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Walgreens to pay $35 million to settle Medicaid prescription drug fraud allegations

Walgreen Co. of Deerfield, Ill., has agreed to pay $35 million to settle claims that from 2001 to 2005, it improperly switched patients to different versions of the prescriptions drugs Ranitidine, Fluoxetine and Eldepryl in order to increase its reimbursement from Medicaid, the Justice Department announced today.

4 Jun 2008

Less than 1 in 5 patients receive treatment to prevent venous thrombosis after surgery

Fewer than 1 in 5 patients received post-discharge therapy to prevent life-threatening blood clots - venous thrombosis - after hip- or knee-replacement surgery, report Rahme and colleagues in a retrospective cohort study. Venous thrombosis is one of the leading causes of death among hospital patients. However, elderly patients have a 70% lower chance of dying within 3 months if they take an anticoagulant drug to prevent blood clots.

2 Jun 2008

CMS launches campaign to enroll more low-income Medicare beneficiaries in prescription drug assistance program

CMS launched a $12 million outreach campaign last month to encourage low-income Medicare beneficiaries to enroll in the prescription drug assistance program, CongressDaily reports.

2 Jun 2008

Connecticut Attorney General files lawsuit against McKesson over alleged inflation of prescription drug prices

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal (D) on Thursday filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Boston over allegations that prescription drug distributor McKesson conspired to inflate the average wholesale prices of hundreds of brand-name medications in violation of federal racketeering and state consumer protection laws, the AP/Hartford Courant reports.

30 May 2008

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

U.S. Rep. Tom Allen (D-Maine) on Wednesday announced a health care proposal that would aim to provide health coverage for all U.S. residents using a combination of public and private plans, the Portland Press Herald reports. Allen is running against sitting Sen. Susan Collins (R).

30 May 2008

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

30 May 2008

Brand-name prescription drug companies reached 14 deals with generic manufacturers to delay sale of generics in FY 2007

Brand-name prescription drug makers in fiscal year 2007 reached 14 agreements with generic drug makers to delay market entry of generic medications, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Federal Trade Commission, Reuters reports (Bartz, Reuters, 5/23).

28 May 2008

U.S. Government 'must take lead' in health care IT, former Rep. Johnson writes

There are online tools that "can remember what books you ordered over the last three years," so "why can't your doctor's computer remind him" of the details related to patients' prescription drugs, insurance or other procedures, former Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.), a senior public policy adviser for Baker Donelson, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

28 May 2008

FDA proposes major revisions to the physician labeling for prescription drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today proposed major revisions to the physician labeling for prescription drugs (including biological products) to provide better information about the effects of medicines used during pregnancy and breast-feeding.

28 May 2008

FDA will monitor medical records of Medicare beneficiaries to identify potential prescription drug, medical device safety problems

HHS on Thursday announced the creation of a new program that will allow FDA, state agencies and academic researchers to use medical record data to ensure drugs and medical devices are safe for consumers after they enter the market, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, 5/23).

25 May 2008

Pennsylvania State agency seeks to gain control of Medicaid managed care plans' prescription drug benefits

The administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) has proposed shifting control of the prescription drug component of Medicaid managed care plans to the state Department of Public Welfare, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

22 May 2008

Pharmaceutical, medical device industries have shifted campaign contributions to Democratic candidates

Pharmaceutical and medical device companies have contributed more to the campaigns of Democratic candidates than Republican candidates in the current election cycle, a "sharp reversal" from previous cycles and "one more sign of the campaign difficulties the GOP could face this November," the AP/Miami Herald reports.

22 May 2008

New efforts to improve medical products for patient safety

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced efforts underway at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) that will complement each other to improve patient safety and the quality of medical care.

22 May 2008

Drug testing for exam students could be on the cards

Experts are warning that schools and universities may soon need to test students sitting exams for drugs, in much the same way that athletes are currently tested.

22 May 2008

White House opposes use of Medicare Advantage indirect medical education funds as offset in Medicare bill, Sen. Baucus says

Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Tuesday after a meeting of committee leaders said that the White House opposes the use of a decrease in Medicare Advantage indirect medical education funds to offset the cost of a provision in a broader Medicare bill that would delay for 18 months a scheduled 10.6% reduction in physician reimbursements, CQ HealthBeat reports.

21 May 2008

Seniors face 'soaring costs' for health care, Chicago Tribune reports

The Chicago Tribune on Sunday examined how, "with soaring costs of prescription drugs, housing, gasoline and groceries, it is easy for seniors on fixed incomes to go over budget."

20 May 2008

National Community Pharmacists Association to launch ad campaign to lobby lawmakers for policy changes

The National Community Pharmacists Association this week plans to launch a new advertising campaign that asks lawmakers to address two policies that the group maintains has or will result in closures of community pharmacies, CongressDaily reports. As part of the launch of the campaign, about 500 community pharmacists and independent pharmacy owners will visit Washington, D.C.

19 May 2008

Average 2008 employee out-of-pocket costs for family health care to increase 10.5%, according to Milliman Index

The cost of health care for the average U.S. family with employer-sponsored health coverage will increase 7.6% this year, due in part to rising prescription drug prices, according to a Milliman study released on Wednesday, Dow Jones reports.

19 May 2008

51% of insured U.S. residents regularly take prescription drugs for chronic illnesses

Fifty-one percent of insured U.S. residents last year took one or more prescription drugs for chronic diseases, compared with 50% in the previous four years and 47% in 2001, according to a report released last Tuesday by Medco Health Solutions, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports.

19 May 2008

Lawmakers criticize agencies for lack of coordination of prescription drug benefits for federal retirees

A lack of coordination between CMS and the Office of Personnel Management on prescription drug benefits for federal retirees has cost those retirees and the federal government as much as $200 million annually, according to a letter sent to the agencies on Monday by two House Democrats, CQ HealthBeat reports.

13 May 2008

Prescription Drug News and Research

Walgreens to pay $35 million to settle Medicaid prescription drug fraud allegations

Less than 1 in 5 patients receive treatment to prevent venous thrombosis after surgery

CMS launches campaign to enroll more low-income Medicare beneficiaries in prescription drug assistance program

Connecticut Attorney General files lawsuit against McKesson over alleged inflation of prescription drug prices

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

Maine Democratic Rep. Allen proposes mix of public, private health plans to achieve universal coverage

Brand-name prescription drug companies reached 14 deals with generic manufacturers to delay sale of generics in FY 2007

U.S. Government 'must take lead' in health care IT, former Rep. Johnson writes

FDA proposes major revisions to the physician labeling for prescription drugs

FDA will monitor medical records of Medicare beneficiaries to identify potential prescription drug, medical device safety problems

Pennsylvania State agency seeks to gain control of Medicaid managed care plans' prescription drug benefits

Pharmaceutical, medical device industries have shifted campaign contributions to Democratic candidates

New efforts to improve medical products for patient safety

Drug testing for exam students could be on the cards

White House opposes use of Medicare Advantage indirect medical education funds as offset in Medicare bill, Sen. Baucus says

Seniors face 'soaring costs' for health care, Chicago Tribune reports

National Community Pharmacists Association to launch ad campaign to lobby lawmakers for policy changes

Average 2008 employee out-of-pocket costs for family health care to increase 10.5%, according to Milliman Index

51% of insured U.S. residents regularly take prescription drugs for chronic illnesses

Lawmakers criticize agencies for lack of coordination of prescription drug benefits for federal retirees

Achieving and maintaining ISO 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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