News

A new abuse-deterrent painkiller - oxycodone hydrochloride (RoxyBond, Inspirion Delivery Services) - will be available soon after receiving FDA approval.

Payers have unmet needs in the changing hepatitis C (HCV) space, according to a recent survey. The survey, from Precision for Value, highlights what can be done to encourage payers to ease coverage policies for these drugs in the next wave of HCV treatment.

Study: PCSK9 inhibitors are being rejected by insurers at very high rates even in high-risk patients like those with familial hypercholesterolemia.

Two University of Massachusetts Medical School pharmacists make the case to reform or align 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA to better serve patients with substance use disorder.

A Cleveland Clinic study examines the mortality burden of modifiable behavioral risk factors such as obesity, diabetes, tobacco use, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

New findings reveal this genetic test to assess breast cancer risk could be more effective than others.

In what is expected to produce hefty saving for rheumatoid arthritis patients and the healthcare system, FDA approved the second biosimilar to Remicade (Johnson & Johnson).

A Gallup-Healthways poll shows it will be important to monitor the uninsured trends in the coming months as the ACA hangs in the balance.

FDA said this week that it is restricting the use of codeine and tramadol medicines in children. The drug’s labels will now include a contraindication that codeine should not be used to treat pain or cough, and that tramadol should not be used to treat pain, in children younger than 12 years.

Our policy analyst explains the concept of invisible high-risk pools, and explains how they might affect health reform.

Decades of research has led to a flurry of new warnings.

To date, the CDC reports 5,234 Zika virus disease cases in the United States and 36,526 cases in U.S. territories. Here’s where we are in the vaccine development process.

National survey and surveys in New York State, Florida, Texas, and New Hampshire point to a need for more actionable price information.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital sees dramatic drop in ED visits and inpatient admissions for epilepsy patients with collaborative quality improvement project.

Citing safety concerns, FDA delayed approval of a new blockbuster drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Population health data strategies are finding connections between better health and better quality of living.

A hospital system is adapting population health data to create a blueprint for a cost savings patient care program.

A new outcomes study shows that the PCSK9 inhibitor Repatha significantly reduced the risk of hard major adverse cardiovascular events in high-risk patients by 20%.

This novel approach aims to help those already struggling with obesity and diabetes, but eventually win the fight against this epidemic.

CVS, Novo Nordisk launch a prescription savings program to help patients afford essential medications.

One thing that is unlikely to change under the new Administration is the goal of reducing the cost of healthcare through various alternative payment initiatives. Here’s how that will affect oncology.

The call for antimicrobial stewardship is growing. Enact these steps to prevent a return to the pre-antibiotic era.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois partners with gastroenterology group to focus on Crohn’s disease patients.

With a growing need for services, nearly nine in 10 employers cite behavioral health as an important priority in Willis Towers Watson survey.

Two studies, one from Prime Therapeutics and Stanford, reveal an alarming increase in overdose with concurrent use of opioids and benzodiazepines. Here’s how managed care can help.

Industry leaders say that despite criticisms against the healthcare industry, there are some great lessons it can teach other industries.

FDA approved supplemental applications for 2 primary hepatitis C medications to be used in children for the first time.

Two recent studies demonstrate that pirfenidone (Esbriet, Genentech) prolongs life expectancy by 2.47 years for IPF patients and that Esbriet and nintedanib (Ofev, Boehringer Ingelheim) reduce the decline in lung function.