The costly part of using a mail order pharmacy

Trump Rx could compromise pts in rural & low income areas getting their Rxs

I ask perplexity.AI: under trump RX how and where are these Rxs going to be filled, local community pharmacies, mail order or some other way? TrumpRx is structured so that many of the prescriptions it targets never touch a local pharmacy at all; they are routed to manufacturers’ contracted mail/specialty pharmacies via TrumpRx.gov and the […]

DEA’s mandate does not distinguish between diversion of Rxs & illicitly fentanyl in setting quotas

I asked Perplexia.ai: One of the media today declared the “fentanyl crisis” was over because OD’s from illegal fentanyl was going on.. Is there really any rational reason for the DEA to reduce the pharmaceutical company’s opioid production.. since Rx opioid – if anything – may be a very minor part of OD opioids DEA’s […]

Medicare Is of Two Minds on Prior Authorization

  CMS is cracking down on it in Medicare Advantage while expanding its use in traditional Medicare https://www.medpagetoday.com/practicemanagement/reimbursement/119157   Earlier this year, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced an agreement with Medicare Advantage plans to lessen the use of prior authorization, but the agency also said it would conduct a demonstration project looking at expanding […]

Investigating pharmacists’ refusal to fill valid physician orders

Some pharmacists are substituting their judgment for that of ordering physicians. The AMA opposes such actions. https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/scope-practice/investigating-pharmacists-refusal-fill-valid-physician-orders Wayne, New Jersey, ophthalmologist Donald J. Cinotti, MD, is accustomed to the usual delays with having orders filled promptly at area pharmacies. Those can relate to medication shortages, prior authorization and other insurance restrictions, or the occasional instances […]

The Lived Experiences of Opioid Tapering in Older Adults with Chronic Pain

                      If you click on the graphic, it will enlarge, might have to click it a second time to enlarge it a little more and/or magnify on your laptop screen with “CTRL” + “+” key… this was a graphic that someone else made and I […]

Trump Cabinet teams up to end animal abuse

Trump Cabinet teams up to end animal abuse Bondi says prosecutors will be placed in every state to handle animal cruelty cases https://www.foxnews.com/media/trump-administration-launches-multi-agency-strike-force-crack-down-animal-abuse https://www.foxnews.com/video/6386776126112 Senior officials in President Donald Trump’s administration say they are cracking down on animal cruelty, rolling out coordinated actions across the Justice Department, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department […]

Stop Sidelining Methadone: Make Primary Care an Option Again

Methadone can be a excellent med for pain management, but a decade ago either the state of Washington or Oregon had a mandate that all chronic pain pts that were on Medicaid, could only have Methadone prescribed for pain management, because Methadone was the least expensive opioid. They were having 2-4 pts for every 1,000 […]

Rescheduling Isn’t Enough—and Medicare Could Make CBD Worse

Rescheduling Isn’t Enough—and Medicare Could Make CBD Worse https://www.cato.org/blog/rescheduling-isnt-enough-medicare-could-make-cbd-worse At today’s White House ceremony, President Trump signed an executive order requiring the Drug Enforcement Administration to reschedule cannabis from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III controlled substance. During the event, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mehmet Oz announced plans […]

Pay Cuts and Unnecessary Visits: How Medicare Is Compromising Cataract Care

Pay Cuts and Unnecessary Visits: How Medicare Is Compromising Cataract Care https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/119085 It’s time for payment reform and a lasting remote follow-up option With nearly 1% of Americans undergoing cataract surgery each year, the procedure is the most common operation Medicare covers. For many older adults, it’s a small miracle: a 15-minute procedure and suddenly the world […]