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What We’re Reading: Cancer Drug Imports; Mental Health Respites; Xylazine Testing
FDA to import cancer drugs from China; respite programs offer a safe environment for people who experience mental health crisis; White House officials call for more xylazine testing.
FDA Plans to Import Cancer Drugs from China Due to US Shortages
The FDA has rolled out plans to import more cancer drugs from China amid drug shortages in the United States, according to The Hill. On Monday, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed that it will allow 10 additional lots of the cancer drug cisplatin to be distributed by a Chinese drug manufacturing company, Qilu Pharmaceutical. Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy drug in the US, but the cisplatin product being imported, which is manufactured and marketed in China, is not technically FDA approved.
Rural Peer Respites Offer Support Amid a National Mental Health Crisis
Mental health respite facilities provide a short-term, homelike environment for people who experience mental health crises who don’t need immediate medical care, according to Kaiser Health News. Heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, these respite facilities have been popping up in dozens of states across the United States. Public health officials believe that these facilities hold promise for improving mental health care and reducing suicide risks.
Ramping Up Testing to Curb Xylazine in Nation’s Illicit Drug Supply
On Tuesday, White House officials announced the need for more testing, treatments, and plans to combat the use of xylazine, also known as tranq, which has been found in fentanyl and other illicit opioids, according to The Associated Press. Back in April, xylazine-laced fentanyl was marked as an “emerging threat,” as it can cause breathing and heart rates to drop to dangerous levels when used by humans. Several bills in Congress plan to restrict the use of xylazine without losing its legitimate use by veterinarians, farmers, and others who regularly work with the drug for sedating horses, sheep, and other animals.
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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Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
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Industry Experts Tackle Specialty Drug Access Challenges for Employer Benefit Plans
May 2nd 2024Representatives from ICON plc and Symphony Health joined forces at AXS24 to discuss the challenges of managing high-cost specialty drugs and how they influence self-funded employer benefit plan design and employee access to specialty medications.
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The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued letters to 10 companies to warn them that certain drug patents were improperly listed; the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will begin testing ground beef for bird flu particles; rural Americans are more likely to die early from 1 of the 5 leading causes of death than those who live in urban areas.
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