Prescription Drug News and Research

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Tips for seniors to avoid serious complications from prescription meds

For seniors, October is a month in which medications - particularly prescription meds - will likely be on their minds. Not only is October national "Talk About Prescriptions Month," but Oct. 15 marks the start of Medicare's Annual Election Period during which beneficiaries can disenroll from, switch or enroll into a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.

1 Oct 2011

Walgreens, Walmart partner with Coventry to offer First Health Value Plus in the U.S.

Coventry Health Care, Inc. announced today that it has joined in partnership for 2012 with the nation's largest and best known names in retail and pharmacy—Walgreens, Walmart, and Target—to offer a novel Medicare prescription drug plan known as First Health Value Plus.

1 Oct 2011

Members of MAPRx coalition urge supercommittee to protect Part D program

Writing on behalf of millions of Medicare beneficiaries with chronic health conditions who rely on Part D for their essential medications, 26 members of the Medicare Access for Patients Rx (MAPRx) coalition sent a joint letter urging members of the joint deficit panel ("supercommittee") to reject proposals to increase Medicare beneficiary cost-sharing, raise coinsurance, and freeze income thresholds as they seek ways to reduce federal spending.

30 Sep 2011

Poor hospital supplies could spell danger for vulnerable patients

It was found that most hospitals operate with less than a month's supply of many essential medicines, leaving patients vulnerable if local distributors are unable to import them through fragile international supply chains.

29 Sep 2011

CVS Caremark, Dovetail Health partner to prevent avoidable hospital readmissions

Industry research finds that one in five seniors are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, representing a prevalent and costly issue for health plan sponsors. Moreover, it is estimated that nearly 70 percent of adverse health events that take place after hospital discharge are related to medication management issues.

29 Sep 2011

Americans cutting back on health spending by skipping prescriptions, procedures

A Consumer Reports survey revealed that more Americans are ignoring their doctor’s advice and skipping prescription drugs or medical procedures to save money in 2011 than a year earlier.

28 Sep 2011

Collegium completes Type A meeting with FDA for COL-003 Phase III chronic low back pain study

Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, announced today that it has successfully completed a Type A meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the proposed Phase III clinical study for COL-003, the Company's tamper-resistant, extended release oxycodone product utilizing its proprietary DETERx technology.

27 Sep 2011

Pacira announces data from EXPAREL clinical study presented at ASPS 2011 meeting

Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that the company's lead investigational product for postsurgical pain management, EXPAREL, was highlighted in the "Hot Topics in Plastic Surgery" panel at the annual scientific assembly of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) in Denver, Colo.

26 Sep 2011

Viewpoints: Concerns that AIDS fight is losing steam; Pharmacy choice bill is praised; Texas sex-ed policies questioned

The considerable progress in recent years-;including the 22-fold increase in the number of people receiving anti-retroviral drugs between 2001-2010-;has been due to scientific breakthroughs and to civil society's efforts to keep AIDS on the political agenda. This is now changing.

23 Sep 2011

Humana to acquire California-based Medicare Advantage HMO

Humana Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire MD Care, a California-based Medicare Advantage HMO with approximately 15,000 members in Southern California.

23 Sep 2011

Six ways to prevent coronary artery disease

In honor of National Cholesterol Education Month, Hotze Health & Wellness Center (HHWC) is encouraging both men and women to take a proactive role in healthy aging, specifically heart disease prevention. HHWC is advocating effective measures to prevent heart attacks and is shedding new light on cholesterol myths and the dangers of cholesterol-lowering (statin) drugs.

23 Sep 2011

BlueCross report examines national health care reform's impact on Tennessee

A research based report from the newly-established BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Institute takes an in-depth look at national health care reform's possible positive and negative effects on Tennessee.

23 Sep 2011

Rite Aid reports $6.3 billion revenues for second quarter ended August, 2011

Rite Aid Corporation today reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended August 27, 2011.

22 Sep 2011

HealthWell Foundation introduces new lupus fund

The HealthWell Foundation, a nonprofit organization providing financial assistance to insured patients facing a variety of chronic and life-altering illnesses, announces the launch of a new fund supporting treatment for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), the most common form of lupus.

22 Sep 2011

Big monthly premium hikes likely next year for Medicare Rx plans

Although monthly premiums will go down next year for Medicare prescription drug coverage on average, seniors in the most popular plans will see sizable jumps -; notably a 14 percent hike for the 4.7 million in United Healthcare's plans, a new study says.

21 Sep 2011

Obama budget plan includes $320 billion in Medicare, Medicaid cuts over 10 years

The squeeze will be felt by future Medicare recipients, in reduced payments to drug companies and hospitals, and with higher costs to states. And, though many parts of the health sector are grumbling about the proposal, some advocates say the president's vision is less painful than some of the ideas that have recently been on the table.

21 Sep 2011

Too many kids poisoned with prescription drugs: Study

Figures show that each year half a million kids age 5 and younger get into household medications and are poisoned. Though parents tend to believe that these tragic accidents will never happen to their kids, Dr. Randall Bond, a leading advocate for better prescription drug safety in the home, believes it can happen to anyone.

19 Sep 2011

Drug overdose deaths surpass road traffic accident deaths in U.S.

According to newly released figures, drug-related deaths now outnumber traffic fatalities in the U.S., with the rise driven by an increase in prescription narcotic overdoses.

19 Sep 2011

Research roundup: Personalized info helps consumer decision-making; Racial disparities in knee replacement

Comparison Friction: Experimental Evidence From Medicare Drug Plans – Defining comparison friction as "the wedge between the availability of comparative information and consumers' use of it," the authors determined that providing prescription drug pricing information, even though it was free and accessible in other ways, increased the amount of "plan-switching" in the group to 28 percent compared to 17 percent in another that did not get the individual information.

17 Sep 2011

DestinationRx is now DRX

DestinationRx, Inc., a leading provider of healthcare comparison tools, technology and data, today announced a strategic decision to rename the company DRX. The change in branding is a response to the company's significant growth in the healthcare industry—from its origins in prescription drug pricing and purchasing technology to its expansion into broader drug and health plan comparison technology and data services.

17 Sep 2011