News

Specialty medications accounted for six of the top 10 drugs in exchange claims data

FDA approved ramucirumab (Cyramza, Eli Lilly) to treat patients with advanced stomach cancer or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Community factors may be linked to hospital readmission rates, according to a study published in Health Services Research.

FDA is requiring that drug labels for injectable corticosteroids used to treat neck and back pain must be updated to include a warning of rare but serious adverse events, including vision loss, stroke, paralysis, and death, according to a recent FDA drug safety communication.

Measures of access to care explained almost half of variation in readmission by county

Consumer experience is a critical area of investment, with health plans increasing data analytics and virtual customer service

Implementation of a quality initiative has been linked to improvement in the time to treatment and a lower risk of in-hospital death, intracranial hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), and an increase in the portion of patients discharged to their home, according to a study in the April 23/30 issue of JAMA.

MCOs experienced a 1.7% overall pharmacy trend in 2013, down from 1.9% in 2012.

Managed care organizations (MCOs) experienced a 1.7% drug overall trend, a 10.5% reduction from 2012 to 2013, according to Catamaran’s 2013 Drug Trend data. In 2012, MCO trend was 1.9%.

Despite strong FDA warnings against its use in adolescents, a new study suggests that codeine is prescribed for children during at least 500,000 emergency room (ER) visits each year.

FDA approved Short Ragweed Pollen Allergen Extract (Ragwitek, Merck) the first sublingual allergen extract to treat short ragweed pollen induced allergic rhinitis (hay fever), with or without conjunctivitis (eye inflammation), in adults aged 18 years through 65 years.

FDA has approved a new indication for ofatumumab (Arzerra, GlaxoSmithKline and Genmab), a CD20-directed cytolytic monoclonal antibody, in combination with chlorambucil for the treatment of previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) for whom fludarabine-based therapy is considered inappropriate.

The American Action Forum data breaks down the variation in MA cuts by state-a large percentage of the cuts coming from changes in payment formulas

An 8-week regimen of ledipasvir-sofosbuvir was highly effective (>90% cure) in non-cirrhotic HCV patients with genotype infection, and adding ribavirin or extending treatment to 12 weeks did not significantly improve the results, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

As specialty drugs become the standard of care for many complex diseases, they present unique challenges to payers, according to the 10th edition of the EMD Serono Specialty Digest. Specialty drugs can be delivered through various routes of administration (subcutaneous injection, intravenous, intramuscular injection, oral), all of which may have unique coverage criteria, patient cost share, clinical management, and patient access.

Antipsychotic drugs are increasingly being prescribed to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and teens in foster care, according to a study published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.

FDA has approved the Timothy Grass Pollen Allergen Extract (Grastek, Merck) sublingual tablet as immunotherapy to treat grass pollen-induced allergic rhinitis with or without conjunctivitis in children as young as 5 years of age and adults up to the age of 65. The tablet is a new option for patients who decline allergy shots.

Women saved $483 million in 2013 on contraceptives, or $22.44 per fill

The global insulin delivery devices market value is projected to increase from $8.78 billion in 2012 to $13.8 billion by 2019, according to a new report.

Massachusetts and Oregon studies show emergency department increases once patients have health insurance coverage

Progress has been made in the effort to eliminate infections that commonly threaten hospital patients, but more work is needed to improve patient safety, according to 2 reports released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Low-risk Medicare patients entering home healthcare and receiving a telephonic medication therapy management (MTM) consultation by a pharmacist were three times less likely to be hospitalized within the next 2 months, while those at greater risk saw no benefit, according to a study in Health Services Research.

Antidiabetic drugs are considered to be first-line treatment options for individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is estimated that type 2 diabetes affects about 24 million persons in the United States. Over time high blood levels can lead to complications such as heart disease, kidney damage, or blindness.1 When it comes to the treatment of type 2 diabetes individuals have the option of using oral hypoglycemic agents, compared to individuals with type 1 diabetes that requires insulin therapy.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius resigned within a short time after announcing that nearly half a million more people enrolled in the exchanges

FDA has approved naloxone hydrochloride injection (Evzio; Kaléo, formerly Intelliject) for emergency treatment when opioid overdose is known or suspected because of respiratory and/or central nervous system depression.

FDA approved dabigatran etexilate mesylate (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals) for treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients who have been treated with a parenteral anticoagulant for 5 to 10 days, and to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT and PE in patients who have been previously treated.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found that pregnant women who are at high risk for developing pre-eclampsia can take a low dosage of aspirin daily to help prevent the condition, and this can result in better health outcomes for both the mother and the baby.

Final notice from CMS changes the 1.9% pay cut to 0.4% increase, but that's only half the story