Xerox issued an update Oct. 13 on the strategic direction of its government health care business, focusing the implementation of its Health Enterprise Medicaid platform in California and Montana.Based on discussions with clients in California and Montana, Xerox said is likely it will not fully complete the implementation of the Health Enterprise Medicaid platform, its next-generation Medicaid Management Information System, in these states. Xerox said it expects to continue to process Medicaid cl Read More »

340B Health said Oct. 14 it is disappointed with a recent federal district court ruling that will drastically raise the cost of orphan drugs for rural and cancer hospitals and their patients. "This is a major setback for rural hospitals who are already struggling to keep their doors open,"  340B Health President and CEO Ted Slafsky said. Read More »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave accelerated approval to Praxbind (idarucizumab) on Oct. 16. Praxbind is intended for use in patients who are taking the anticoagulant Pradaxa (dabigatran) during emergency situations when there is a need to reverse Pradaxa’s blood-thinning effects. Praxbind and Pradaxa are marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim of Ridgefield, Connecticut. Read More »

Drug Channels released its review of the Kaiser/HRET 2015 Employer Health Benefits Survey, which examines employer-sponsored health coverage at nearly 2,000 companies, on Oct. 13. “Bottom line: Employers didn’t make major changes this year, but they continue to shift prescription drug costs to beneficiaries and are focusing on specialty drug management,” Drug Channels’ writer Adam Fein said. Read More »

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) said on Oct. 9 that a majority of members of the U.S. House of Representatives support the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act. "There is need for improving access to health care and for most Americans, pharmacists are already on the front lines of their health care," APhA Executive Vice President and CEO, Thomas Menighan said. Read More »

Canadian pharmaceutical company purchases majority shares in U.S. surgical equipment maker. Read More »

Cigna on Wednesday announced it was the only Medicare Advantage HMO health plan in Arizona to receive a perfect five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Read More »

The winners of 2015 CPhI Pharma Awards were announced this week at the CPhI Worldwide in Madrid, Spain. Read More »

Remedy Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of CIRARA, a treatment for acute central nervous system conditions where there are inadequate or no approved existing therapies, this week announced the appointment of Richard Steinhart as chief financial officer. Read More »

Diplomat Pharmacy Inc. yesterday announced it is now offering the LONSURF (trifluridine and tipiracil) combination tablet, which recently received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for the treatment of refractory metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Read More »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Opdivo (nivolumab) to treat patients with advanced (metastatic) non-small cell lung cancer whose disease progressed during or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Read More »

CVS Health on Thursday announced that it is launching Project Health, its annual free health screening campaign, at select CVS/Pharmacy locations. Read More »

Kailos Genetics recently announced the release of PGxComplete, a comprehensive, full panel, gene-based test, which will be offered at $99 through Nov. 30. Read More »

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has created a group of female industry leaders, which it named the Women in Pharmacy Leadership Steering Committee, to research and discuss the challenges and other issues women who work in the pharmacy field face regularly. Read More »

A recent report by the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) found that drug wholesaler price manipulation, coupled with the relationships large drug companies have with drugstores and pharmacies, is having an adverse effect on competition and causing the prices of generic prescription drugs to rise. Read More »

John Sykora and Jan Kavookjian were both honored at the National Community Pharmacists Association’s 2015 Annual Convention, which was held this week at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. Read More »

A new report from the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) “Focus on Mental Health: The Contribution of the Pharmacist,” was published on Oct. 9, which was World Mental Health Day. Read More »

SilverScript Insurance Company, a CVS Health company, announced the company's new Medicare Prescription Drug Plan options for 2016 this week. Read More »

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) recently announced that former Nevada Insurance Commissioner Scott Kipper has been appointed as the association's new vice president of state affairs. Read More »

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Bristol-Myers Squibb Company’s Opdivo (nivolumab) injection for the treatment of patients with metastatic, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with progression on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. Read More »