Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember, there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we invite you to join us for a delightful cup of stimulation. Our choice today is mocha marshmallow. No prescription is required, so no rebates must be paid or tracked. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. Have a wonderful day, and please do stay in touch. Postcards and telegrams are welcomed. …
The Biden administration will fine drugmakers that hiked prices faster than the inflation rate on 27 medicines administered in physician offices, STAT notes. Pfizer had the most drugs on the list of any manufacturer, with five. AbbVie’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug, Humira, is on the list. Gilead Sciences, Endo International, Leadiant Biosciences, and Kamada had two drugs each. The fines are some of the first major changes to the U.S. drug pricing landscape since the Inflation Reduction Act became law. But White House officials said they intend to delay actual invoices for the price hikes until 2025.
More than a dozen Democratic lawmakers wrote several of the nation’s largest drugstore chains and urged them to provide the “strongest possible legal access” to mifepristone for patients, the latest sign that pharmacies are caught in the crosshairs over abortion, STAT writes. The move comes several weeks after more than 20 Republican attorneys general sent their own letters threatening legal action against pharmacies that try to distribute the medication. The dueling missives reflect a patchwork legal framework that several large pharmacy chains now face in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision last summer that overturned Roe v. Wade.
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