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Total Therapeutic Management (TTM), a disease management company in Atlanta, conducted a study to evaluate demographic and clinical characteristics of diabetic patients and characterize the prevalence of risk factors for metabolic syndrome.
The study, based on a chart review of 8,072 patients with diabetes, revealed that 66.7% of patients had three or more risk factors for metabolic syndrome and 76.3%, 50.8% and 43.1% had high blood pressure, hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL, respectively. Despite the potential role of insulin resistance in metabolic syndrome, the use of anti-diabetic agents affecting insulin resistance was relatively low by the study's participants.
As part of TTM's strategy-focusing on physicians-the company is helping physicians better understand how to address each component of metabolic syndrome and how to identify patients at risk through education and recommendations. Ed Perez, CEO of TTM, is concerned that patients at risk for metabolic syndrome are just treated for diabetes when they also should be viewed as cardiovascular patients.
Managed care organizations have put disease management programs in place targeting the component conditions of the syndrome. TTM's study revealed, however, that no favored treatment approach surfaced, making more information warranted.
David Calabrese of OptumRx Talks New Role, Market Insulin Prices and Other Topics 'On His Mind'
April 13th 2023In this month’s episode of the "What's On Your Mind podcast," Peter Wehrwein, managing editor of MHE connects with the now Chief Clinical Officer of OptumRx Integrated Pharmacies, David Calabrese. In this conversation, David touches on his transition in January as OptumRx’s former chief pharmacy officer and market president of health plans and PBMs to his new role as Chief Clinical Officer where he now focuses more on things such as specialty pharmacy to home delivery — with an overall goal of creating whole-patient care. Throughout the conversation, Calabrese also touched on the market’s hot topic of insulin prices and behavioral health services within the OptumRx community, among other topics.
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Upended: Can PBM Transparency Succeed?
March 6th 2024Simmering tensions in the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) industry have turned into fault lines. The PBMs challenging the "big three" have formed a trade association. Purchaser coalitions want change. The head of the industry's trade group says inherent marketplace friction has spilled over into political friction.
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Briana Contreras, editor of Managed Healthcare Executive, spoke with Nancy Lurker, CEO and president of EyePoint Pharmaceuticals. Nancy shared a bit about EyePoint and how the organization’s innovative therapies are addressing patient needs through eye care, and most importantly, she addressed C-Suite positions like the CEO role. Nancy shared advice for those seeking to reach the CEO level, especially toward women in healthcare and other roles, and what it takes to run a biopharma company.
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The deliberate disconnection of Change Healthcare to ring fence a cyberattack entered its seventh day today. Prescribers are finding ways to get pharmacy claims processed, and UnitedHealth Group says disruption to the dispensing of prescriptions has been minimal. But independent pharmacies want more information and protection from financial consequences from pharmacy benefit managers.
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