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Older adults do not get enough help to make sure multiple drugs mix safely, new poll finds

Most older Americans take multiple medicines every day. But a new poll suggests they don't get – or seek – enough help to make sure those medicines actually mix safely.

29 Nov 2017

The ratcheting cost of the pneumococcal vaccine: What gives?

Every November, like clockwork, she gets the same letter, said Dr. Lindsay Irvin, a pediatrician in San Antonio.

29 Nov 2017

Study highlights need to focus on all opioid prescribers to curb epidemic

A cross-section of opioid prescribers that typically do not prescribe large volumes of opioids, including primary care physicians, surgeons and non-physician health care providers, frequently prescribe opioids to high-risk patients, according to a new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

29 Nov 2017

Heated and deep-pocketed battle erupts over 340B drug discount program

A 25-year-old federal drug discount program has grown so big and controversial that it faces a fight for survival as federal officials and lawmakers furiously debate the program's reach.

28 Nov 2017

Massachusetts grabs spotlight by proposing new twist on Medicaid drug coverage

In the absence of new federal policies to tame break-the-bank drug prices, Massachusetts’ state Medicaid program hopes to road-test an idea both radical and market-driven. It wants the power to negotiate discounts for the drugs it purchases and to exclude drugs with limited treatment value.

21 Nov 2017

FDA raids Florida stores that consumers use to buy drugs from Canada

The Food and Drug Administration last month sent criminal investigation agents with search warrants into nine storefronts across Central Florida that help customers order drugs from pharmacies in Canada and overseas at big discounts.

20 Nov 2017

Harnessing social media big data to fight against prescription drug crisis

Researchers at Dartmouth, Stanford University, and IBM Research, conducted a critical review of existing literature to determine whether social media big data can be used to understand communication and behavioral patterns related to prescription drug abuse.

17 Nov 2017

Medicare seeks comment on ways to cut costs of Part D drugs

Noting that the true price of a drug is often hidden from consumers, Medicare officials requested comments late Thursday on how to use discounts and rebates to help decrease what enrollees pay for prescriptions.

16 Nov 2017

California fines Anthem $5 million for failing to address consumer grievances

California's managed-care regulator announced Wednesday it has fined insurance giant Anthem Blue Cross $5 million for repeatedly failing to resolve consumer grievances in a timely manner.

15 Nov 2017

Taking a page from pharma’s playbook to fight the opioid crisis

Dr. Mary Meengs remembers the days, a couple of decades ago, when pharmaceutical salespeople would drop into her family practice in Chicago, eager to catch a moment between patients so they could pitch her a new drug.

14 Nov 2017

Pressure builds to cut Medicare patients in on prescription deals

Medicare enrollees, who have watched their out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs climb in recent years, might be in for a break.

10 Nov 2017

Parity laws may not fully address affordability for patients needing cancer drugs

State laws designed to ensure that the pill form of cancer drugs is not more costly than treatments given through an infusion in a clinic or hospital have had a mixed impact on patients' pocketbooks, according to University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers.

9 Nov 2017

Ohio’s drug-pricing ballot question triggers voter confusion

Lawmakers in the nation's capital have yet to grapple with rising drug costs, but Ohio voters are being asked — in a single ballot-box question next week — to figure out how best to lower the tab the state pays for prescriptions.

7 Nov 2017

Research examines trend in hospitalizations from opioid poisonings

Preliminary research presented today at APHA's 2017 Annual Meeting and Expo examined the trend in hospitalizations from opioid poisonings in West Virginia, a state heavily impacted by the current opioid overdose crisis.

7 Nov 2017

House Republicans aim to yank tax credits for orphan drugs

As part of a sweeping tax reform bill, House Republicans on Thursday proposed eliminating billions of dollars in corporate tax credits that have played a key role in the booming "orphan drug" industry.

2 Nov 2017

Study examines whether patients understand prescription drug risks associated with driving

Prescription medications, including antidepressants and pain medications, can have various side effects and risks, and a West Virginia University researcher is examining whether patients understand the risks associated with driving.

1 Nov 2017

Humana’s new tool assists people with drug and premium costs during annual Medicare enrollment

People with Medicare looking to ensure the medication they take is covered by their Medicare Advantage or Part D plan now have an easy-to-use tool thanks to Humana's Rx Calculator.

31 Oct 2017

Ameritox applauds President Trump’s declaration of opioid crisis as national public health emergency

Ameritox, a national leader in medication monitoring solutions for patients prescribed opioids and other medications for chronic pain and severe mental illness, today applauded the declaration of the opioid crisis as a national public health emergency by President Donald J. Trump.

30 Oct 2017

Experts issue new report with recommendations aimed at stemming opioid epidemic

A group of experts, led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation, today issued a new report with comprehensive recommendations aimed at stemming the opioid epidemic, a spiraling crisis that kills on average 90 people a day in the U.S., and shows few signs of reversing.

28 Oct 2017

RAND researchers estimate health care savings over next decade from biosimilars

Introducing "biosimilar" versions of complex biologic drugs used to treat illnesses such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis could cut health care spending in the United States by $54 billion over the next decade, according to new analysis from the RAND Corporation.

23 Oct 2017