A working paper recently published as part of a National Bureau of Economic Research series examines whether the introduction of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program in 2006 may have contributed to an increase in prescription drug abuse. Read More »

A recent Prime Therapeutics, LLC study on hereditary angioedema revealed that individuals with the condition are accumulating specialty drug costs of more than $300,000 annually on average. Read More »

Geneva Woods Pharmacy, Inc., (GWP) a provider of integrated home and specialty pharmacy services in under-served rural markets, said on Tuesday that its merger with Frontier Medical has been fully implemented structurally, as it has now fully integrated the firm -- a provider of long-term care pharmaceutical services, home medical equipment, and complex rehabilitation and respiratory services in Alaska -- into its own company. Read More »

Actavis confirmed last week that it has filed an abbreviated new drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), requesting approval to market Ambrisentan, and has confirmed a patent challenge. Read More »

Founded in 1975 by Dale Hagerman and his son Phil Hagerman, the company’s current chairman and CEO, Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. is celebrating 40 years of providing pharmacy services throughout the country. Read More »

BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy last week released a new app that will help keep health care providers informed with the most up-to-date treatment guidelines for treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Read More »

Atlantic Information Services Inc. (AIS) researchers examined the pharmacy-benefit parameters of risk-based commercial plans, offered in the individual and small-group markets during 2014, and found that coverage of specialty pharmaceuticals still differs widely among plans. Read More »

Due to continued company growth, BioPlus Specialty Pharmacy announced on Thursday three newly created positions to further build its specialty pharmacy. Read More »

National Community Pharmacists Association CEO B. Douglas Hoey issued a statement on Thursday, congratulating Arkansas on strengthening its generic drug payment legislation. Read More »

Sam’s Club announced on Thursday the launch of an expanded prescription savings program that allows "Plus" and "Business Plus" members to save money through new benefits. Read More »

Contract development and manufacturing company Patheon on Wednesday announced the acquisition of IRIX Pharmaceuticals, based in Florence, South Carolina. Read More »

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced that fixed-combination drugs that are comprised of at least one new chemical entitity (NCE) will be eligible for five years of exclusivity. Read More »

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Wednesday issued a final guidance to help the industry develop opioid drug products with potentially abuse-deterrent properties. Read More »

Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc., an RNA-targeted therapeutics developer, on Tuesday announced that Edward Kaye has been appointed as interim CEO. Read More »

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) said March 27 that 35 pharmacists who practice in hospitals, ambulatory care clinics and other settings have been named ASHP fellows. Read More »

Centene Corporation on Monday announced that NurseWise, its national multilingual nurse triage and health education subsidiary, received full health call center accreditation from URAC, a healthcare accrediting organization that establishes quality standards for the health care industry. Read More »

The American Pharmacists Association's House of Delegates voted on Monday to adopt a new policy that discourages the participation of pharmacists in executions because it contradicts the mission of a pharmacist. “The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) discourages pharmacist participation in executions on the basis that such activities are fundamentally contrary to the role of pharmacists as providers of health care,” the newly adopted policy said. Read More »

Baxter International said on Monday that it recently launched a public-private collaborative effort with Singapore’s Changi General Hospital to satisfy a surging demand for compounded sterile products.The company also has been improving access to health care globally through financial and in-kind donations to address critical needs. Read More »

Linda Cahn, leader of the National Prescription Coverage Coalition, in a warning to chief financial officers and human resource executives, said on Tuesday that a recent study conducted by her firm reveals that many pharmacy benefit managers’ (PBMs) refill practices may be unnecessarily increasing prescription drug costs. Read More »

CVS Health said on Tuesday that it has established new clinical affiliations with Rush University Medical Center in Chicago and Tucson Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona, as well as the latter's accountable-care organization, Arizona Connected Care. Read More »