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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.

The companies that manufacture and distribute highly addictive painkillers are facing a barrage of lawsuits for the toll their product has taken on communities across the country as the worst drug epidemic in U.S. history continues to escalate...Within the past year, at least 25 states, cities and counties have filed civil cases against manufacturers, distributors and large drugstore chains that make up the $13 billion-a-year opioid industry. In the past few weeks alone, the attorneys general for Ohio and Missouri, along with the district attorneys for three counties in Tennessee, filed suits against the industry — and the attorney general for Oklahoma filed suit on Friday...The strategy echoes the effort against major tobacco companies in the 1990s and is born of similar frustration over rising death rates and the increasing costs of addressing the continuing public health crisis. After years of government and pharmaceutical firms failing to control the problem, some lawyers say the suits have the potential to force the industry to curb practices that contribute to it...Representatives of the companies deny wrongdoing and vow to vigorously defend themselves. They said they have taken steps to prevent the diversion of their drugs to the black market. Stemming the epidemic, they said, will take a coordinated effort by doctors, the industry, and federal and local government agencies..."As we look to prevent abuse and misuse in the future, it will require a forward-looking, systemic approach that calls on greater coordination and collaboration between health-care, law enforcement, and state and federal regulatory authorities," said the Healthcare Distribution Alliance, which represents companies that distribute drugs...

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.

Kelly Davio, Welcome to This Week in Managed Care from the Managed Markets News Network

Pharmacies continue to ride the 340B Drug Pricing Program’s explosive growth...Our latest...analysis finds that nearly 20,000 pharmacy locations now act as a contract pharmacy for the hospitals and other healthcare providers that participate in the 340B Program. Fewer than 3,000 pharmacy locations were in the program in 2010...Large retail pharmacy chains' rapid expansion into 340B suggests superior profits...How many prescriptions do contract pharmacies provide at discounted prices to uninsured, underinsured, and low-income patients? Are pharmacies engaged in profit-sharing agreements with 340B hospitals? Are they earning fees that far exceed fair market value standards? Who is really benefiting from the contract pharmacy boom?...For instance, an Office of Inspector General study of 340B contract pharmacies found that two out of three hospitals did not offer the 340B discounted prescription price to uninsured patients via these pharmacies…we...have no transparency into the behavior of these 340B contract pharmacies. None of the public companies reports any information about its participation in the 340B program.

Mobile health has become increasingly popular as the healthcare world moves towards value and away from volume, according to a new study by GBI Research. mHealth can connect patients with numerous healthcare services, while also collecting valuable data...This approach has already had an impact on the healthcare industry and numerous organizations are making investments in the technology. mHealth can also be used to encourage patients to adhere to their treatments, providing physicians with an additional way to communicate beneficial behaviors to their patients... advances in mobile technology, the expansion of communication, and the reduction in the cost of wireless technology...have huge potential to bridge the gap within existing healthcare systems, offering an alternative form of healthcare communication and treatment at a distance...The most important driver behind mHealth is the growing need for cost-effective ways to provide healthcare...Another important driver is the shift towards value-based care and reimbursement...healthcare providers are interested in helping patients achieve optimal outcomes rather than being incentivized to order more tests or perform more services.

Kelly Davio, Welcome to This Week in Managed Care from the Managed Markets News Network

Ohio’s Board of Pharmacy began reporting sales of gabapentin prescriptions in its regular monitoring of controlled substances. The drug, which is not an opioid nor designated a controlled substance by federal authorities, is used to treat nerve pain. But the board found that it was the most prescribed medication on its list...surpassing oxycodone by more than 9 million doses. In February, the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring Network issued an alert regarding increasing misuse across the state...Gabapentin’s ability to tackle multiple ailments has helped make it one of the most popular medications in the U.S. In May, it was the fifth-most prescribed drug in the nation...law enforcement officials and drug counselors say the addition of gabapentin adds a new obstacle. As providers dole out the drug in mass quantities for conditions such as restless legs syndrome and alcoholism, it is being subverted to a drug of abuse. Gabapentin can enhance the euphoria caused by an opioid and stave off drug withdrawals. In addition, it can bypass the blocking effects of medications used for addiction treatment, enabling patients to get high while in recovery...

Praxsyn Corporation is pleased to announce that it has purchased through a newly formed subsidiary, Nevada Health Rx, Inc., the pharmacy license and all of the assets of Meds Direct Rx, a pharmacy located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new pharmacy is about 8,000+ square feet of pharmacy and warehouse space, and includes a large loading dock and a secured yard to hold delivery vehicles...The total purchase price for the acquisition of the pharmacy was $120,000...This acquisition will allow us to sell a broader mix of products from a much larger facility than we have had in the past. Our focus is on filling prescriptions that have a 30 day pay cycle...Our focus...is on customer service to our patients, their doctors, the surgery centers and hospitals that will serve our patients...Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, Praxsyn Corporation is a holding company that finds solutions to fit the needs and goals of medical professionals and their patients...

The Division of Insurance has announced that Nevada’s insurance carriers that participate in the Silver State Health Insurance Exchange have decided to only offer coverage to Clark, Washoe, and Nye counties beginning in 2018...Currently three medical carriers offer plans on Nevada Health Link:

• Anthem (The only insurance company currently selling statewide)
• Health Plan of Nevada
• Prominence Health Plan

But some changes are coming as of January 1, 2018.

• Anthem & Health Plan of Nevada will only be offering coverage in Washoe, Clark, and Nye Counties.
• Prominence Health Plan announced this week that they will be pulling out of the Nevada Exchange market.
• Two new companies, Aetna and Centene will be joining the exchange market but according to the Division of Insurance at most they will only be offering plans in Washoe, Clark, and Nye counties

The Division of Insurance says this will leave about 8,000 Nevada residents without coverage across 14 counties. The largest group is about 5,000 people across Carson City, Douglas, Lyon, and Storey Counties...If you live outside of Washoe, Clark, or Nye counties and have concerns about your coverage, Silver State Health Exchanges suggests you call them at 855-768-5465...They say that they are working diligently with Governor Sandoval to come up with a plan for those that could be uninsured.