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Nicole Grassano, PTNN, Pharmacy Week in Review, this weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings and more.

While there is a worsening doctor shortage across America, the need for physicians is particularly acute in Southern Nevada. The UNLV School of Medicine is working to address this local shortage by accepting only students who are from Nevada or who have strong ties to the area, as we know that medical students who are attached to the city from which they graduate are more likely to stay and practice there...The UNLV School of Medicine is recruiting the brightest local students and embedding them in the community from the very start of their medical education...students are required to fan out in groups of five or six into economically challenged neighborhoods where...they educate residents about how they can get better access to medical care, public transportation and healthy food. And these students will maintain these ties to the community throughout their four years of medical school by volunteering at shelters and soup kitchens. In these venues, students not only get a firsthand look at a community’s needs, they experience what it is like to provide care to those who need it most...READ MORE

The White House will withdraw a controversial plan to ban drugmaker rebates to pharmacy benefit managers in Medicare and Medicaid, stepping back from what the administration had once billed as "the most significant change in how Americans' drugs are priced at the pharmacy counter."..."Based on careful analysis and thorough consideration, the President has decided to withdraw the rebate rule...noting ongoing discussions about potential legislation around drug pricing...Drugmakers had supported the proposed rule, which fit with pharma's public relations campaign attacking the role played by PBMs in keeping drug costs high...READ MORE

Laura Joszt, Managing Editor at The American Journal of Managed Care. Welcome to This Week in Managed Care from the Managed Markets News Network

Product safety is a multifaceted issue for any retailer dealing with the pharmacy and prescriptions, and the systems that are in place to protect the quality and integrity of the goods offered constantly are evolving to strengthen the industry’s defenses...One of the key loopholes between consumers and the dangers of unsafe products, however, is the potential for the introduction of items from other countries that fail to meet the rigorous safety standards of the United States...The Food Safety Modernization Act, which took effect in 2011, sought to close that gap by imposing tighter regulation around the import of foods and ingredients from overseas...Market pressures in the pharmaceutical industry, however, have led officials at both the state and federal levels to explore the possibility of bringing drugs in from other countries at a lower cost, potentially circumventing the Food and Drug Administration’s close oversight of U.S.-made medications...the...National Association of Chain Drug Stores see several potential problems with the import of prescription medications from other countries, including:

Issues around the adequacy, consistency and integrity of the supply;

Issues around quality and safety;

Problems with maintaining dual inventories inside pharmacies;

Burdensome testing requirements;

Costs of establishing an infrastructure for imported drugs; and

Liabilities for injuries caused by imported drugs...READ MORE

Camille Schrier...is a PharmD student at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, and was crowned Miss Virginia 2019... After beating out 23 other contestants, Schrier will represent Virginia in the Miss America 2020 competition on September 8, 2019...What gained a lot of attention, though, was Schrier’s unique talent presentation. Instead of singing or dancing, Schrier chose to don a white lab coat and safety goggles and conduct a science experiment on stage...READ MORE

Laura Joszt, Managing Editor at The American Journal of Managed Care. Welcome to This Week in Managed Care from the Managed Markets News Network

Saint Mary’s Medical Group will open its new North Valleys Urgent Care Clinic...“Saint Mary’s believes in the importance of providing excellent care throughout the community,” Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, Urgent Care Medical Director for Saint Mary’s Medical Group, said in a statement. “As the North Valleys continue to grow in population, providing care close to home is essential.”...READ MORE

Laura Joszt, Managing Editor at The American Journal of Managed Care. Welcome to This Week in Managed Care from the Managed Markets News Network

Nicole Grassano, PTNN, Pharmacy Week in Review, this weekly video program provides our readers with an in-depth review of the latest news, product approvals, FDA rulings and more.