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Generic Pharmaceutical Association Suggests Alternatives to Medicare Part D Sequestration Cuts
Under the Budget Control Act sequestration spending cuts that went into effect at the beginning of March, federal payments to Medicare Part D (prescription drug) plans and much other Medicare spending will be subject to a 2% haircut. But the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) says …
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Good vs. Bad Regulation
There are times when enhanced government regulation in health care is desperately needed to protect the public and to restore trust and confidence in certain parts of the system. The recent, tragic case of a Massachusetts compounding pharmacy effectively acting like a drug manufacturer – …
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An Academic Looks at Problems with Pharmacy Board Regulation of PBMs
In an earlier piece, we looked at the questionable expansion of state pharmacy board regulatory activities including into such areas as regulation of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Now there is a new, in-depth article by Professor Joanna Shepherd of the Emory University School of Law, …
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FDA Approves a Record-Breaking 11 “First-in-Class” Drugs
The pharmaceutical industry is experiencing a paradigm shift in its drug research and development goals. Saddled with expiring patents for blockbuster drugs and intensifying competition from generics, drug companies are switching their focus to ‘personalized medicines’ that target smaller and more specific patient populations. Neurology, …
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New Study Shows Specialty Pharmacy Beats Retail Pharmacy in Hepatitis C Patient Adherence
An estimated 3.2 million Americans suffer from chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Hepatitis C virus is a common cause of cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer and the most common cause for liver transplants in the United States. On average, patients with HCV …
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Stepchild No More – the Changing Role of Orphan Drugs in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Stepchild No More – the Changing Role of Orphan Drugs in the Pharmaceutical Industry Over the past few years, an impending “patent apocalypse” has been steadily pushing the pharmaceutical market towards an adoption of generic drugs. With patents for blockbuster brand-name drugs nearing expiration, the …
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Doctors – There Really is No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
We all know that brand-name drug companies will do whatever they can to promote the use of their products over less expensive generic competition. For example, the drug companies run consumer-directed commercials on television with cute cartoon characters offering to solve every ailment from depression …
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GAO Pulls Back the Curtain on Pharmacy Services Administrative Organizations (PSAOs)
One of the least understood issues in the pharmacy benefit arena is how the $93 billion independent pharmacy industry relies on third-party pharmacy services administrative organizations, or PSAOs, to negotiate payer contracts and provide other administrative services. Fortunately, Representative Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) requested the Government …
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