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ASA launches Opioid Overdose Resuscitation card to help people who abuse prescription drugs

In response to the prescription drug abuse epidemic in the United States, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is collaborating with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to respond to the problem, educate the public and advance programs to help those who misuse and abuse prescription drugs.

14 Oct 2013

Research roundup: Medicare Part D in 2014; barriers to mental health care; scattered patterns of ACOs

Medicare Part D continues to be a marketplace with an array of competing plans offered at a wide range of premiums and benefit designs. In 2014, Medicare beneficiaries will have a choice of 35 stand-alone PDPs, on average, up by four from 2013. ... Beneficiaries receiving Low-Income Subsidies will have access to a modestly higher number of plans for no monthly premium in 2014 compared to 2013 ... Notable trends for 2014 include a growing share of PDPs using preferred pharmacy networks and adopting more formulary cost-sharing tiers.

12 Oct 2013

New database tracks academic medial centers' policies on physician-industry ties

U.S. medical schools have made significant progress to strengthen their management of clinical conflicts of interest, but a new study demonstrates that most schools still lag behind national standards. The Institute on Medicine as a Profession study, which compared changes in schools' policies in a dozen areas from 2008 to 2011, reveals that institutions are racing from the bottom to the middle, not to the top.

11 Oct 2013

US health care spending to grow at an average annual rate of 5.8% for 2012-22

New estimates released 9/18/13 from the Office of the Actuary at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services project that aggregate health care spending in the United States will grow at an average annual rate of 5.8 percent for 2012-22, or 1.0 percentage point faster than the expected growth in the gross domestic product.

11 Oct 2013

Physicians raise concerns about prescription drug abuse across Pennsylvania

Across Pennsylvania physicians have raised concerns about growing problems with prescription drug abuse.

10 Oct 2013

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers tips for playing safe with prescription drugs

As we age, most of us come to depend on prescription drugs to help us live healthier, longer lives. But the very medications that we count on for better health could also land us in the hospital.

10 Oct 2013

First Edition: September 9, 2013

Today's headlines include reports on how some state health online insurance marketplaces are working as well as the latest from Capitol Hill on the budget standoff.

9 Oct 2013

Veterinarians complain about one impact of the health law while seniors look forward to lower drug spending

The vets say a new tax aimed at helping pay for changes from the health overhaul is hurting them, according to KHN. Meanwhile, Healthy Cal looks at closing of the prescription drug coverage gap. CNN also explores the arguments over the law's effect on overall health spending.

9 Oct 2013

Report: States lax in taking steps to curb prescription drug abuse

The number of deaths attributed to the abuse of painkillers and other prescription drugs has risen sharply in recent years.

9 Oct 2013

Horizon Medicare beneficiaries to receive pharmacy services through Prime Therapeutics

Beginning January 1, 2014, Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. Medicare beneficiaries will receive pharmacy services through Prime Therapeutics LLC. Prime began providing pharmacy benefit management services to the plan's commercial members July 1, 2013.

8 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 8, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest on how the health law's online insurance marketplaces are operating and what caused the initial systemic problems.

8 Oct 2013

Study aims for new national standard on how doctors and pharmacies write prescriptions

Northwestern Medicine-, Walgreens, Alliance of Chicago community health centers and Merck are collaborating on a study with a deceptively simple goal: provide clear instructions on prescription medicine labels so patients don't make mistakes and overcomplicate taking their daily medications.

8 Oct 2013

The health law and older Americans

A pair of stories examining the health law and Medicare's prescription drug "doughnut hole" as well as what might change for people who are near retirement age, but not yet eligible for Medicare.

8 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 7, 2013

Today's headlines include reports detailing the ins and outs of the federal government's online health insurance markeplace as well as the latest from Capitol Hill on the shutdown.

7 Oct 2013

Self-medication is key reason for prescription drug abuse in docs

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5 Oct 2013

Report: Doctors who abuse prescription drugs often do so for "self-medication"

Doctors who abuse prescription drugs often do so for "self-medication"—whether for physical or emotional pain or stress relief, reports a study in the October Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

5 Oct 2013

FDA report reveals personal, professional devastation caused by cognitive dysfunctions of ME/CFS

PANDORA Org and other patient organizations say a recent report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows the agency must take further action to open up opportunities for ME/CFS drug development.

4 Oct 2013

No health law budging from either side as gov't shutdown continues

Neither Republicans nor Democrats appear ready to budge in the short-term to end a government shutdown and their impasse over funding for the health law. House Republicans are looking to pressure moderate Democrats in the Senate by sending the upper chamber a series of bills aimed at getting them to split from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but Republicans are beginning to feel the pressure building themselves over who will get the blame for the shutdown.

3 Oct 2013

NIMH Awards Optivia $1.8M CNS Drug Development

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2 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 2, 2013

Today's headlines include news reports about how the health law's new online insurance marketplaces -- glitches and all -- went live at both the federal and state levels.

2 Oct 2013

Prescription Drug News and Research

ASA launches Opioid Overdose Resuscitation card to help people who abuse prescription drugs

Research roundup: Medicare Part D in 2014; barriers to mental health care; scattered patterns of ACOs

New database tracks academic medial centers' policies on physician-industry ties

US health care spending to grow at an average annual rate of 5.8% for 2012-22

Physicians raise concerns about prescription drug abuse across Pennsylvania

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield offers tips for playing safe with prescription drugs

First Edition: September 9, 2013

Veterinarians complain about one impact of the health law while seniors look forward to lower drug spending

Report: States lax in taking steps to curb prescription drug abuse

Horizon Medicare beneficiaries to receive pharmacy services through Prime Therapeutics

First Edition: October 8, 2013

Study aims for new national standard on how doctors and pharmacies write prescriptions

The health law and older Americans

First Edition: October 7, 2013

Self-medication is key reason for prescription drug abuse in docs

Report: Doctors who abuse prescription drugs often do so for "self-medication"

FDA report reveals personal, professional devastation caused by cognitive dysfunctions of ME/CFS

No health law budging from either side as gov't shutdown continues

NIMH Awards Optivia $1.8M CNS Drug Development

First Edition: October 2, 2013

Leveraging the power of automation to boost research

Automating research - solutions and best practices

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

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