Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New Type Of Pharmacy Is Emerging To Handle Growing Number Of Costly Treatments For Complex Diseases
The New York Times: Specialty Pharmacies Proliferate, Along With Questions
As the end of each month nears, Megan Short frets. Her 1-year-old daughter, Willow, cannot afford to miss even a single dose of a drug she takes daily to prevent her body from rejecting her transplanted heart. Because of stringent rules from her drug plan and the pharmacy she is required to use, Ms. Short cannot order a refill until her monthly supply is three-quarters gone. Yet processing a refill takes about seven days, making it touch and go whether the new shipment will arrive before the old one runs out. (Thomas and Pollack, 7/15)
The Wall Street Journal's Pharmalot: Pharma Boosts Support For Continuing Medical Education, But Only A Little
Amid ongoing scrutiny of industry influence over medical practice and research, new figures show that companies increased their spending on continuing medical education last year by 2%. Although this represents a modest uptick, the report suggests that spending by drug and device makers has leveled off in recent years in response to sustained controversy over CME funding. (Silverman, 7/15)
Meanwhile, other news outlets offer these reports on drug costs and dosage concerns -
The Charlotte Observer: Cancer Patients Saw Costs Jump
Jimmy White of Charlotte is an example of a cancer patient whose out-of-pocket bills jumped when he switched from injections to pills. Although he is covered by Medicare and his out-of-pocket costs would not be affected by a change in state law, his situation is similar to that of privately insured patients who would benefit from the proposed “oral chemo parity” bill. In 2013, when White, 75, got chemotherapy injections to treat his rare cancer, Medicare and private insurance covered the entire cost – $3,360 per week over nine months. (Garloch, 7/15)
ProPublica: How Much Acetaminophen A Day Is Safe? Canada Decides It's Less
Canada’s top health agency is considering lowering the maximum recommended daily dose of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol and other pain relievers. Citing the risk of liver damage from overdosing on the popular pain medication, Health Canada announced it will review changes to labels, the creation of an educational awareness campaign and possible revisions to dosage recommendations. Acetaminophen is considered safe when taken at recommended doses. Tens of millions of people use it weekly with no ill effect. But in larger amounts, especially in combination with alcohol, the drug can damage or even destroy the liver. In severe cases, acetaminophen overdose can cause death. (Miller and Gerth, 7/15)
