PHARMACIST STEVE

Insulin prices skyrocket, putting many diabetics in a bind http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/sc-anger-over-high-insulin-prices-health-1207-20161130-story.html Insulin, a life-saving medication used to treat diabetes, was discovered nearly 100 years ago, yet the price of the drug has now spiked by 700 percent in just two decades. In early November, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent, pointed out that certain insulins […]

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SG: addiction is a DISEASE.. Republican’s health plan: doesn’t even mention treating addiction and mental health The surgeon general, backed by overwhelming medical research, rejected that notion. “Research on alcohol and drug use, and addiction, has led to an increase of knowledge and to one clear conclusion: Addiction to alcohol or drugs is a chronic […]

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Cures Act would give pass to lowest-quality Medicare Advantage plans http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20161129/NEWS/161129920? If Congress passes the 21st Century Cures Act, the federal government would be barred from axing the worst performers in Medicare Advantage through 2018. The provision, Section 17001 in the 996-page bill being floated in Congress this week, flexes the lobbying muscle of private […]

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Oversight of DEA’s Confidential Source Program       Oversight of DEA’s Confidential Source Program

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Palliative Care: The Role of the Pharmacist http://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/health-system-edition/2016/november2016/palliative-care-the-pharmacists-role NOVEMBER 22, 2016 Jerry Barbee, Jr, PharmD, BCPS, CPh; Suzanne Kelley, BPharm, CPh; Jessica Andrews, 2017 PharmD candidate; Amanda Harman, 2017 PharmD candidate Palliative care is defined as “an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problem associated with life-threatening […]

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Cigna Prescription Drug Fee Lawsuit Alleges Overcharging Scheme topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/349864-cigna-prescription-drug-fee-lawsuit-alleges-overcharging-scheme/ A woman has filed a class action Cigna prescription drug fee lawsuit over allegations the health insurance company overcharged for medications. Cigna is accused of collecting “clawback fees,” which are amounts collected by the insurance company when the insurance company requires pharmacies to charge a co-pay […]

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The Stakes Are High As DEA Reconsiders Waging War On The Herb Kratom http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kratom-dea_us_583d8a66e4b04b66c01bb424 The FDA works – makes decisions – from clinical trials which takes 10+ yrs.  Will the FDA not recommend rescheduling Kratom….BUT… say that it can no longer be classified as a supplement and in order to be sold, will have to […]

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http://www.kare11.com/mb/news/investigations/whos-profiting-from-prescription-overcharges/347424661 Investigations Who’s profiting from prescription overcharges? MINNEAPOLIS – Internal pharmacy records obtained by KARE 11, along with two newly filed class-action lawsuits, raise questions about whether some popular insurance plans are overcharging customers for prescription medicines and pocketing the profits. What’s more, documents obtained during KARE 11’s yearlong investigation reveal that so-called “gag clauses” […]

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War on prescription drugs: what if you depend on opioids to live a decent life? https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/12/prescription-drugs-what-if-you-depend-on-opioids-chronic-pain The US is facing what many are describing as an opioid crisis, with growing numbers of deaths associated both with opioid medications and overdoses on heroin – 19,000 in 2014 linked to opioids alone. But in the swirl of […]

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Drug epidemic stalls HIV decline in whites who shoot up http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/11/29/drug-epidemic-stalls-hiv-decline-in-whites-who-shoot-up.html NEW YORK –  The long decline in HIV infections among white people who inject drugs has stalled, another grim side effect of the nation’s drug abuse epidemic. Health officials released the news Tuesday, as part of a call for more use of needle exchange […]

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