Formulary Watch: Drug Shortages, July 25, 2021

CMS transparency rules and AI could bring “Expedia-like” drug price comparisons for consumers, but payer compliance to transparency rules remains low.

A new Spherix Global Insights survey shows providers want administrative support for prior authorization while patients prioritize access and affordability

Bill Kerr of Avalon Heath Solutions says incorporating Z codes into CPT codes for lab and genetic testing would add needed specificity, reduce waste and possibly head off fraud.

States have to turn that information into medical frailty determinations that are clinically credible, consistent, and workable across large Medicaid populations.

A meta-analysis found steatotic liver disease in 75% of patients with sleep-disordered breathing and that CPAP lowered liver enzymes but not liver fat.

Some predicted that drugmakers might boost launch prices to make up for Medicare drug negotiations shrinking profits. Harvard researchers find no evidence of that happening so far.

State PBM reform accelerates through 2026, with Theresa Carnegie of Mintz unpacking new laws, rebate pass-through, spread pricing bans, and compliance risks.

Only 19.1% of commercially insured patients with first-episode psychosis were adherent to antipsychotics in the year after starting treatment.