Prescription Drug News and Research

RSS

Quest Diagnostics reports use of prescription opiates by American workers has increased by 40%

According to the American Council for Drug Education, more than 70 percent of substance abusers hold a job, which increases their risk of work related injury to them or others. While this statistic includes abuse of both legal and illegal drugs, Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic testing company, reported the use of prescription opiates by American workers and job applicants has increased by 40% since 2005.

From Quest Diagnostics 22 Oct 2010

Medicare beneficiaries will find fewer advantage and prescription drug plans

Private Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plan options are fewer for 2011, and some Nashville-area seniors may face higher out-of-pocket expenses for the private insurance.

22 Oct 2010

State races take on health care tone as candidates talk overhaul

The health overhaul is making itself felt in political races around the country.

22 Oct 2010

Idaho halts Medicaid cuts for dental care; Georgia and justice department reach accord on mental health services

Gov. C.L. 'Butch' Otter removed a political abscess Tuesday, restoring all previously contracted dental care providers to the state's Medicaid-funded Idaho Smiles program.

21 Oct 2010

Candidates discuss Medicare, Medicaid spending

News outlets report on the role of Medicare and Medicaid spending in this year's elections.

21 Oct 2010

ISI launches initiative to create translation glossary for healthcare providers

Phrases like "Grandfathered Health Plan" or "Biosimilar Biological Products" are hard enough to understand in English, let alone trying to accurately translate those concepts into Spanish, Chinese or any other of the dozens of languages in which healthcare providers must communicate.

19 Oct 2010

UnitedHealth Group consolidated third quarter revenues increase 9% to $23.7 billion

UnitedHealth Group today reported third quarter results, including strong revenue growth in both its Health Benefits and Health Services business groups. Third quarter 2010 net earnings were $1.14 per share. Key performance metrics and costs were in line with or better than Company expectations.

19 Oct 2010

Purdue Pharma supports NASCSA with $200,000 grant for state prescription drug monitoring programs

The National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA) announced receipt of a $200,000 grant from Purdue Pharma L.P. today at the organization's 27th annual conference in Charleston, South Carolina. The grant is part of Purdue Pharma's ongoing efforts to support the operation, expansion and awareness of appropriately-designed state prescription drug monitoring programs, which can be an effective tool to address prescription drug abuse and diversion.

19 Oct 2010

CMS could save billions by changing payment, delivery methods

Experts examine ways to change care delivery and payment at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services while seniors prepare for the Medicare open enrollment period.

18 Oct 2010

First Edition: October 18, 2010

Today's news includes continuing coverage of the run-up to the mid-term elections and how health reform is playing in the discourse.

18 Oct 2010

Tips to understand health benefits during open enrollment

Consumers spend an average of 10 hours researching a new car, but only one hour or less reviewing their health benefit options in open enrollment season which begins this fall for millions of Americans.

18 Oct 2010

Health law's new patient-centered outcomes board takes shape; More insurance waiver requests expected

The Washington Post reports on a new entity: the Board of Governors of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute. "If you're not familiar with the board, you're not alone. Created by the health-care overhaul law, it's one of the newest and least known panels in government. But the work of its 21 members, if successful, could increase the public's knowledge of medical treatments for everything from attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder to cancer.

18 Oct 2010

Today's Op-Eds: Critiques of 'Obamacare,' Skyrocketing brand name drug prices, pay-for-performance

People are less negative about some of the specifics than they are about the package as a whole. But does this imply that those who understand the law like it better. Despite their political views, the well-informed share a strong opposition to the new law.

18 Oct 2010

CVS Caremark to present client experiences on innovative approaches at AMCP Conference

CVS Caremark is presenting data at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2010 Educational Conference illustrating how innovative approaches to traditional plan designs can help clients reduce drug spend, improve generic dispensing rates (GDR) and minimize member disruption.

15 Oct 2010

Medicare actuary says changes in advantage plans will mean more cost for some seniors

Politico obtained an analysis by Richard Foster, the actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, which that the health law will mean increased costs for seniors in Medicare Advantage plans.

15 Oct 2010

Neptune second quarter revenue increases 200% to $4,114,000

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. today reports its consolidated financial results for the three and six-month periods ended August 31, 2010.

15 Oct 2010

Officials address several drug issues including medical risks, proper disposal of unused medicine

Federal and state officials are addressing several drug issues including the risks associated with bone-strengthening drugs, complaints about a blood-thinning drug and a new law to help people safely dispose of unused medicine.

15 Oct 2010

Anger, seniors and Ad campaigns: Health reform politics

A poll released Tuesday shows most seniors in Medicare's prescription drug benefit program don't know that the health law "closes Part D's coverage gap," The Hill's Healthwatch blog reports.

14 Oct 2010

The Partnership at Drugfree.org issues statement on FDA approval of VIVITROL for opioid dependence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Alkermes' opioid dependence medication (VIVITROL) for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid detoxification is positive news for families of young adults and all those who are struggling to overcome opioid addiction. Addiction, a disease of the human brain, is a chronic illness while opioid dependence is frequently characterized by relapse.

13 Oct 2010

Centice introduces new PINPOINT Rx system for drug identification

Centice Corporation, a pioneer in chemical verification and identification using Raman spectroscopy and computational sensor technology, announced today the availability of the new PINPOINT Rx™ system. Combining advanced spectroscopy hardware technology, analytical software and internal databases, PINPOINT Rx™ captures the spectral signature of a prescription drug and checks this signature against a known database.

13 Oct 2010

Prescription Drug News and Research

Quest Diagnostics reports use of prescription opiates by American workers has increased by 40%

Medicare beneficiaries will find fewer advantage and prescription drug plans

State races take on health care tone as candidates talk overhaul

Idaho halts Medicaid cuts for dental care; Georgia and justice department reach accord on mental health services

Candidates discuss Medicare, Medicaid spending

ISI launches initiative to create translation glossary for healthcare providers

UnitedHealth Group consolidated third quarter revenues increase 9% to $23.7 billion

Purdue Pharma supports NASCSA with $200,000 grant for state prescription drug monitoring programs

CMS could save billions by changing payment, delivery methods

First Edition: October 18, 2010

Tips to understand health benefits during open enrollment

Health law's new patient-centered outcomes board takes shape; More insurance waiver requests expected

Today's Op-Eds: Critiques of 'Obamacare,' Skyrocketing brand name drug prices, pay-for-performance

CVS Caremark to present client experiences on innovative approaches at AMCP Conference

Medicare actuary says changes in advantage plans will mean more cost for some seniors

Neptune second quarter revenue increases 200% to $4,114,000

Officials address several drug issues including medical risks, proper disposal of unused medicine

Anger, seniors and Ad campaigns: Health reform politics

The Partnership at Drugfree.org issues statement on FDA approval of VIVITROL for opioid dependence

Centice introduces new PINPOINT Rx system for drug identification

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Latest News