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Developing countries like China, Brazil and India will drive nearly half of the growth in drug spending in the near future…pharmerging nations–developing countries…are expected to see the fastest growth in total drug spending over the next three years, making them attractive targets for drug makers…beware…reliance on lower-cost generics will make it a tricky opportunity to play...

Watters Publishing has recently launched 'The Measly Virus', a book targeted at 4-8 year olds which aims to promote a positive message about vaccination to children, parents and guardians alike, highlighting the resilience and impact of a vaccine-preventable disease and the bravery required to protect oneself, and those most vulnerable among us…

Senator Joe Manchin says he is "ashamed" and "disgusted" with the Federal Drug Administration's recent decision to allow physicians to prescribe OxyContin to children. Manchin calls the decision "a horrifying example of the disconnect between the FDA approval process and the realities of the deadly epidemic of prescription drug abuse are having on our communities." He is calling for a Senate investigation.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services…issued guidance to all Medicare Part D plan sponsors regarding the Part D program's "any willing pharmacy" requirement…To comply with the AWP requirement,.. all…plans must have posted standard contracting terms and conditions… This new guidance should help reduce the likelihood of repeating the debacle of early 2015 that affected approximately 400,000 Medicare beneficiaries…

Stage 3 of meaningful use is shaping up to be the most challenging…for healthcare providers…elements that warrant attention are quality reporting, clinical decision support and security risk analysis… We have a long way to go until Stage 3 is finalized… new developments…is..decoupling of certification and meaningful use…We need to know which quality programs will require additional criteria for their programs and there is no way to anticipate that...

Pharmacy is one of the foundational pillars of modern medicine,..community pharmacy is now at a crossroads…revenues are capped, competition is more intense and pharmacies are increasingly expected to play a stronger role in managing chronic conditions…The debate on the sustainability of community pharmacy is not a new one… Five forces will profoundly shape the future of community pharmacy…

1. Squeeze on health care budgets
2. Intensifying competition
3. Transformation of the supply chain
4. Emergence of new alternative channels
5. Demand for convenience and expertise

To survive…consider these two strategies:

1. Improve efficiency of supply
2. Become the first port of call in the health care system

Planned Parenthood fired back..against allegations that three Florida abortion clinics provided second-trimester abortions without proper licenses, seeking an emergency injunction against the state Agency for Health Care Administration "to protect women's access to safe, legal abortion."… grounds for the injunction,… AHCA was ignoring a 2006 agency rule, which defined the first trimester as "extending through the completion of 14 weeks of pregnancy…

More than half unhappy with usability…nearly 20 percent of community hospitals polled for a recent report are "actively looking to replace" their electronic health record vendors…Smaller hospitals are being tasked with more physician documentation for MU, and the extra time required, disrupted workflows and frustrating EHR functionality means many providers' patience is wearing thin…

Prescription Drug User Fee Act authorizes FDA to collect fees from pharmaceutical companies to help fund the agency’s drug review work...provide additional funding for FDA to hire staff, improve systems, and establish a better-managed review process...enables us to do more timely reviews of human drug applications….The current legislation, PDUFA V, is set to expire in September 2017…ideas for further enhancements, including:

• Further efforts to involve the patient perspective in drug development processes;
• Building on FDA’s Sentinel System for active surveillance of safety issues for medical products, including expanding its use as a source of data;
• Enhancing regulatory science initiatives, including the use of patient-reported outcomes and biomarkers.

Purdue Pharma is launching a new effort to prevent opioid abuse…announced its new Team Against Opioid Abuse website that’s meant to instruct people about how to reduce opioid abuse and misuse and inform about abuse-deterrent technologies….importance of preventing abuse of prescription drugs and outlines FDA guidelines on abuse-deterrent labeling…includes information on how to identify opioid formulations with abuse-deterrent properties for healthcare professionals…