March 1st 2022
Despite the promise of savings billions of dollars in the United States, adoption of biosimilars has been slow. A roundtable discussion among employers highlighted some of the barriers, including formulary design and drug pricing and rebates.
Von Eschenbach sworn in as FDA commissioner; 2007 may be year of reform at agency
January 1st 2007In an 80-to-11 vote in December 2006, the US Senate confirmed Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, as commissioner of FDA. The nomination process included multiple holds by members of both political parties, which delayed his confirmation.
Personal health records go portable; hospitals tap into translation services by video
January 1st 2007Five of the nation's largest employers plan to offer employees access to their own portable electronically based medical records that they can use when they travel, see a new doctor, or change jobs to retain information about their healthcare, including medications.
Crohn's disease: certolizumab, adalimumab demonstrate efficacy in prior users of infliximab
January 1st 2007Certolizumab and adalimumab demonstrated efficacy in inducing and maintaining response in patients with Crohn's disease who have lost response or are intolerant to infliximab, reported researchers at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) Annual Scientific Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.
Oral fingolimod demonstrates reduced MS activity at end of 1- and 2-year treatment periods
January 1st 2007Fingolimid, an investigational oral agent, significantly reduces disease activity and the number of relapses among patients with relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to phase 2 results presented at the 131st Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association in Chicago, Ill.
Effects of evidence-based formulary restrictions at a Veterans Affairs medical center
December 1st 2006The Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center restructured its formulary system in 2003, creating a system of restrictive criteria for certain drugs to improve pharmaceutical cost effectiveness by enforcing evidence-based indications in the prescription system. The new criteria-restriction system required the use of formulary drugs as first-line therapy; prescriptions for nonpreferred, criteria-restricted drugs had to be justified by the prescriber at the time of prescription in accordance with the criteria established by the pharmacy and therapeutics (P&T) committee. To determine the effects of the system on cost avoidance and prescriber opinion, we analyzed drug utilization statistics and surveyed prescribers. Analysis demonstrated that the criteria-restriction system was an effective cost-avoidance tool because inappropriate prescriptions for restricted, high-cost drugs were curtailed in favor of lower-cost formulary alternatives. The total cost avoidance observed after placing 15 outpatient drugs in..
Clinical news updates from the 2006 AHA Scientific Sessions
December 1st 2006The American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions comprise the world's largest conference for scientists and healthcare professionals focusing on cardiovascular disease. The 2006 AHA Scientific Sessions, which took place Nov. 12–15 in Chicago, Ill, featured invited lectures and investigative reports. The conference included presentations on trials that evaluated investigational therapeutic agents, existing drugs and drug-related devices, and approved agents in alternative regimens or for alternative indications.
ADEs responsible for more than 700,000 visits to US emergency departments in 2004 and 2005
December 1st 2006Adverse drug events (ADEs) led to the treatment of an estimated 701,547 patients in US emergency departments (EDs) in 2004 and 2005, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Significantly, those patients ?65 years of age were 2 times more likely to have ED treatment for an ADE and approximately 7 times more likely to need hospitalization than their younger counterparts.
Pharmacist intervention improves medication adherence, leads to risk factor improvement
November 13th 2006Pharmacist-directed education combined with prepackaging of medications increases compliance with medication schedules, leading to improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels among elderly patients, according to a study headed by Allen J. Taylor, MD.
New anticoagulant drug-plus-antidote system passes initial safety trials
November 13th 2006The first-ever anticoagulant drug-plus-antidote system has passed initial safety trials at Duke University in Durham, N.C. The new platform combines a short nucleic acid chain that quickly blocks clotting with an antidote that removes the clotting blockage in minutes.
PBMs lukewarm to cost-cutting benefits of dose consolidation
November 1st 2006Dose consolidation is receiving mixed reviews as a cost-cutting strategy, according to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Although a study by Express Scripts, based in St. Louis, Mo, indicates that savings opportunities are limited, other PBMs have realized more value. With prescription drugs accounting for 10% of total healthcare expenditures according to the California Healthcare Foundation's third Health Care Costs 101 report, various cost-cutting strategies are worth exploring.
Generic medication discounts from retailers seek to limit patients' out-of-pocket cost-sharing
November 1st 2006Wal-Mart recently announced a pilot program in Florida to sell 30-day prescriptions of approximately 300 generic medications for $4 each. At press time, Wal-Mart announced it will be rolling out the $4 generic prescription program in 26 additional states-3 months earlier than expected-reportedly because of consumer demand. Wal-Mart said 88,235 new prescriptions were filled in the 10 days after the initial rollout.
Institute of Medicine report calls for extensive overhaul of drug safety procedures at FDA, CDER
November 1st 2006FDA's withdrawal of rofecoxib (Vioxx, Merck) in 2004 and other controversies have prompted numerous reports from legislators, the scientific community, and others calling for substantial changes in FDA's and its Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's (CDER's) roles as the nation's overseers of medication safety. The outcry for FDA reform reached another peak in late September when a committee convened by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies released its report, "The Future of Drug Safety," which recommended a "coherent and integrative approach" to transform the agency and a pharmaceutical industry that the committee says has had its credibility "compromised" in the eyes of the public.
Transdermal rotigotine reduces motor symptoms in early Parkinson disease
November 1st 2006A once-daily transdermal patch containing the dopamine receptor agonist rotigotine appears to be well tolerated, provides sustained relief from motor symptoms associated with Parkinson disease (PD), and has few dopaminergic adverse effects, particularly among elderly patients, reported Ray L. Watts, MD, and colleagues at the American Neurological Association 131st Annual Meeting, and Jack J. Chen, PharmD, and colleagues at the 2006 American College of Clinical Pharmacy Annual Meeting. Transdermal rotigotine is currently being reviewed by FDA for the treatment of early PD.
Focus on 2006: A year of novel pharmacologic agents in review
November 1st 2006So far this year, Formulary has examined 10 newly approved or investigational drugs of interest to pharmacy and therapeutics committee members through our "Focus on" articles. Because many readers have expressed that this information is useful when making formulary decisions for their hospitals, health systems, or managed care organizations, Formulary has compiled this late-year review of these new and emerging agents, along with updates on the regulatory status of each.
Rimonabant: A novel CB1 receptor antagonist for the treatment of obesity
November 1st 2006Obesity is on the rise in the United States, with 60.5% of the adult population overweight and 23.9% obese as of 2005. Up to 10% of an industrialized country's healthcare budget often can be spent on obesity and associated comorbidities.
New meta-analyses evaluate effect of COX-2 inhibitors on renal and CV events, including arrhythmia
November 1st 2006Two recent analyses published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) evaluating the adverse risks of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors offered continued support for the 2004 decision to remove rofecoxib from world markets. The research also demonstrated a lack of association between celecoxib and adverse cardiovascular and renal effects.
Pharmacy benefit trends, other industry topics to be explored at AMCP Educational Conference
October 3rd 2006The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's (AMCP) 2006 Educational Conference begins at noon Oct. 4 at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago. Attendees from healthcare organizations, government agencies, academia and the pharmacy industry will be exploring the fast-changing issues driving pharmacy benefit design.