News

As more individuals tap into subsidies, costs of reform will increase

Opioid overdose deaths in women in the United States increased fivefold from 1999 to 2010. During the same time period, the risk of opioid pain reliever (OPR) deaths in men increased 3.6 times, according to the July 2 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) will be hosting a new conference, Nexus 2013, October 15-18 in San Antonio, Texas. Nexus 2013 will aim to simplify the complex healthcare system and find new and innovative solutions by bringing together people from both sides of the equation. The new conference will be replacing AMCP’s Education Conference.

There was both bad and good news from the National Community Pharmacists Association’s (NCPA) national medication adherence report card survey results released recently.

In addition to boosting patient health outcomes, medication therapy management (MTM) is vital to a pharmacy’s bottom line, according to various speakers participating in the recent Pharmacy Quality Alliance’s webinar “Boosting MTM Program Compliance.”

Code limits the deduction that may be taken for compensation paid to officers, board members

Start ups receive mentoring and investment to bring innovative ideas to healthcare

Regulations require CEOs be informed of corporate efforts

Fewer anticonvulsant medications were on the inexpensive Part D formulary tiers than in the commercial plans

As new payment arrangements take shape, be prepared to integrate data from providers

Protect yourself through a change in law clause that allows you to terminate a contract

Employers are looking to change the dynamic of benefit administration

Much-needed standards for electronic approvals will whittle down $31 billion in administrative costs

As consumers become more sensitive to cost, narrow choices don't seem all that bad

Patient Centered: Comparative study will seek best practices for chronic care among mental health patients

Americans generally adopt the party line on PPACA assessment even three years later

Japan and the UK outrank the United States in infant mortality measures

Deaths per 1,000 live births

Monitor main risks to prepare for regulation.

The first of 2 pivotal phase 3 trials with a new allergy immunotherapy tablet for the treatment of house dust mite-induced respiratory diseases, has met its primary end points, according to ALK and partner Merck.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to injection drug users who are at high risk of HIV infection, following the positive results of the Bangkok Tenovir Study, published online June 12 in the Lancet.

Adding more than a one-half serving of red meat daily for 4 years can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus over the subsequent 4-year period, according to a report published online June 17 for JAMA Internal Medicine.

FDA approved a test that identifies the genotype of hepatitis C virus (HCV) that a patient is carrying. The Abbott RealTime HCV Genotype II (Abbott Molecular) can differentiate genotypes 1, 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 4, and 5 using a sample of an infected patient’s blood plasma or serum, which will aid healthcare professionals in determining the appropriate approach to treatment, resulting in better patient outcomes. Various HCV genotypes respond differently to available drug therapies.

FDA announced it has approved the use of Plan B One-Step (levonorgestrel) as a nonprescription product for all women of child-bearing potential. This action complies with the April 5, 2013 , order of the United States District Court in New York to make levonorgestrel-containing emergency contraceptives available as an over-the-counter (OTC) product without age or point-of-sale restrictions.

FDA approved the expanded use of denosumab (Xgeva, Amgen) to treat adults and some adolescents with giant cell tumor of the bone (GCTB), a rare and usually non-cancerous tumor.

FDA is investigating 2 unexplained deaths in patients who received an intramuscular injection of the antipsychotic drug Zyprexa Relprevv (olanzapine pamoate), according to an FDA Drug Safety Communication.

The US Supreme Court today stated that pay-for-delay agreements between brand name drug companies and generic manufacturers are subject to antitrust scrutiny.

Within our healthcare-driven society, the increase in the identification and diagnosis of mental illnesses has led to a proportional increase in the prescribing of psychotropic medications. The prevalence of mental illnesses and subsequent treatment approaches may employ monotherapy as first-line treatment, but in many cases the use of combination of therapy can occur, leading to polypharmacy.1 Polypharmacy can be defined in several ways but it generally recognized as the use of multiple medications by one patient and the most common definition is the concurrent use of five more medications. The presence of polyharmacy has the potential to contribute to non-compliance, drug-drug interactions, medication errors, adverse events, or poor quality of life.