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the list of the top spending direct to consumers ad spenders changes every year, there are always a few certainties and a few surprises...Television is by far the most popular medium for DTC prescription drug advertising. It accounted for more than 70% of total spending from the top 10 pharma company dollars spent on advertising...

1. Pfizer : $1.1 billion
2. AbbVie: $362.9 million
3. AstraZeneca : $340.7 million
4. Eli Lilly : $331.9 million
5. Johnson & Johnson : $257.8 million
6. Actavis : $250.5 million
7. Bristol-Myers Squibb : $222.4 million
8. Merck & Co. : $205.5 million
9. Sumitomo Corp. : $190.1 million
10. Amgen : $135.7 million

Mental health advocates worry psychiatric patients will be sent to jail instead of receiving care and treatment...new law making it a felony to commit acts of violence in North Carolina hospitals...legislation is intended as a bulwark against attacks on hospital workers, which make up 75 percent of workplace violence cases and are currently on the rise,...

Pharma ad spending soared to $4.5 billion in 2014, backing branded drugs in levels not seen since the recession, with particular emphasis on blockbusters--and wannabes. Drugmakers poured $3.4 billion into advertising spending on the top 10 drugs, which accounted for 75% of the  spent on all advertising of pharmaceuticals,.

1. Cialis : $249 million
2. Lyrica : $229 million
3. Eliquis : $219 million
4. Viagra : $211 million
5. Humira : $203 million
6. Latuda : $179 million
7. Xeljanz : $161 million
8. Celebrex : $119 million
9. Abilify : $108 million
10. Chantix : $103 million

Patients want drugmakers to stop viewing them as sales targets and profit drivers. Some want to see the end of direct-to-consumer advertising, while others wish pharmaceutical companies would use real patients and tell real stories in ads and education materials.

U.S. regulators are considering the reintroduction of bovine heparin.. Today, all heparin products… are derived from pigs… Seventy-five percent of the crude porcine heparin…comes from outside of the U.S., with a majority of that percentage originating from China… reintroduction of bovine heparin into the U.S. market would expand sources…

CVS has 7,800 retail stores…also maintains 1,500 walk-in Minute Clinics nationwide, providing access to healthcare for 60 percent of the country's population… becoming known for its interest in improving population health across the country. Last year it became the first major pharmacy chain to stop selling tobacco products,…

More pet parents than ever are claiming their animals as members of the family, which may represent an opportunity for retail pharmacy as those consumers begin looking for pet pharmaceuticals from the same trusted professional who supplies medicines for the rest of the family - the neighborhood pharmacist…"This [trend] is going to create a disruption in the industry,"

In a bid to push back against payers, Gilead Sciences is limiting enrollment to its patient assistance program for hepatitis C drugs,.. The drug maker is taking this step after finding that some payers, despite receiving discounts in recent months, have continued to restrict patient access.. Gilead appears to be counting on patients to complain to payers about a lack of access..

Healthcare stocks are having a big year, with July’s King v. Burwell ruling putting them over the top…"There’s renewed confidence that a majority of patients who come in for care will have health insurance, lessening the burden of uncompensated care,"....

Rite Aid Health Alliance are 36% more adherent to their medications; they've lost an average of 7.7 pounds; they have a 39% reduction in blood pressure; and they've lowered their blood sugar by 36%..."The key to this program is that the pharmacist and the care coach work together with [their] patient to achieve the goals and ultimately to improve outcomes,"