Pharmacist Digest

Opinion: Unnecessary insurance claim denials compromise patient care and provider bottom lines

STAT

MAY 1, 2024

Health care providers are in an acute financial situation. Record-high wages required to attract and retain talent coupled with price inflation not seen since the early 1980s are driving higher costs, while reimbursement and federal policies limit providers’ ability to cover expenses. Adding

STAT+: Medicare announces loan program to aid providers affected by Change cyberattack

STAT

MARCH 10, 2024

The payments are meant to fund providers that aren’t able to submit claims to Medicare because of the disruption to Change’s data network and have exhausted all other potential avenues of funding.

Hospitals

STAT+: UnitedHealth appears to be upping loan offers to providers, after Change cyberattack

STAT

MARCH 19, 2024

UnitedHealth Group appears to be offering some providers more substantial loans in the wake of the cyberattack on Change Healthcare, according to three doctors who each saw their advances increase up to seven figures. It’s not clear exactly what prompted the change in these providers’ offers, or how broadly it applies.

Hospitals

Florida health officials provide scant details on measles cases, worrying health experts

STAT

MARCH 6, 2024

Both counties urged unvaccinated people who had been in the listed locations at the listed times to contact public health or their health care provider, warning them to phone ahead if they needed to seek in-person care. Read the rest…

Hospitals

Opinion: Instead of adding quality metrics, harness fewer high-quality ones to improve outcomes and reduce provider burden

STAT

MAY 2, 2024

Quality metrics were designed to help improve both patients’ outcomes and providers’ performance. In a safety net hospital like ours, providers must account for 60 different quality metrics during each patient visit, many of which are “standalone,” or required by just one payer.

Diabetes

Diabetes Hospitals Vaccines

STAT+: States are ramping up scrutiny of health transactions, as more provider groups look for buyers

STAT

FEBRUARY 12, 2024

It either owns or is affiliated with over 90,000 providers — almost 10% of all U.S. UnitedHealth Group’s Optum has bought an untold number of physician practices over the years. physicians. That’s mostly happened quietly.

Hospitals

Opinion: Listen: How two abortion providers grapple with their post-Roe reality

STAT

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Physicians Alison Block and Nikki Zite knew what they were getting into when they became abortion providers early in their medical training. Family planning has long been a politicized, divisive area of medicine. And even though they knew that Roe v.

Opinion: Ohio has enshrined the right to an abortion. But major obstacles remain for patients and providers

STAT

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

As an abortion provider in Cleveland, I’m relieved that my patients’ freedom to access abortion care, miscarriage care, and contraception is protected. Now providers, activists, and everyone else who cares must take this momentum to make very necessary changes to other abortion laws in Ohio. Read the rest…

Opinion: Providers shouldn’t be afraid of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder making it into the hands of someone without a prescription

STAT

JANUARY 5, 2024

In December 2022, Congress repealed the “X-waiver” requirement, which had limited medical providers’ ability to prescribe buprenorphine-naloxone, one of the three medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

STAT+: Telehealth providers can drive antibiotic overuse — or choose to combat it

STAT

APRIL 11, 2024

Ho Anh had just started working at Lemonaid Health when he was caught up in a sting. In 2017, after receiving reports about the telehealth site, an investigator for the California medical board logged on to Lemonaid using an alias.

Study of cow tissues provides clues for unusual pattern of bird flu infections in dairy cattle

STAT

MAY 6, 2024

A new study looking at the distribution of receptors that flu viruses can attach to in different cow tissues may help to explain the pattern of illness being seen in the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. dairy cattle — and also is sparking debate about the implications of the cow outbreak for human disease.

STAT+: Oncologists more likely to provide low-value care after receiving pharma money, study finds

STAT

OCTOBER 25, 2023

Oncologists were more likely to provide low-value cancer care after receiving money from pharmaceutical companies, and the findings raise questions about the extent to which industry influence may have led to patient harm, according to a new study.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy Pharmaceutical Companies Pharmaceutical Companies

GPhC proposes annual checks of training providers

The Pharmacist

APRIL 9, 2024

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has proposed that it undertakes more regular quality assurance checks of education and training providers amid changes to the pharmacist and pharmacy technician professions.

Pharmacy Technician

Walgreens to pursue certification to provide abortion pills in pharmacies

STAT

JANUARY 4, 2023

Walgreens plans to seek certification to begin providing abortion pills under new Food and Drug Administration rules that allow the drugs to be distributed by retail pharmacies, the company told STAT on Wednesday.

