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IBC offers more personalized online information about PHR to its members

Independence Blue Cross now offers its members more personalized online information about their health – as the amazon.com experience is to the savvy shopper, the ibxpress.com experience is to the smart health care consumer. Personal health information began to flow into members' electronic health records this month – available through ibxpress.com, the company's member website.

9 Jul 2010

State AIDS programs struggle as joblessness increases demand

Growing joblessness and shrinking state and federal budgets have exacerbated the financial burden on the government that provides prescription drug treatment to people with HIV/AIDS. "Now, many people with HIV are losing jobs, along with insurance, or discovering that they are infected at a time when the AIDS Drug Assistance Program — ADAP — they depend on is being overwhelmed by demands being made on it.

9 Jul 2010

Fibrocell Science completes enrollment in azficel-T histology study

Fibrocell Science, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on the development of autologous cell therapies for aesthetic, medical and scientific applications, announced today the completion of enrollment of and first treatment visits for participants in its histology study (IT-H-001) of azficel-T. An autologous cell therapy, azficel-T is currently under review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial fold wrinkles.

8 Jul 2010

MonoSol partner Strativa receives FDA approval for Zuplenz OSF

MonoSol Rx, the developers of PharmFilm® technology and a drug delivery company specializing in film pharmaceutical products, in collaboration with APR Applied Pharma Research s.a. of Switzerland and Labtec GmbH of Germany, today announced that its partner, Strativa Pharmaceuticals has received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Zuplenz® oral soluble film for the prevention of postoperative, highly and moderately emetogenic cancer chemotherapy-induced, and radiotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

8 Jul 2010

Crooks defraud health care system with fake insurance plans and phony Medicare, Medicaid claims

"Massive unemployment and a changing health care system is creating a breeding ground for con artists." Fake health insurance is one of the "fastest growing scams." Advertisements for such products are "stapled to neighborhood telephone polls, flyers left on your car or maybe you'll get a phone call from someone who's selling health insurance at extremely low rates, as low as $29.99 a month in some cases, says Jim Quiggle of the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud. The sad truth is that often these bogus policies pay little or nothing on claims, leaving consumers with exorbitant medical bills" (Haley, 7/6).

8 Jul 2010

Winston submits NDA for CIVANEX to U.S. FDA

Winston Laboratories, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Winston Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a pharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing novel pain management therapies, announced that it has submitted a new drug application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval to market its civamide (zucapsaicin) 0.075% cream, CIVANEX®, for the treatment of signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee.

7 Jul 2010

Changes in Medicare Part B therapy rates likely to reduce Kindred Healthcare's revenues by $11M per year

Kindred Healthcare, Inc. today provided its estimate of the revenue effect of proposed rate changes to Medicare Part B therapy services included in the proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule rule. The proposed rule was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services ("CMS") on June 25. The proposed rule is subject to a 60-day public comment period and is scheduled to become effective January 1, 2011.

7 Jul 2010

OTN signs agreement to integrate PharmaTrust's technology into telemedicine service offering

PharmaTrust, makers of the world's leading remote prescription drug dispensing technology, has signed an agreement with the Ontario Telemedicine Network that will enable OTN's Members, including hospitals, to integrate PharmaTrust's technology into their telemedicine service offering. This new development will expand access to valuable pharmacy services for Ontarians.

7 Jul 2010

Infoway adds diagnostic imaging, drug information systems to Certification Services

Canada Health Infoway has added diagnostic imaging and drug information systems to its pre-implementation Certification Services. Health information technology vendors can now receive certification for seven classes of technology.

6 Jul 2010

New Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan from HHS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today the establishment of a new Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP) that will offer coverage to uninsured Americans who have been unable to obtain health coverage because of a pre-existing health condition.

2 Jul 2010

Studies on VIAject and Vialog presented at 70th American Diabetes Association sessions

Studies of a more-rapid-acting injectable human insulin formulation (VIAject®) in the treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and of a novel insulin analog formulation (Vialog™) in an animal model of diabetes were reported this week in three poster presentations at the 70th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in Orlando, Florida. The findings are based upon results from recent clinical and preclinical studies sponsored by Biodel Inc..

