- Drug Supply Chain Security: OIG Finds Pharmacies Received Most Tracing Information (raps.org)
A new report from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General found that among a sample of 40 pharmacies, all received at least some of the required drug product tracing information from their supply chain partners, though many said they are not reviewing the information...Under the Drug Supply Chain Security Act, dispensers, including independent, chain and hospital pharmacies, are required to receive complete tracing information before accepting ownership of a drug shipped from a manufacturer or wholesaler...“Although dispensers are generally implementing the requirements for drug product tracing, missing information and a lack of awareness of DSCSA requirements raise concerns that a complete tracing record for a drug product may not always be available to support investigations of suspect and illegitimate drug products in the supply chain,” OIG said...OIG recommends (and FDA concurred) that FDA offer educational outreach to dispensers of drugs to ensure they understand their responsibilities in receiving complete tracing information from supply chain partners before accepting ownership of such pharmaceuticals...
- Washoe County releases chronic disease report card (kolotv.com)2018 Washoe County Chronic Disease Report Card A Summary Report of Chronic Health Conditions and Primary Risk Factors (washoecounty.us)
The Washoe County Health District has released the “2018 Washoe County Chronic Disease Report Card,” the most current and available information about chronic disease and their risk factors for Washoe County...“The intent of this report is to provide a summary of chronic diseases and their risk factors in Washoe County and to serve as a source of currently-available chronic disease data. It is also intended to provide local health care providers, chronic disease practitioners, and other interested persons and programs with data they may use in their work to improve the health of Washoe County,” says District Health Officer Kevin Dick...
- Legislation looks to limit length of opioid prescriptions (biopharmadive.com)
Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander...is offering drafts of two pieces of legislation aimed at addressing the opioid crisis...One measure would attempt to limit overprescribing by allowing the Food and Drug Administration to require drug manufacturers to package certain opioids in blister packs, which would allow for a set dose, such as a seven-day supply...Rather than restrict the number of days on opioid prescriptions, James Madara, CEO of the American Medical Association, wrote a letter...suggesting further research "that specifically identifies best practices in settings ranging from surgical to the emergency department."...Alexander's other proposal involves improved coordination between the FDA and Customs Border Protection. The bill would look to improve the ability to find and seize illegal drugs, such as fentanyl, at the border. It would seek to ensure the two agencies have the technology, facilities and staffing needed...
- Governor Sandoval Announces Second Meeting of Opioid Task Force (ktvn.com)‘This is an issue of rural prosperity’: Nevada roundtable spotlights opioid epidemic in small communities (lasvegassun.com)
Governor Brian Sandoval announced...that the second meeting of his Opioid State Action Accountability Task Force will take place April 18th in Carson City...The 1 p.m. meeting will be held in the Old Assembly Chambers at the state Capitol Building...the Task Force will hear a status report of crosscutting initiatives and status reports on track one – prescriber education and guidelines; track two – treatment options and third-party payers; track three – data collection and intelligence sharing; and track four – criminal justice investigations...“This Task Force has the specific task of reviewing the policies and programs that have been put into place to address the opioid epidemic in our state,” Sandoval added. “I am looking forward to hearing reports on the progress being made to combat this epidemic.”...
- Health Canada approves ‘Viagra for women’ pill, loosens restrictions on taking it with alcohol (edmontonjournal.com)
In Canada, the libido pill will come with a warning to ‘limit’ alcohol consumption, in contrast to the U.S., where women must promise they’ll abstain while on the drug...Canada has approved the first “Viagra for women” pill — and, to the alarm of some experts, loosened restrictions around alcohol that have contributed to the drug’s lacklustre sales in the United States...In Canada, the libido pill will come with a warning to women to “limit” their alcohol consumption...The drug had been under review by Health Canada for more than two years. The federal agency issued a “notice of compliance” late last month...The U.S. Food and Drug Administration twice rebuffed Addyi before granting approval in 2015, and only after lobbying from a “grassroots” campaign called Even the Score — funded by Addyi’s makers, Sprout Pharmaceuticals — that accused the regulator of being sexist for approving sex medicines for men, but not for women...
- This Week in Managed Care: March 30, 2018 (ajmc.com)
Laura Joszt, Managing Editor at The American Journal of Managed Care. Welcome to This Week in Managed Care from the Managed Markets News Network
- Aetna will pass drug discounts along to some members at the pharmacy counter (marketwatch.com)
Aetna Inc. will automatically pass along drug rebates to a portion of its members starting in 2019....The policy will be applied to Aetna’s employer-sponsored group health plans, benefiting an estimated three million individuals. The population makes up a minority share of Aetna’s 22.2 million medical members...UnitedHealth Group Inc. made a similar move earlier this month, in what appears to be the first such instance. UnitedHealth’s decision was also geared towards health plans that UnitedHealth insures on behalf of employers...Aetna had previously passed “the majority of rebates” to plan sponsors and their employees through lower premiums, but is making the change in the hope that “additional transparency will encourage [drug] companies to rationalize their prices and end the practice of annual double-digit price increases...
- Come for your drugs, leave with more shopping: Walmart’s new growth strategy? (reuters.com)
Walmart Inc’s efforts to develop closer ties with health insurer Humana Inc, which came to light...point to a brave new world of retail where superstores become healthcare centers offering basic medical care...They are also aimed at boosting Walmart’s slowing growth in brick-and-mortar store sales as it faces increasing pressure online from Amazon.com Inc. Deepening its existing partnership with Humana, or even acquiring the company outright, could be a step toward turning its 4,700 or so U.S. stores into healthcare centers that aim to attract more shoppers over 65...The end goal here is to get more people in their stores, get them to buy drugs and make an additional purchase while they are in the store...If Walmart can offer “competitive rates” on primary care and other health services...it “can grow traffic and push store visits.”...“It allows them to get ahead of everybody from warehouse club operators like Costco, Target and other retailers who run chain drugstores as well as food and drug combo operators like Kroger and Wegmans.”...
- Pharmacy Week in Review: March 30, 2018 (pharmacytimes.com)
Nicole Crisano, PTNN. This weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings and more.
- FDA to study how drug promotion affects doctors’ decisions (biopharmadive.com)
The Food and Drug Administration is planning to survey 2,000 healthcare professionals to better understand how prescription drug promotion affects the decisions they make...Promotional activities include meetings with pharmaceutical sales representatives, presentations given at industry-sponsored events, and journal or direct mail advertisements. In 2012, drugmakers spent north of $24 billion marketing their products to physicians, according to data cited by the FDA..."Although HCPs (healthcare professionals) are learned intermediaries, like most people, they may rely on heuristics in making decisions and may have cognitive biases in the type of information they attend to at any given time. They may be persuaded by strong statements and may not have the time to ascertain accuracy of such information," the FDA wrote in a notice posted on the Federal Register on March 15..."There is little qualitative research on people’s attitudes to promotion, and this is a major gap," the organization said. "In order to understand people’s perspectives and values more clearly, in‐depth interviews are needed...