STAT+: Second U.S. oncology provider plans to go public

STAT

OCTOBER 10, 2022

is about to have not just one, but two, standalone publicly-traded oncology providers. The news comes about a year after another large oncology provider chain hit the stock market. Florida-based American Oncology Network, a company with more than 100 affiliated doctors across 18 states, announced last week it plans to go public.

Telehealth companies that provide abortion pills grapple with regulatory uncertainty

STAT

APRIL 25, 2023

Telehealth providers stay nimble amid regulatory uncertainty Read the rest… You’re reading the web edition of STAT Health Tech, our guide to how tech is transforming the life sciences. Sign up to get this newsletter delivered in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday.

Hospitals

Providers still hesitate to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction, despite ‘X-waiver’ removal

STAT

JULY 21, 2023

Many health care providers still see prescribing buprenorphine as difficult, or simply have little interest in using the medication, according to the study. Read the rest…

Opinion: How health care systems can protect patients from sexual assault by providers

STAT

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Health care providers have a sacrosanct relationship with patients. That unique position of trust also puts them in a position of power over their patients.

STAT+: Demand spikes in seniors, behavioral health care challenge UnitedHealth’s provider arm

STAT

JULY 14, 2023

-based UnitedHealth Group’s Optum segment, which includes its provider arm, its pharmacy benefit manager, and its data and technology arm, reported an operating margin of 6.6% Leaders said the decline was within its provider arm, Optum Health. in the quarter ended June 30, compared with 7.3% in the prior-year period.

STAT+: FDA is blasted by advocates for pursuing a deal with data provider that has ties to opioid makers

STAT

JANUARY 4, 2024

For instance, RADARS provides consulting services to drug companies as they prepare for meetings with FDA advisory panels, according to its web site. The RADARS system primarily collects real-world evidence from patients about opioid treatment programs, which is why the FDA is interested in its data.

Hospitals

Vistagen’s on-demand nasal spray could provide a novel option for social anxiety

PharmaVoice

APRIL 22, 2024

The fast-acting medication is one of a few new approaches being tested for the crippling condition.

STAT+: UnitedHealth plots further growth in its profitable provider division

STAT

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Insurance giant UnitedHealth Group’s strong financial showing in the third quarter was driven in part by its fast-growing provider segment, Optum Health. UnitedHealth’s CEO outlined the company’s plans to expand Optum Health’s reach even further on an investor call Friday.

Medicare provides insufficient access to opioid addiction treatment, report finds

STAT

SEPTEMBER 15, 2022

The count, for example, doesn’t include people who died from overdoses if there was no medical care provided. That figure is an undercount, the report says, because it only tallied overdoses for which medical care was billed to Medicare. Read the rest…

Providers of methadone treatment say a big increase in access could backfire

STAT

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

BALTIMORE — Providers of methadone for addiction treatment have a message for advocates seeking a giant expansion in access: Be careful what you wish for. Methadone, they acknowledge, is a highly effective medication for opioid addiction.

STAT+: New Medicare Advantage rule is boon for providers, drag on insurers

STAT

FEBRUARY 5, 2024

Starting this year, private Medicare plans have to cover their members’ hospitalizations at the higher inpatient rate if their doctors predict they’ll have to stay beyond two midnights. It’s the same rule — appropriately called the two-midnight rule — that traditional Medicare has followed for a decade.

Hospitals

Hospitals Inpatient

Mexico’s activist ‘companion networks’ quietly provide abortion pills and support to U.S. women

STAT

DECEMBER 7, 2023

TIJUANA, Mexico — Just over a decade ago, when Crystal Pérez Lira needed an abortion, she had to leave Mexico. The procedure was illegal in her home state of Baja California and so deeply stigmatized that even Pérez Lira supported the procedure only for those who were raped. Until she unexpectedly got pregnant.

STAT+: CVS’ Oak Street Health acquisition continues the industry’s provider obsession

STAT

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

billion acquisition of Oak Street Health plants another flag in the latest era of health insurance industry consolidation — one defined by insurers moving beyond managing medical and drug benefits, and into directly providing care to people in a primary care office or at home. CVS Health’s $10.6

Hospitals

Actually Wegovy is good for dialysis companies, dialysis provider says

STAT

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning, everyone. Damian here with a look at the legacy of a pharma CEO, yet more biotech layoffs, and a reprieve from the GLP-1 panic. Read the rest…

Drug Pricing

Drug Pricing Drug Development Hospitals

STAT+: ‘Apples to apples’: How new health data rules could hold providers accountable

STAT

DECEMBER 23, 2022

Before the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, electronic health care record vendors will have to provide tools to easily pull big batches of patient data from their systems. Last year, medical records opened up to patients. This year, they’re opening up to the nation.

