Trigger, Peak of Inflated Expectations, Trough of Disillusionment, Slope of Enlightenment, and Plateau of Productivity. Even zealous advocates of social media marketing (SMM) admit their craft is currently stuck in the disillusionment phase.

Since Virginia became the first state in May 2013 to enact legislation regulating a pharmacist’s substitution of an interchangeable biologic drug for a prescribed reference biologic drug, there has not been much activity or clarity on the issue.

With the launch of two open enrollment cycles behind it, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has turned its attention to promoting HealthCare.gov with a growing list of partners.

In the healthcare industry, most executives have placed huge caveats on their organization's plans for 2015. Looming this year are three potential game changers: the United States Supreme Court's King v. Burwell decision, a new Republican-controlled Senate's actions on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the implementation of ICD-10.

While ICD-10 implementation has been delayed until October 2015, providers must appreciate that many current managed care agreements likely include binding language that will impact reimbursement changes, particularly for inpatient services.

Healthcare leaders expect to recoup investments in technology, staff and facilities that support new models of care such as accountable care organizations within four years, according to a new survey.

Health insurance websites, including exchange sites, health plan sites and aggregator sites, are on an upward trend since the rocky debut in 2014 of HealthCare.gov.

Unlike a traditional formulary, the value-based formulary emphasizes the clinical effectiveness of a drug rather than cost so that if a drug is very effective but expensive, it might still fall on tier one.

From Blue Shield of California's recently-announced purchase of a Medicaid plan to Partners HealthCare's hard-fought effort to fold more hospitals into its Massachusetts health system, the volume of mergers and acquisitions in the healthcare sector has steadily climbed and now exceeds M & A activities in all other U.S. industries. The surge is being fueled by payers and providers seeking new business opportunities in the post-ACA healthcare market, and 2015 is on track to be another record-breaking year.

Because the imaging industry has been under a microscope for years, it's had to do more with less. There are many ways in which imaging can serve as a blueprint for other stakeholders as healthcare moves toward value-based care delivery models.

Envisioning a public health threat, managed care recently notched up its readiness for an Ebola outbreak in the United States. Valuable lessons emerged from the latest effort, adding to the knowledge gleaned from other epidemics, such as the HIV/AIDS and SARS viruses and the bird flu.

Nearly a year after two medical societies released a national consensus statement on the safe prevention of certain C-sections, broad consensus seems to boil down to this: Steps must be taken to lower C-section rates in the U.S., and strong outreach to ob/gyns is critical for success.

CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner, a life-long public health advocate tapped to lead the $820 billion federal agency, will step down from her role at the end of February.

While one study finds up to 80% of mid-sized employers are increasing the employee share of health insurance deductibles and co-pays, another finds the amount of employee contributions has declined in the past few years.

The world’s leading 30 pharmaceutical companies spent a combined $112 billion on research and development (R&D) in 2013, an increase of $723 million over the previous year. According to our new Global Pharmaceutical Benchmark Report, Roche was the R&D spending leader, outlaying nearly $10 billion in 2013. Meanwhile, Novartis and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) increased their R&D spend the most between 2012 and 2013, with each adding around $500 million to their respective clinics. Novartis’ R&D spending grew by 5.6% to $9.8 billion, and J&J spent $8.2 billion, which was up by 6.8% from 2012.

Patient-centered care tailored to individuals is needed to treat and monitor the 100 million Americans who live with chronic pain, an independent panel convened by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has concluded.

Limiting drug insurance is not an effective strategy for reducing the rising healthcare costs in the U.S., according to an analysis published online this month in the American Journal of Public Health.