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The Food and Drug Administration in the past month has stepped up seizures of prescription drugs being sent to American customers from pharmacies in Canada and other countries, according to operators of stores in Florida that facilitate the transactions...While seizures at the nation’s international mail facilities have periodically spiked during the past two decades, the latest crackdown is distressing many older customers whose goal is to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic...READ MORE

Within the last month or so, more Las Vegas Valley medical offices have started offering telemedicine appointments in response to the COVID-19 outbreak — part of a nationwide trend that has seen an explosion in use of the technology. A big selling point is that many patients are uneasy about going to a doctor’s office because of the risk of getting infected or infecting others…Some doctors and telemedicine experts say the COVID-19 outbreak is spurring more acceptance of telemedicine — a change that could have a long-lasting impact on the nation’s health care system… Telemedicine took off in Nevada after Gov. Steve Sisolak’s stay-at-home order and social distancing guidelines, cardiologist Dr. Jeffrey Levisman said. “It’s an attempt to continue to provide medical care, especially for patients who are sick and elderly who are at a higher risk of getting the virus and (experiencing) a bad outcome.”…READ MORE

...British Columbia was already battling an opioid epidemic when the new coronavirus hit, compounding the threat to drug users, many of whom are homeless and particularly vulnerable during the pandemic...In March, the Canadian government urged provinces to lower barriers to prescription medications - allowing doctors to provide prescriptions for controlled substances by phone and pharmacists to deliver them - to better help citizens to practice physical distancing and self-isolation...B.C. is the first province to apply those guidelines to support people who use street drugs. Healthcare providers are ramping up the supply of prescription drug replacements for those who live with addictions to drugs like heroin, and even dispensing some of them via unique vending machines...READ MORE

The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused a host of problems in the global pharmaceutical supply chain—particularly in China, a major producer of drug ingredients. Now, seeing an opportunity, India is reportedly working on a plan to supersize its own ingredient manufacturing to combat Chinese dominance in the market...The Indian government is planning to escalate domestic production of pharmaceutical ingredients to counteract a perceived over-reliance on Chinese imports now hampered by COVID-19 shutdowns...READ MORE

Nearly 90% of community pharmacies will apply for small business federal aid under the CARES Act to help them get through the coronavirus storm, according to a new survey...by the National Community Pharmacists Association...“Pharmacies are ‘essential businesses’ staying open during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep serving their communities, but many are on the brink at the very time they are needed most,” said NCPA CEO B. Douglas Hoey. “In the 18 months before this crisis, the number of pharmacies had shrunk by over 2,000, mostly due to low reimbursement from pharmacy benefit managers...As the pandemic strains neighborhood pharmacies, nearly half of pharmacy owners rank the overall financial health of their business as somewhat poor or very poor, according to the survey...READ MORE

University Medical Center…began prescribing hydroxychloroquine to high-risk emergency room patients who test positive for COVID-19 but do not require immediate hospitalization…In doing so, UMC became the first Las Vegas-area hospital to dispense it on an outpatient basis, taking a cutting-edge position nationally in the use of the controversial experimental drug… Dr. Thomas Zyniewicz, an emergency medicine physician at UMC, said the drug, which is frequently used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases, has shown promising results in thwarting the progression of COVID-19… Dr. Thomas Zyniewicz, an emergency medicine physician at UMC, said the drug, which is frequently used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases, has shown promising results in thwarting the progression of COVID-19…READ MORE

In the wake of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis, both insulin manufacturers and legislators in some states are stepping in to ensure patients with diabetes are able to afford life-saving medications...Following announcements of its recently-launched Lilly Insulin Value Program, Eli Lilly has made available non-branded versions of insulin lispro protamine and insulin lispro injectable suspension 100 units/mL and insulin lispro injection, 100 units/mL at a 50% lower list price than branded versions...The non-branded insulin products are now available for order by US pharmacies, Lilly said. These non-branded insulin options are identical to the branded versions, with different packaging and a 50% lower list price of $265.20 for a package of 5 KwikPens...READ MORE

At least four federal class-action lawsuits have been filed against the Chinese government that aim to recover trillions of dollars in damages for what plaintiffs allege is China's failure to contain the coronavirus outbreak and notify the international community about its dangers...In one suit filed in late March, a coalition of California property managers and an accounting firm are seeking to represent all "small businesses" in California that have suffered as a result of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A suit filed in mid-March by several Florida residents aims to assemble its own class of millions of people...All of the suits accuse the Chinese government of direct complicity in the COVID-19 outbreak and hope to use the machinery of the U.S. legal system to recover enormous amounts in damages. But the chance these actions will lead to any actual recoveries is slim, legal experts said...READ MORE

Institutional living facilities that serve seniors and others at higher risk of the most serious infections, as well as prisons, where it is difficult to adhere to social distancing guidelines, have been hard hit by the easily spread virus...HHS analysts, compliance officers and epidemiologists are attempting to use the data “to identify, control and contain the spread of COVID-19 among our most vulnerable residents living within skilled nursing and assisted living facilities,” according to a news release from the state’s COVID-19 response team...According to initial data state investigators are compiling, poor hand hygiene has emerged as the No. 1 factor in the spread of COVID-19 in skilled-nursing homes and similar communal care facilities in Nevada...READ MORE

The National Community Pharmacists Association announced the results from their latest survey, which found that nearly 90% of neighborhood pharmacies have experienced drug shortages since March 1, 2020, according to a press release...Among the most common drug shortages reported by neighborhood pharmacists were albuterol inhalers, hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, as well as others that have seen spikes in demand since the outbreak began...READ MORE