Medical Records

Medical Records Hospitals

GPhC: ‘Continually assess staffing’ to provide Pharmacy First safely

The Pharmacist

FEBRUARY 1, 2024

Pharmacy owners and superintendent pharmacists (SPs) will need to ‘continually assess’ whether enough trained and competent staff are available to provide Pharmacy First safely and effectively, the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) has said. ‘We

STAT+: Pharmalittle: Employers hire virtual providers as obesity drug gatekeepers; Vertex non-opioid nerve pain drug succeeds in mid-stage trial

STAT

DECEMBER 13, 2023

employers facing surging costs from paying for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and similar obesity drugs are hiring virtual health care providers like Teladoc to implement weight-loss management programs , according to Reuters , which spoke with a dozen consultants, pharmacy benefit managers, analysts, and health care providers. These

Hospitals

STAT+: The health care providers and insurers we’re watching at JPM23 — and why

STAT

JANUARY 8, 2023

Hospitals, health insurers, and other provider-related companies are returning in person to the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference for the first time since the coronavirus upended the health care economy. But the more things have changed since then, the more they have stayed the same. Health care gobbled up 18.3% of the U.S.

Hospitals

Combination treatment could provide new standard-of-care for aggressive lymphoma

European Pharmaceutical Review

MAY 3, 2024

These positive progression-free survival results from the ECHO Phase III trial could provide a new standard of care for patients with mantle cell lymphoma” “These positive progression-free survival results from the ECHO Phase III trial could provide a new standard of care for patients with mantle cell lymphoma.

After Dobbs, U.S. medical students head abroad for abortion training no longer provided by their schools

STAT

OCTOBER 18, 2022

Wade, and two days later, the clinic where her school provided first-hand abortion experience shut down. A fourth-year medical student, Tema, faced an abrupt interruption to her education earlier this year. A state law banning abortion after six weeks went into effect hours after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v.

Medical Schools

‘More evidence’ needed on providing PrEP in pharmacies

The Pharmacist

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

This will include a roundtable convened by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) in 2024-25 to consider available […] The post ‘More evidence’ needed on providing PrEP in pharmacies appeared first on The Pharmacist.

Community Pharmacies

Relationships with Healthcare Providers | Case Study

PharmaState Academy

FEBRUARY 29, 2024

CASE STUDY Building Long-Term Relationships with Healthcare Providers A Sales Plan Focused on Building Trust and Loyalty Through Consistent Engagement Table of Contents Case Study Scenario: Picture yourself as the sales manager at ABCx Pharmaceuticals, leading a team of dedicated sales representatives.

Communication

Communication Pharmaceutical Companies Pharmaceutical Companies Hospitals

EGFR inhibitor could provide major advance in lung cancer

European Pharmaceutical Review

FEBRUARY 21, 2024

LAURA shows osimertinib can provide impactful clinical benefit and could become the first targeted treatment option for patients with Stage III disease,” explained Dr Suresh Ramalingam, Executive Director of Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Atlanta, US, and principal investigator in the trial.

Chemotherapy

‘Not possible’ to give advance notice of Pharmoutcomes updates, says provider

The Pharmacist

MARCH 7, 2024

It was ‘not possible to provide advance notice to pharmacies’ of the multi-factor authentication (MFA) updates that have reportedly ‘caused havoc’ this week, Pharmoutcomes provider EMIS has told The Pharmacist. And Community Pharmacy England (CPE) said it had 'serious concerns' which it had raised with NHS England (NHSE).

Community Pharmacies

mRNA therapy could provide intracellular protein replacement for rare disease

European Pharmaceutical Review

APRIL 5, 2024

The post mRNA therapy could provide intracellular protein replacement for rare disease appeared first on European Pharmaceutical Review. Moderna confirmed that additional patient enrolment for the dose expansion phase of the study will further assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacodynamic activity of mRNA-3927.

Vaccines

Opinion: Health care providers need help to treat patients during extreme heat events

STAT

OCTOBER 31, 2023

The world’s hottest summer on record is now bleeding into the fall. Instead of enjoying a cool respite from the heat, millions of Americans started September enduring temperatures so high that schools were forced to close across the country.

