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Some Minn. insurers will end certain Medicare plans; Utah issues rule on child-only plans; Fla. law on pain clinics takes effect

Five insurance companies including Minnetonka-based Medica next year will stop providing a particular type of Medicare health plan in much of Minnesota, a state official said Thursday.

4 Oct 2010

Sebelius tells seniors that 'outrageous claims' have clouded impressions of new law

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius went to Florida Friday in her campaign to rally support for the new health law. She targeted senior citizens, a crucial voting bloc that polls find is not warming to the bill.

4 Oct 2010

Bloomberg analysis finds 'doughnut hole' deal to cost drugmakers less than 1% of profits

News outlets report how closing the Medicare 'Doughnut Hole' affects drugmakers and seniors.

1 Oct 2010

New co-branded Medicare Part D prescription drug plan from Humana and Walmart

Today, Humana Inc. announced an innovative Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, co-branded with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., that can provide significant savings on monthly plan premiums and prescription medicine copayments and cost-shares for Medicare beneficiaries, including seniors and people with disabilities.

1 Oct 2010

Health reform law bubbling up as campaign issue

The Associated Press: Lawmakers have left Washington to campaign and focus on their messages regarding the economy and health care. "Majority Democrats facing significant losses in the wake of unpopular bills to stimulate the economy and overhaul the nation's health care laws sought to do their party no further harm on Capitol Hill" (Kellman and Abrams, 9/30).

1 Oct 2010

Canadian Cancer Society alarmed by government inaction to establish national catastrophic drug insurance program

A large majority of Canadians - 85 per cent - say if they were diagnosed with cancer the cost of drugs would have a negative impact on their personal finances, according to poll results released today by the Canadian Cancer Society.

30 Sep 2010

NABP seeks to educate public about rogue Internet drug outlets, counterfeit medications

Earlier this year, the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy® (NABP®) was introduced to the AWARxE campaign, which was created and implemented by the Minnesota Pharmacists Foundation in 2007. Moved by the power of the campaign, NABP obtained the AWARxE program so that its message could be shared on a national level.

30 Sep 2010

FDA, European regulators restrict Avandia use

The Food and Drug Administration and European regulators said they were taking action on Avandia, made by GlaxoSmithKline PLC, because of data tying it to increased risk of heart attacks.

27 Sep 2010

Research Roundup: Medical homes; Drug samples and prescribing; The health law and disparities; Women's health; CBO projections

Institute of Medicine: Women's Health Research: Progress, Pitfalls, and Promise -"Substantial progress has been made since the expansion of investment in women's health research. Research findings have changed the practice of medicine and public-health recommendations in several prominent contexts, including changes in standards of care for women. There have also been decreases in mortality in women from breast cancer, heart disease, and cervical cancer. In other contexts, however, there has been less progress..."

24 Sep 2010

Pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs

Vice President Joe Biden, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today announced that the nation's pharmaceutical manufacturers will provide 50 percent discounts on the cost of covered brand-name prescription drugs for beneficiaries in the Medicare Part D coverage gap, or donut hole, starting in 2011.

24 Sep 2010

Rite Aid second quarter revenue decreases to 2.5%

Rite Aid Corporation today reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended August 28, 2010.

23 Sep 2010

FDA and EMA accept regulatory submissions of vandetanib for advanced medullary thyroid cancer

AstraZeneca today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) have accepted regulatory submissions for review of the investigational drug vandetanib in the treatment of patients with advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC). The FDA also granted priority review status for the new drug application and set a Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date of 7 January 2011.

23 Sep 2010

Merck expands patient assistance programs to provide medicines to needy people

Today, Merck announced that it has significantly expanded the number of Merck medicines available through its Merck Helps patient assistance programs, which include the Merck Patient Assistance Program, the Merck Vaccine Patient Assistance Program, the ACT Program for Oncology and Hepatitis C medicines, and the SUPPORT Program for HIV/AIDS medicines.

23 Sep 2010

FDA grants priority review status for Endo’s oxymorphone oral formulation

Endo Pharmaceuticals announced that it recently received notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that Endo's new drug application (NDA) for its new oral formulation of long-acting oxymorphone, which is designed to be crush resistant, has been granted priority review status.

23 Sep 2010

PA State Police, PCCD join national effort to collect medications on Sept. 25

Pennsylvanians are urged to turn in expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications at collection sites statewide during the first National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, Sept. 25, State Police and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency said today.

22 Sep 2010

Sebelius: Medicare Advantage premium costs to decline slightly in 2011

The Associated Press: "Seniors enrolled in popular private health insurance plans through Medicare will pay a little less on average next year, the Obama administration said Tuesday. The average monthly premium in so-called Medicare Advantage plans will dip to $35.69 in 2011, a 45-cent reduction from $36.14 this year, Medicare officials said."

22 Sep 2010

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to Catalyst's CPP-115 investigational drug

Catalyst Pharmaceutical Partners, Inc. today announced that its investigational drug, CPP-115, a novel GABA aminotransferase inhibitor, has been granted orphan-drug designation for the treatment of infantile spasms (West Syndrome) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

22 Sep 2010

HealthWarehouse.com, Columbia Medical Associates announce partnership to provide generic prescription medications

HealthWarehouse.com, Inc., a leading retail mail-order online pharmacy and Columbia Medical Associates, an outpatient clinic system offering medical services in the Spokane, Washington metropolitan area, announced a partnership to offer patients a 30-day supply of more than 300 generic prescription medications for $3.50 with free home delivery.

21 Sep 2010

First Edition: September 21, 2010

In today's headlines, news about major insurers' plans to stop offering child-only health policies in advance of new rules.

21 Sep 2010

Medicare receives increased scrutiny regarding fraud, payment issues

USA Today: "Proposed regulations being unveiled today seek to crack down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud by subjecting operators of certain medical firms to fingerprinting and stopping payments when credible fraud allegations are made, documents show. The rules would give federal health officials key powers to identify fraud early and reduce the estimated $55 billion in improper payments made each year in the Medicare and Medicaid programs, said Peter Budetti, director of the new anti-fraud office at the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services" (Young, 9/20).

20 Sep 2010

Prescription Drug News and Research

Some Minn. insurers will end certain Medicare plans; Utah issues rule on child-only plans; Fla. law on pain clinics takes effect

Sebelius tells seniors that 'outrageous claims' have clouded impressions of new law

Bloomberg analysis finds 'doughnut hole' deal to cost drugmakers less than 1% of profits

New co-branded Medicare Part D prescription drug plan from Humana and Walmart

Health reform law bubbling up as campaign issue

Canadian Cancer Society alarmed by government inaction to establish national catastrophic drug insurance program

NABP seeks to educate public about rogue Internet drug outlets, counterfeit medications

FDA, European regulators restrict Avandia use

Research Roundup: Medical homes; Drug samples and prescribing; The health law and disparities; Women's health; CBO projections

Pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs

Rite Aid second quarter revenue decreases to 2.5%

FDA and EMA accept regulatory submissions of vandetanib for advanced medullary thyroid cancer

Merck expands patient assistance programs to provide medicines to needy people

FDA grants priority review status for Endo’s oxymorphone oral formulation

PA State Police, PCCD join national effort to collect medications on Sept. 25

Sebelius: Medicare Advantage premium costs to decline slightly in 2011

FDA grants orphan-drug designation to Catalyst's CPP-115 investigational drug

HealthWarehouse.com, Columbia Medical Associates announce partnership to provide generic prescription medications

First Edition: September 21, 2010

Medicare receives increased scrutiny regarding fraud, payment issues

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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