March 6th 2024
In the third part of this video series, Susan Cantrell, CEO of AMCP, discusses the impact of drug prices on patient adherence with Managed Healthcare Executive.
Specialty pharmacy drives drug spend
July 1st 2008Drug trend for 2007 was 2%, the lowest year-over-year trend since Medco began tracking it in 1999, according to the company. While the drug cost trend is small in terms of overall healthcare dollars spent, it was at one time rising at a rate more than double the rate of inflation, according to Lon Castle, MD, senior director, department of medical and analytical affairs at Medco.
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Healthcare spending spurred by Part D
February 1st 2008Washington, D.C.-National healthcare spending rose 6.7% in 2006 to $2.1 trillion, just slightly faster than the previous year but still fairly stable. Overall, outlays for healthcare reflected a continued slowdown from the double-digit growth rates of the 1990s. Payments for most major health services-hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, home health services-experienced slower growth than 2005.
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Bronchodilators can be effective in reducing COPD symptoms
February 1st 2008In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), airways in the lung are partially obstructed. It's often a mixture of two diseases, chronic bronchitis and emphysema. The condition is marked by a progressive decline in lung function.
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Consumer-driven pharmacy plans must focus on compliance and safety
December 1st 2007A recent survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute found that 70% of those enrolled in consumer-directed health plans (CDHP) say that they consider costs when deciding to see a doctor or filling a prescription as compared with fewer than 40% of those in a comprehensive plan. However, the survey also found that CDHP enrollees were twice as likely to avoid, skip or delay healthcare services.
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Psychotherapy, social support essential to treat depression
October 1st 2007Clinical depression is a major problem in the United States, affecting an estimated 5% to 10% of all adults. Costs for medical care and lost productivity related to depression are estimated at more than $40 billion per year.
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Controlling costs may assist in improving access to biologic drugs
July 1st 2007Payers and employers can pay up to $350,000 per patient for just one year of treatment for high-cost conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Patients, too, share the burden, in some cases shouldering 50% of the bill in deductibles and co-pays.
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Antipsychotics are the fourth largest group of medications prescribed in the United States today, with a collective cost of approximately $10 billion. Newer, second-generation medications represent 90% of the current market, and they cost considerably more than older antipsychotics.
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Doctors rarely talk about drug costs in treatment plans
June 1st 2007Employers are putting more financial burden on employees in the form of higher copays and deductibles, however, in the physician's office, patients' cost concerns usually aren't discussed in advance of a particular treatment.
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Effective prophylactic drugs reduce surgery infections
March 1st 2007Surgical site infections are a significant problem in hospitals today. They occur in 2% to 5% of patients who have clean operations outside the abdomen, and in up to 20% of patients with intra-abdominal procedures. They account for about 15% of hospital-acquired infections.
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