Mapping the Vertical Integration of Insurers, PBMs, Specialty Pharmacies, and Providers: A May 2024 Update

Drug Channels

MAY 7, 2024

It's time for Drug Channels ’ annual update of vertical integration among insurers, PBMs, specialty pharmacies, and providers within U.S. drug channels. Below you’ll find our latest illustration of the major vertical business relationships among the largest companies along with some of the notable activity since our previous update.

Specialty Pharmacies

STAT+: Walmart may buy concierge Medicare Advantage provider ChenMed. But will it scale?

STAT

SEPTEMBER 12, 2023

Walmart seems poised to increase its health care footprint by buying value-based senior care company ChenMed, per reports from Bloomberg.

Hospitals

New palliative care standards provide ‘roadmap’ for pharmacies

The Pharmacist

MAY 26, 2023

The Daffodil Standards, born from a partnership between the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) and charity Marie Curie, set out areas of good practice and hope to help improve the care provided to patients approaching […] The post New palliative care standards provide ‘roadmap’ for pharmacies appeared first on The Pharmacist.

Community Pharmacies

Taking Full Advantage of Service Providers

PharmaTech

APRIL 2, 2024

There are considerations companies may want to consider before seeking out a service provider.

Opinion: Unnecessary insurance claim denials compromise patient care and provider bottom lines

STAT+: Medicare announces loan program to aid providers affected by Change cyberattack

Trending Sources

STAT+: UnitedHealth appears to be upping loan offers to providers, after Change cyberattack

Florida health officials provide scant details on measles cases, worrying health experts

Opinion: Instead of adding quality metrics, harness fewer high-quality ones to improve outcomes and reduce provider burden

STAT+: States are ramping up scrutiny of health transactions, as more provider groups look for buyers

Opinion: Listen: How two abortion providers grapple with their post-Roe reality

Opinion: Ohio has enshrined the right to an abortion. But major obstacles remain for patients and providers

Opinion: Providers shouldn’t be afraid of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder making it into the hands of someone without a prescription

STAT+: Telehealth providers can drive antibiotic overuse — or choose to combat it

Study of cow tissues provides clues for unusual pattern of bird flu infections in dairy cattle

STAT+: Oncologists more likely to provide low-value care after receiving pharma money, study finds

GPhC proposes annual checks of training providers

Walgreens to pursue certification to provide abortion pills in pharmacies

STAT+: Second U.S. oncology provider plans to go public

Telehealth companies that provide abortion pills grapple with regulatory uncertainty

Providers still hesitate to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction, despite ‘X-waiver’ removal

Opinion: How health care systems can protect patients from sexual assault by providers

STAT+: Demand spikes in seniors, behavioral health care challenge UnitedHealth’s provider arm

STAT+: FDA is blasted by advocates for pursuing a deal with data provider that has ties to opioid makers

Vistagen’s on-demand nasal spray could provide a novel option for social anxiety

STAT+: UnitedHealth plots further growth in its profitable provider division

Medicare provides insufficient access to opioid addiction treatment, report finds

Providers of methadone treatment say a big increase in access could backfire

STAT+: New Medicare Advantage rule is boon for providers, drag on insurers

Mexico’s activist ‘companion networks’ quietly provide abortion pills and support to U.S. women

STAT+: CVS’ Oak Street Health acquisition continues the industry’s provider obsession

Actually Wegovy is good for dialysis companies, dialysis provider says

STAT+: ‘Apples to apples’: How new health data rules could hold providers accountable

GPhC: ‘Continually assess staffing’ to provide Pharmacy First safely

STAT+: Pharmalittle: Employers hire virtual providers as obesity drug gatekeepers; Vertex non-opioid nerve pain drug succeeds in mid-stage trial

STAT+: The health care providers and insurers we’re watching at JPM23 — and why

Combination treatment could provide new standard-of-care for aggressive lymphoma

After Dobbs, U.S. medical students head abroad for abortion training no longer provided by their schools

‘More evidence’ needed on providing PrEP in pharmacies

Relationships with Healthcare Providers | Case Study

EGFR inhibitor could provide major advance in lung cancer

‘Not possible’ to give advance notice of Pharmoutcomes updates, says provider

mRNA therapy could provide intracellular protein replacement for rare disease

Opinion: Health care providers need help to treat patients during extreme heat events

Mapping the Vertical Integration of Insurers, PBMs, Specialty Pharmacies, and Providers: A May 2024 Update

STAT+: Walmart may buy concierge Medicare Advantage provider ChenMed. But will it scale?

New palliative care standards provide ‘roadmap’ for pharmacies

Taking Full Advantage of Service Providers

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