by Kevin Roche on Thursday, September 2, 2010
Medicaid programs, and other third-party payers, can save a lot of money by requiring use of generics when available. Some state laws, however, can significantly inhibit generic use, according to new research in Health Affairs.
Tags: Drugs, Government, Medicaid, Regulation
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, August 26, 2010
It is well-established that physicians respond to various economic incentives by changing their treatment behavior. A recent study explores this phenomenon in the context of Medicare’s cancer chemotherapy drug reimbursement policies.
Tags: Drugs, Medicare, Physicians
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, August 14, 2010
Another Saturday, another Potpourri, featuring the acquisition of a hospital medical necessity company, Americans’ online health usage, analysis of prescriptions, California workers’ compensation, home monitoring of elderly parents, remote psychiatric evaluations and telemedicine to treat depression.
Tags: Care Management, Drugs, Elder Care, HIT, HomeCare, Medicare, Monitoring, Telemedicine, Workers Compensation
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, July 24, 2010
More midsummer musings, covering possible replacements for AWP, the effect of Part D on heart failure drug use, the VA’s telehealth programs, venture capital activity, self-management of high blood pressure, and of course, more problems with health insurance costs in Massachusetts.
Tags: Drugs, Financings, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Telemedicine
by Kevin Roche on Wednesday, July 21, 2010
For several decades drug companies have taken a beating over their pricing and many governments have limited how those companies charge for their products. A new study suggests that such regulation does limit development of new medicines.
Tags: Drugs, Government
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, July 17, 2010
Another week, another potpourri, this time with items on workers’ compensation drug spending, benefit consulting firm mergers, hospital readmissions, geographic variation in spending and use of mobile vans to deliver health care.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Costs, Hospital, M&A, Medical Care, Workers Compensation
by Kevin Roche on Monday, June 28, 2010
Home infusion of therapeutic agents is increasing, especially as more biologics, which tend to need infusion, are approved for use. GAO looked at how Medicare FFS handles home infusion versus how private plans do.
Tags: Drugs, Medical Care, Medicare
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, June 26, 2010
Once more into the breach with the Saturday health care roundup, including medication adherence, monitoring patients’ health status in their homes, Massachusetts’ reform update and insurance costs, hospitals’ economic contribution, hospital cost shifting and consumers’ views on use of health IT.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Costs, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, HIT, HomeCare, Hospital, Monitoring, Telemedicine
by Kevin Roche on Monday, June 21, 2010
Medicare’s Part D benefit covers most prescription drugs and has added significantly to the program’s cost, although not as much as originally projected. Now that the program has been in existence for a few years, researchers looked at whether the same geographic variation in spending exists for drugs as does for other Medicare services.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Costs, Medicare
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, June 19, 2010
Another weekend bonanza of health care items, including health insurance premium increases, genetic testing, remote patient monitoring, eye drug coverage by Medicare, emergency room use under the reform law and paying people to take their medicine.
Tags: Drugs, FDA, Health Insurance, Medical Care, Personalized Medicine, Telemedicine
by Kevin Roche on Friday, May 21, 2010
AARP publishes one of its regular updates on drug price increases, this one examining changes in pricing for brand name, generic and specialty drugs commonly used by Medicare beneficiaries in the first quarter of 2010.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Reform
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Errors in medication are far more common than might be imagined and cause serious adverse events. A NEJM article reports on efforts to use technology to limit such errors in hospitals.
Tags: Drugs, HIT, Hospital
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, May 8, 2010
No mother’s day would be complete without some health care news to ruminate on. This week’s include psychiatric drugs, the cost of the SGR fix, home health care costs, telemedicine and using computers to aid in diagnosis.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Costs, Health Care Reform, HIT, Medicare, Telemedicine
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, April 10, 2010
The latest collection of health care tidbits, including telemedicine, physician attitudes, medication adherence, retail clinics, physician value to hospitals and CDHPs.
Tags: Consumer Directed Health, Drugs, Health Insurance, Hospital, Physicians, Telemedicine
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, March 18, 2010
While spending on prescription drugs has stabilized over the last few years, it remains a major category of health cost and pharmaceuticals are a critical and effective treatment option for many diseases, especially chronic ones. Several recent articles discuss aspects of drugs and the prescribing process.
Tags: Drugs
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, March 6, 2010
The Food & Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health have announced an initiative to collaborate on speeding significant research findings into products and clinical use. (FDA/NIH Announcement) Among other things the collaboration will create a leadership council to facilitate reaching its objectives. They also will award $6.75 million for the study of new [...]
