PHARMACIST STEVE

$21B opioid settlement is ‘disrupting patient care,’ APhA CEO says https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/pharmacy/21b-opioid-settlement-is-disrupting-patient-care-apha-ceo-says.html A $21 billion settlement between 46 attorneys general and three pharmaceutical distributors — AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson — may be leading to more drug supply issues, The New York Times reported March 13.  The settlement was intended to tweak former allowances and diminish […]

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Author and Actress, Karen Duffy, to be a Focal Point & Consulting Producer for Documentary BALANCING THE PAIN SCALE https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwtv/article/Author-and-Actress-Karen-Duffy-to-be-a-Focal-Point-Consulting-Producer-for-Documentary-BALANCING-THE-PAIN-SCALE-20180711 A new documentary will combine the talents of author and actress Karen Duffy, two-time Emmy and seven-time Telly Award winning filmmaker Yellow Dog Productions and author, advocate and Interim CEO of U.S. Pain Foundation Nicole […]

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Major PBMs Inflated Drug Prices, Pocketing $7.3 Billion Along the Way, FTC Says https://www.medpagetoday.com/washington-watch/washington-watch/113781 Three largest PBMs reimbursed own pharmacies at higher rates than independent ones, report finds The three largest pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) inflated the price of specialty generic drugs beyond their costs of acquisition, earning more than $7.3 billion in revenue from […]

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PBM reform: The end of the beginning https://chaindrugreview.com/pbm-reform-the-end-of-the-beginning/ The recent release of an interim report by the Federal Trade Commission about what the agency characterizes as “prescription drug middlemen” represents a vindication of sorts for pharmacy advocates who have long contended that PBMs employ business practices that skew the market to their advantage. Following the […]

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We had our independent pharmacy for 20 yrs, we were not in a rural area but a small city/county seat with ~ pop of 30,000.  One very memorial day – at least for me – I had a regular pt & wife come in. He wanted his blood pressure taken.  That was before “free-standing blood […]

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PBM rebate schemes to suppress biosimilar Humira cost patients $6B, IQVIA analysis finds https://drugstorenews.com/pbm-rebate-schemes-suppress-biosimilar-humira-cost-patients-6b-iqvia-analysis-finds The Biosimilars Council released a new analysis by IQVIA that reveals a PBM strategy to protect $2 billion in profits by “strangling” the biosimilar market and preventing savings for patients. The Biosimilars Council, a trade association representing manufacturers of biosimilar medicines, […]

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This article was published in DRUG STORE NEWS, which is a industry journal. Many in the medical care industry is expanding their scope of services that they provide under one corporate banner. This is known as vertical integration.  While this article is sprinkled with the term “pt care”.  I have highlight some of the text […]

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No ‘Silver Bullet’ for Generic Drug Shortage, House Members Told A total of 301 drugs were in active shortage last year https://www.medpagetoday.com/publichealthpolicy/healthpolicy/106345 From the beginning of Thursday’s House hearingopens in a new tab or window on ways to solve the generic drug shortage, it appeared obvious that little agreement was going to be reached on […]

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Should Doctors Warn Patients About the Downsides of Medicare Advantage Plans? Beneficiaries may not be aware of the plans’ limited networks or prior authorization rules https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/102143 Many doctors tell variations of this same frustrating story after every new year. A long-time patient shows up for a routine scheduled appointment with “great news.” “Doc, I heard […]

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For >100 yrs, our country, we have had between 1%-2% of our population being serious addicts to opiate and similar substances.  Currently it is being reported that some 70K-75K /yr die from a OD/poisoning of illegal Fentanyl.  Now it is stated that abt 9% of our population are seriously addicted to the abuse of the […]

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