1 Jul 2010

First analyses on impact of Medicare Part D presented at UMB's 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting

Some of the first analyses on the impact of Medicare Part D, as well as new insights on drug adherence patterns by chronic disease patients, will be presented today and tomorrow at the 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting by several University of Maryland, Baltimore teams of pharmaceutical health services researchers.

1 Jul 2010

Experts examine corporate websites dedicated to 100 best-selling prescription drugs

Dartmouth Linguistics Professor Lewis Glinert and Jon Schommer, the associate head of the Department of Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems at the University of Minnesota, have examined the corporate websites dedicated to the 100 best-selling prescription drugs. They found a startling lack of consistency in an industry where advertising standards are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.

1 Jul 2010

Tracking poll finds health reform law gaining in popularity

"The health-care overhaul gained popularity from May to June, according to a new tracking poll." The poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation "found that 48 percent of the public had a favorable view of the law in June while 41 percent had an unfavorable opinion." (Kaiser Health News is a program of the foundation.) In May, the tracking poll had found "41 percent favorable to 44 percent unfavorable."

1 Jul 2010

Poll shows growing popularity for health reform law, politicians sound off

1 Jul 2010

Independence Blue Cross announces five new Personal Choice PPO plans

Beginning July 1, 2010, Independence Blue Cross (IBC) will offer five new Personal Choice® PPO plan options for individuals – expanding the range of individual plan choices for health care consumers in the region. These medically underwritten plans are available in three popular formats: copay, deductible and health savings account (HSA) plan designs that enable consumers to choose the type of plan and pricing that fits their specific needs.

30 Jun 2010

Health law provisions kicking in; States prepare for high-risk insurance pool implementation

Three months after health reform was enacted, state leaders are beginning to make decisions about implementing the new law, Politico reports: "With the messy politics of health reform, the burden of balancing state budgets and the goal of expanding health coverage, lawmakers at the state level have had mixed reactions."

30 Jun 2010

Experts evlauate impact of Medicare Part D program on independent and chain pharmacies

The Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Medicare Part D) added prescription drug coverage to Medicare beginning in January 2006.

30 Jun 2010

2 new studies add to evidence of risks with diabetes drug Avandia as FDA prepares to debate it's safety

The Washington Post: Two new studies provide evidence "that the diabetes drug Avandia increases the risk of heart problems and strokes, renewing questions about the safety of the medication. ... The new research, released Monday, should prompt the Food and Drug Administration to remove the drug from the market, according to the researchers who led the analyses and several drug-safety advocates.

30 Jun 2010

Doctors want pain drugs to be tracked

The Hill: Doctors who belong to the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians want lawmakers to give money to help states begin collecting and sharing data on patients who "doctor shop" for pain medications. The group wants $55 million for the program and are asking Congress "to reauthorize a 2005 bill providing grants to states that collect prescription drug information and share it with physicians and pharmacists — and law enforcement officials when there's an investigation — while protecting patients' privacy.

30 Jun 2010

Prescription Drug News and Research

IBC offers more personalized online information about PHR to its members

State AIDS programs struggle as joblessness increases demand

Fibrocell Science completes enrollment in azficel-T histology study

MonoSol partner Strativa receives FDA approval for Zuplenz OSF

Crooks defraud health care system with fake insurance plans and phony Medicare, Medicaid claims

Winston submits NDA for CIVANEX to U.S. FDA

Changes in Medicare Part B therapy rates likely to reduce Kindred Healthcare's revenues by $11M per year

OTN signs agreement to integrate PharmaTrust's technology into telemedicine service offering

Infoway adds diagnostic imaging, drug information systems to Certification Services

New Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan from HHS

Studies on VIAject and Vialog presented at 70th American Diabetes Association sessions

First analyses on impact of Medicare Part D presented at UMB's 2010 Academy/Health Annual Meeting

Experts examine corporate websites dedicated to 100 best-selling prescription drugs

Tracking poll finds health reform law gaining in popularity

Poll shows growing popularity for health reform law, politicians sound off

Independence Blue Cross announces five new Personal Choice PPO plans

Health law provisions kicking in; States prepare for high-risk insurance pool implementation

Experts evlauate impact of Medicare Part D program on independent and chain pharmacies

2 new studies add to evidence of risks with diabetes drug Avandia as FDA prepares to debate it's safety

Doctors want pain drugs to be tracked

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