Week Ahead: CHI-Dignity set to become one
As the year comes to a close, CHI-Dignity are poised to create a mega health system. Meanwhile, in D.C., budget drama unfolds like a reality T.V. show.
Court: Testimony from OxyContin maker must be unsealed
A Kentucky appeals court says the secret testimony from a former president of one of the world's largest manufacturers of dangerously addictive opioid painkillers must be released to the public.
Target to pay $3M to resolve Massachusetts Medicaid claim
Federal and Massachusetts authorities allege Minneapolis-based Target violated federal and state False Claims Acts by automatically refilling Medicaid recipients' prescriptions and seeking payment from Medicaid.
Blistering hot chemical could hold secret to controlling chronic pain
RTX, which is derived from a flowering cactuslike plant native to Morocco known as Euphorbia resinifera or resin spurge, is not only fiery, it's accurate. It can target and destroy nerve endings for pain, and for pain only.
CEO Power Panel: Despite expected gridlock, divided government may still be boon to hospitals
Although system CEOs see some benefits to the change of control in the House, the likelihood of partisan gridlock is muting their optimism.
Drugmaker to sell cheaper generic rival to EpiPen injectors
Generic-drug maker Sandoz will start selling an alternative to the EpiPen in the U.S. early next year. Brand-name EpiPen, which dominates the market, has been in short supply since spring because of production problems.
Federal investigation finds holes in orphan drug approval process
Of the 148 applications the GAO analyzed, reviewers granted orphan status to 26 that were missing required information.
Many of Idaho's chronic opioid users prescribed unsafe drug combos
Nearly 1 in 4 chronic opioid users in Idaho were at risk of overdosing due to unsafe prescription combinations in 2017, and a study questions whether efforts to improve prescribing practices are working.
Could Sanders' plan to lower drug prices backfire?
Drug industry insiders are questioning whether Sen. Bernie Sanders' proposal to cut pharma patent protections if drug prices are too high will ultimately limit access to new therapies.
Pharmacists take aim at benefit managers
Independent pharmacists in New York are calling for a state investigation into the practices of pharmacy benefit managers—the companies that negotiate drug prices on behalf of insurers and employers. They blame the PBMs for forcing owners to close up shop.
Branded-drug price hikes dwarf higher utilization of lower-cost generics
In 2017, brand-name prescription drugs made up only 17% of total prescriptions filled but represented 79% of total drug spending, according to an updated study from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
Express Scripts looks to limit rebate model, lower drug costs in 2019
Express Scripts will add approved lower-cost generics to its National Preferred Flex Formulary and exclude the branded drug, and possibly other drugs in the therapy class, from its coverage.
