Author: Peter

"The two biggest categories vying for OTC status right now are statins and erectile dysfunction drugs,"…ED drugs are probably closer to OTC approval than statins. The massive OTC advertising campaigns behind all of the ED products from their initial approval set the stage for OTC status.

Richard Migliori, MD, UnitedHealth's chief medical officer,...vision of patient-centered technologies, health care policy, and pharmacy’s critical role in patient care.

'Organizations must pay particular attention to HIPAA's requirements when using Internet-based document sharing applications' St. Elizabeth's Medical Center…will pay $218,400 to the Office for Civil Rights for alleged HIPAA violations…resulted from a..stating that the medical center was using a Web-based document-sharing application to store data containing protected health information.

The total number of prescriptions written for Gilead Sciences hepatitis C drugs Sovaldi and Harvoni…peaked in March and are now in a consistent downtrend,…This isn't likely to be a problem for Gilead's second-quarter results due later this month, but unless hepatitis C prescriptions pick up (Harvoni, especially), consensus estimates for the rest of 2015 and 2016 might be at risk.

Ashley Talamo, Publisher: Pharmacy Times..(PTNN) This weekly video program highlights the latest in pharmacy news, product news, and more. (video)

Anacor Pharmaceuticals rose by over 40% today on heavy volume after the company released positive top-line results from two pivotal late-stage trials for crisaborole topical ointment as a treatment for mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis,..has the potential to become a first line treatment…

Epic is working on a clinical decision tool aimed at helping healthcare providers reduce the risk of falls in unsteady patients…Kaiser Permanente will roll out the tool at its facilities across the country and will also make its evidence-based falls prevention program widely available to other health systems and health plans.

..healthcare industry is in need of IT security experts to help manage the fast-paced growth of technology…the implementation of electronic medical records…data analytics, wearables, and health-monitoring devices, healthcare facilities are scrambling to catch up with the demand for staff to manage and support these technological advances.

“Basically we developed this kind of so-called smart insulin patch, which can sense the blood sugar level and release insulin at the right time only once the blood sugar goes up...meanwhile once the blood sugar level goes to a normal range, less insulin is released or is just inhibited.

Sovaldi, last year's wonder drug, has been pushed aside by...Harvoni,...sticker price...is $1,350 a pill...fast-paced changes in hepatitis C treatment are being watched closely amid fears that breakthrough drugs could reignite the rise..health care costs. Other medications that could turn into cost drivers include a new treatment for melanoma and a cholesterol-lowering drug awaiting approval.