-
Poll: 4 of 5 Americans want lower drug costs
Scott E. Rupp PharmaceuticalAmericans appear to think the pharmaceutical industry has the most "muscle" when it comes to policymaking. So says the Kaiser Family Foundation, which notes that more than 70 percent of U.S. citizens think the drug industry has too much influence in the nation's capital with lawmakers.
-
ED opioid overdose visits jump 30 percent in a year
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareThe opioid epidemic is still getting worse. The evidence? Emergency department visits for opioid overdoses have skyrocketed in just one year. A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the number of ED visits for opioid overdoses increased 30 percent from July 2016 to September 2017. Only a few areas of the U.S. have seen declines in ED visits for opioid overdoses.
-
How useful is your board of pharmacy website?
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalBoards of pharmacy in each state exist to regulate and oversee the practice of pharmacy within their jurisdiction. Board members have an enormous responsibility to promote public safety and compliance with all relevant rules and regulations.
-
Will Trump’s plan slow down the opioid epidemic?
Dr. Abimbola Farinde Mental HealthcareThe opioid epidemic has been a longstanding and increasingly recognizable public health issue in the United States. In an additional effort to combat this escalating issue, President Donald Trump on Tuesday rolled out his plan for tackling what he calls "the crisis next door."
-
Will Cigna’s purchase of Express Scripts reduce drug costs?
Scott E. Rupp PharmaceuticalFor those following the big business carousel in healthcare, Cigna is certainly on their radar. In May of 2017, the behemoth insurer announced it was abandoning plans to merge with another behemoth, Anthem. But Cigna is bouncing back, announcing this month that it would purchase Express Scripts
-
Opioid epidemic shows no signs of slowing down
Dr. Abimbola Farinde PharmaceuticalThe opioid epidemic is one that continues to ravage the United States, and with a recent report it is unclear as to when this crisis will be curtailed. It's shaping up to be one of the deadliest drug epidemics in American history, with overdoses now the leading cause of death among Americans under the age of 50. In 2016, opioid overdoses contributed to 64,000 deaths, which was more than firearms or car accidents that year.
-
Marijuana legalization may be linked to greater pedestrian fatality rates
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Civil & GovernmentTaking a walk may have deadly consequences, and the risk appears to be greater in those states that have legal adult use of recreational marijuana. The rate of fatal injury to pedestrians has grown faster than any other vehicle-related deaths for the years of rapid legalization of marijuana. That rate increased 27 percent between 2007 and 2016, while other types of traffic deaths had decreased by 14 percent. While a direct relationship to marijuana use cannot be determined, other sources indicate that the use of marijuana is likely a factor when the driver of a vehicle is using cannabis.
-
San Francisco International gets that sinking feeling
Matt Falcus Transportation Technology & AutomotiveAn expensive time bomb is ticking in the San Francisco Bay area following the publication of a new study that has found large parts of the region to be sinking at an alarming rate. The threat also covers the reclaimed land which is home to San Francisco International (SFO) and much of its infrastructure. Scientists at NASA’s Sea Level Change planning team and at Arizona State University’s School of Earth and Space Exploration (SESE) published the findings on March 7 in the Science Advances journal.
-
Opioid addiction treatment could cause breathing problems
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareOpioid addiction remains an alarming epidemic in the United States — in fact, it may even be getting worse. The National Institute on Drug Abuse estimated that there are approximately 2.1 million people in the U.S. who have substance abuse issues related to prescribed opioids and another 467,000 who are addicted to heroin.
-
‘Hide and seek’ health pricing has to stop
Jason Poquette Healthcare AdministrationWhen a patient walks into a pharmacy with a new prescription in hand, something radical happens in the field of healthcare: They hear the price. How that price was arrived at isn't always crystal clear. Sometimes a deductible is included. Sometimes they are paying a percentage of the contracted price. There are even times when their copay includes a PBM clawback (which even the pharmacy may not know).
All Pharmaceutical Articles