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Veterinarians complain about one impact of the health law while seniors look forward to lower drug spending

The vets say a new tax aimed at helping pay for changes from the health overhaul is hurting them, according to KHN. Meanwhile, Healthy Cal looks at closing of the prescription drug coverage gap. CNN also explores the arguments over the law's effect on overall health spending.

9 Oct 2013

Report: States lax in taking steps to curb prescription drug abuse

The number of deaths attributed to the abuse of painkillers and other prescription drugs has risen sharply in recent years.

9 Oct 2013

Horizon Medicare beneficiaries to receive pharmacy services through Prime Therapeutics

Beginning January 1, 2014, Horizon Healthcare Services, Inc. Medicare beneficiaries will receive pharmacy services through Prime Therapeutics LLC. Prime began providing pharmacy benefit management services to the plan's commercial members July 1, 2013.

8 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 8, 2013

Today's headlines include the latest on how the health law's online insurance marketplaces are operating and what caused the initial systemic problems.

8 Oct 2013

Study aims for new national standard on how doctors and pharmacies write prescriptions

Northwestern Medicine-, Walgreens, Alliance of Chicago community health centers and Merck are collaborating on a study with a deceptively simple goal: provide clear instructions on prescription medicine labels so patients don't make mistakes and overcomplicate taking their daily medications.

8 Oct 2013

The health law and older Americans

A pair of stories examining the health law and Medicare's prescription drug "doughnut hole" as well as what might change for people who are near retirement age, but not yet eligible for Medicare.

8 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 7, 2013

Today's headlines include reports detailing the ins and outs of the federal government's online health insurance markeplace as well as the latest from Capitol Hill on the shutdown.

7 Oct 2013

Self-medication is key reason for prescription drug abuse in docs

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5 Oct 2013

Report: Doctors who abuse prescription drugs often do so for "self-medication"

Doctors who abuse prescription drugs often do so for "self-medication"—whether for physical or emotional pain or stress relief, reports a study in the October Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine.

5 Oct 2013

FDA report reveals personal, professional devastation caused by cognitive dysfunctions of ME/CFS

PANDORA Org and other patient organizations say a recent report from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shows the agency must take further action to open up opportunities for ME/CFS drug development.

4 Oct 2013

No health law budging from either side as gov't shutdown continues

Neither Republicans nor Democrats appear ready to budge in the short-term to end a government shutdown and their impasse over funding for the health law. House Republicans are looking to pressure moderate Democrats in the Senate by sending the upper chamber a series of bills aimed at getting them to split from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, but Republicans are beginning to feel the pressure building themselves over who will get the blame for the shutdown.

3 Oct 2013

NIMH Awards Optivia $1.8M CNS Drug Development

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2 Oct 2013

First Edition: October 2, 2013

Today's headlines include news reports about how the health law's new online insurance marketplaces -- glitches and all -- went live at both the federal and state levels.

2 Oct 2013

State highlights: Calif. gov. signs bills on prescription drug abuse; Texas groups sue over parts of abortion law; Calif.'s drug Medi-Cal program probed

Gov. Jerry Brown signed two bills Friday aimed at curbing prescription drug abuse but vetoed a third that could have helped the state's medical board identify reckless doctors whose patients died on pills they prescribed (Glover and Girion, 9/27).

1 Oct 2013

First Edition: September 30, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the readiness of the health law's online marketplaces and other key provisions the day before their Oct. 1 launch date even as the looming government shutdown becomes more of a reality.

30 Sep 2013

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Dementia is a leading cause of death in the United States; however, patients dying with this disease may not receive optimal end-of-life care. ... many of these [nursing home] residents commonly experience burdensome and costly interventions, such as hospital transfers, tube-feeding, and intravenous antibiotics. ... Nursing home reimbursement policies are among the factors that incentivize more aggressive care. ... This study linked unique prospective clinical data with Medicare claims to describe and compare patterns of care between nursing home residents with advanced dementia enrolled in a Medicare managed-care insurance plan and those with fee-for-service Medicare.

30 Sep 2013

Innovative packaging design aids convergence in the pharmaceutical industry

PCI, a global supplier of pharmaceutical commercial packaging solutions and clinical trials services, announces the availability of a white paper detailing how it’s innovative packaging design aids convergence in the pharmaceutical industry.

30 Sep 2013

College of American Pathologists awards accreditation to Ameritox

Ameritox has been awarded accreditation by the Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for a second time, based on the results of recent onsite inspections of its laboratories.

27 Sep 2013

Allergan Licenses Rights To Medytox Candidates, In Up-To-$362M Deal

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26 Sep 2013

UT Arlington team to lead $1M NSF grant project to develop smart rehabilitation system

A UT Arlington multidisciplinary team will lead a three-year, $1 million National Science Foundation grant project to develop iRehab, a smart rehabilitation system that can adapt and personalize therapy programs based on a patient's needs and constraints.

24 Sep 2013