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Reform, Malpractice, Retail Clinics, Workplace
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Pharmaceutical manufacturers have spent massive amounts of money on sending sales reps to visit individual physicians and on direct-to-consumer advertising, to the point that this spending is often larger than research and development costs. This spending may be shifting in some companies to more internet-based marketing.
Tags: Drugs, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Friday, December 25, 2009
Happy Holidays, here are a few health care presents for your tree, including defensive medicine, FDA regulation of drug/diagnostic combinations, virtual doctor visits, generic drugs and wireless health. Have a great Christmas.
Tags: Drugs, Medical Care, Personalized Medicine, Wireless
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, December 12, 2009
Mercer surveyed employers to ascertain their reaction to the proposed tax on high value insurance coverage. The majority said they would reduce benefits to avoid the tax. Seven percent said they would outright terminate insurance coverage. Of those saying they would reduce benefits, most would do so by raising deductibles and copays. Employers also narrowly [...]
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Reform, Health Insurance, Medical Care, Pay For Performance, Telemedicine
by Kevin Roche on Monday, December 7, 2009
The CBO looks at the characteristics of drug promotion spending and activity. Another study reveals that direct-to-consumer advertising for Plavix did not appear to increase the number of prescriptions but was correlated with a sharp rise in the price of the drug.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Costs
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, November 26, 2009
No turkeys here, just stuffing you will relish. Don’t cramvery much into your brain at once!
Tags: Drugs, Health Insurance, Telemedicine, Wellness and Prevention
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The CBO released a brief report looking at the potential impact of various changes in federal policies on research and development spending for drugs. Current and future policies are not likely to encourage more R & D.
Tags: Drugs, Government, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, November 21, 2009
Another summary of miscellaneous health care items, including telemedicine and prevention and wellness.
Tags: Drugs, Telemedicine, Wellness and Prevention
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, November 14, 2009
Another dose of weekend tidbits, covering PAP screenings, health insurer consolidation, Part D plan satisfaction, Rand’s look at the best methods to reduce health care costs, geographic variations in health spending and coughing into cell phones–yes you heard me right.
Tags: Drugs, Guidelines, Health Insurance, Medical Care, Medicare, Pay For Performance
by Kevin Roche on Friday, November 13, 2009
Interesting reports on specialty pharmacy, drug benefits, drug sales and the IMS buyout.
Tags: Drugs
by Kevin Roche on Monday, October 12, 2009
Walgreen’s has reported fiscal fourth quarter results, showing continued prescription growth and highlighting its broader wellness and health management efforts.
Tags: Drugs, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Thursday, October 8, 2009
Having taken heat on drug safety, the FDA has issued a new draft guidance on risk mitigation efforts by drug companies.
Tags: Drugs, Government, Pharmaceutical, Regulation
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, September 29, 2009
In another personalized medicine development, researchers at UCLA have identified a way to improve depression treatment.
Tags: Drugs, Medical Care, Personalized Medicine, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Monday, September 28, 2009
A recent drug trial illustrates how comparative effectiveness research may actually facilitate more health care spending.
Tags: Comparative Effectiveness, Drugs, Medical Care, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Saturday, September 12, 2009
A JAMA article suggests that published trial results may not be giving us the full picture.
Tags: Drugs, Health Services Research, Medical Care
by Kevin Roche on Friday, August 28, 2009
Pharmacogenomics is at the forefront of personalized medicine development. Recent research indicates promise in anti-platelet therapy guidance.
Tags: Drugs, Genomics, Medical Care, Personalized Medicine, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Wednesday, August 19, 2009
A recent report from NEHI states that medication therapy non-compliance leads to $290 billion in avoidable medical costs every year.
Tags: Care Management, Drugs, Health Care Costs, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Monday, August 17, 2009
The physical distribution and payment flows for pharmaceuticals in the United States are very complex. A new report helps explain those processes.
Tags: Drugs, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Friday, August 7, 2009
The three largest PBMs have issued their second quarter results. All appear to be performing well.
Tags: Drugs, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Between lobbying and price increases, drug manufacturers are doing a good job of protecting their economic interests.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Reform, Pharmaceutical
by Kevin Roche on Friday, July 10, 2009
The limiting of growth in drug spending is a health care success story.
Tags: Drugs, Health Care Costs, Pharmaceutical