News

Insurers weigh risks, demographics in setting premiums for 2015

Why care and communication must be a two-way street with patients, providers

When aggregating analytics, compliance considerations must be taken into account

Exchanges not integrating with Medicaid

How to collect, compile and present data

Struggling with declining revenue, many providers are turning to consolidation, changing pricing structures and new reimbursement models to protect their revenue

Industry updates in health management and business

Consider physician incentivization

Consumer base more invested, engageable

Every patient’s condition and specific needs are different. Whether it’s due to an allergy, need for a special dosing, or just a lack of success with traditional options, often a personalized medication approach is the only solution that can provide effective treatment.

Spiraling drug costs, drug shortages, and increasingly complex and demanding regulations are making the intravenous (IV) services business more challenging than ever. Pharmacies providing IV compounding must comply with USP 797 (and soon USP 800) and state compounding regulations requiring detailed documentation. The financial impact is obvious. Increased workloads often have required staff additions. USP 797 regulations have prompted costly remodeling to provide buffer rooms and ante rooms.

"Pharmacosynchrony” is a new concept rapidly attracting interest

As prescription drug abuse in the United States escalates, diversion of controlled substances is becoming an increasingly critical issue for hospitals and health system executives to monitor. In hospitals, diversion of controlled substances not only negatively impacts staff and places liability on the facility but it also affects patient safety, satisfaction, and in most cases, the hospital’s bottom line. As such, hospital executives are looking to pharmacy leaders to provide creative solutions to proactively prevent diversion and better control this evolving public health issue.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is cancer prevention and the healthcare industry needs to do a better job of providing the HPV vaccine to all adolescents, according to a survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

FDA approved oxycodone hydrochloride and naloxone hydrochloride extended-release tablets (Targiniq ER, Purdue Pharma), an extended-release/long-acting (ER/LA) opioid analgesic to treat pain severe enough to require daily, around-the-clock, long-term opioid treatment and for which alternative treatment options are inadequate.

For selected infants and children with increased risk for meningococcal disease, there will be a new recommended vaccine in their immunization schedule, according to updated recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

Paracetamol did not improve recovery time for people with low back pain, compared to placebo, according to a study published in The Lancet.

While there are signs of progress in the epidemic of prescription drug misuse, everyone is at risk of misuse, according to a new study.

FDA approved idelalisib (Zydelig, Gilead Sciences) to treat patients with 3 types of blood cancers.

The AbbVie purchase of Shire for about $54 billion will create one of the biggest deals so far this year.

FDA has approved C1 Esterase Inhibitor [Recombinant] (Ruconest, Salix and Pharming Group) for the treatment of acute attacks in adult and adolescent patients with hereditary angioedema (HAE).

Multidisciplinary efforts, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and families all working together, are needed to eliminate pediatric medication errors, according to a study published recently in Pediatrics.

Networks must have ‘safety valves’ for assuring members have access

Clinicians are still more likely to prescribe antibiotics rather than antiviral medications to outpatients with flu, including to high-risk patients who would benefit from early empiric antiviral treatment, according to a study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

Health plans can help improve their members’ medication adherence by Incorporating these principals

Global antibiotic use has risen 36% over the last decade, according to a study published in the July 10 issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

As the numbers of orphan drugs increase as well as their costs, patients are facing growing challenges accessing orphan drugs, according to a study from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD) at Tufts University.

Possible side effects, population vulnerability also concerns

Where on-again, off-again has landed us

Better care coordination is needed