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Generic Drugs' Effect on Health Costs Unclear, GAO Says
Generic drugs were substituted for brand-name drugs 93% of the time in 2010, but whether increased use of generics is actually saving money is up for debate, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Studies looking at cost savings from use of generic drugs "had mixed results regarding the effect of using these generics, in that some found they raised healthcare costs, while others found they led to cost savings," wrote the authors of a GAO report released Thursday.
The GAO report was requested by Sen. Orrin Hatch, co-author of the 1984 Hatch-Waxman Act, which paved the way for a major increase in the number of generic drugs. In the early 1980s, there were generic versions of just 35% of the top-selling drugs with expired patents; by the late 1990s, almost all of them had generic versions.
Prescription drug spending more than tripled from 2001 and topped $307 billion in 2010, making up 12% of all healthcare spending in the country, the GAO researchers wrote.
Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/7s37fjj
Source: MedPage Today
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Lack of Mutations Associated With Favorable Prognosis in MPN-U
April 25th 2024While the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System and bone marrow blasts may predict overall survival, the lack of certain mutations is also associated with a better prognosis for myeloproliferative neoplasm, unclassifiable (MPN-U).
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Empowering Community Health Through Wellness and Faith
April 23rd 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. In the third episode, Camille Clarke-Smith, EdD, MS, CHES, CPT, discusses approaching community health holistically through spiritual and community engagement.
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HOPE-CAT Can Identify Maternal Cardiovascular Risk 2 Months Earlier Than Doctors, Study Says
April 25th 2024In a retrospective study, the machine learning tool was able to screen for potential risks of cardiovascular disease nearly 60 days before the patient's medical record showed any signs of a related condition or before they were officially diagnosed or treated for it.
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