FDA Approvals Surpass 2016
With the 23rd drug approved by the FDA, more drugs have been approved just halfway through 2017 than were approved in all of 2016. According to FiercePharma, the new crop of approved drugs haven’t been without controversy. There was at least one pricing controversy as a decades-old steroid available for $1000 abroad was approved in the United States to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy and received an $89,000 price tag. Plus, a drug approved to treat an ultrarare disease is now one of the most expensive drugs in the world, priced at $702,000.
House Bill Would Cap Malpractice Awards
A bill in the House of Representatives would cap the amount awarded in a malpractice suit for non-economic damages at $250,000. Kaiser Health News reported that the bill is part of a package of reforms to supplement the House’s healthcare bill, the American Health Care Act, which would repeal and replace large parts of the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration has pledged support, but there is heavy opposition from patient advocates and some conservatives who believe states should determine tort law rules.
Illegal Immigrants Avoid Getting Care
A new article from The New York Times highlights the challenges of delivering care to undocumented immigrants who are afraid to seek care. Since the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigrants, clinics have reported a decrease in the number of appointments with this population. Some providers have gone the extra mile to take care for these patients into their own hands, picking up prescriptions some people are too scared to get on their own and delivering them to patients’ houses.
Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 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. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
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An Overview of Health Care and Pharmaceutical Trends, 2023-2024
April 19th 2024Douglas M. Long, BA, MBA, was featured as the keynote speaker on the closing day of The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting, with a session dedicated to surveying the health care and pharmaceutical trends of the last year.
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Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
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Government agencies have created an online portal for the public to report potential anticompetitive practices in health care; there are changes coming to the “boxed warning” section for chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies (CAR T) to highlight T-cell blood cancer risk; questions about the safety of obesity medications during pregnancy have arisen in women on them who previously struggled with fertility issues.
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