Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Volume Of Narcotics, Generics Prescribed To Seniors Detailed In Massive Data Release
USA Today: Government Releases Huge Data Set On Drugs Prescribed To Seniors
An unprecedented public release of federal Medicare drug data this week allows Americans to learn more about which drugs are being prescribed most to senior citizens and how much they cost the health care system. The data, released by the U.S.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, shows which drugs were prescribed, by whom, to Medicare Part D beneficiaries, allowing researchers to look at issues such as generics versus brand names and the volume of narcotic painkillers being prescribed. (Ungar, 5/1)
The Wall Street Journal: Generic Vicodin Was A Top Medicare Drug In 2013, Data Shows
Generic Vicodin’s ranking as the drug most widely prescribed to Medicare beneficiaries in 2013 illustrates how comfortable doctors have become reaching for this powerful painkiller for primary care, despite its potential for abuse. An analysis of data released last week on Medicare’s prescription-drug program found that more than half of the prescriptions for the drug, known generically as hydrocodone acetaminophen, came from family-practice or internal-medicine physicians. Those two specialties represented just under a quarter of the more than one million providers in the data. (Wilde Mathews and Beck, 5/3)
The Associated Press: Medicare Data Show Contrast In Generic, Brand Prescribing
The most-used medicines in Medicare’s prescription drug program are generics, but the program spends the most on brand-name drugs, led by the heartburn treatment Nexium, according to an unprecedented release of government data on Thursday. That contrast sheds light on prescribing practices and how they might be used to save money, specialists say. (Neergaard, 5/1)
Kaiser Health News: Medicare Itemizes Its $103 Billion Drug Bill
The federal government popped the cap off drug spending on Thursday, detailing doctor-by-doctor and drug-by-drug how Medicare and its beneficiaries spent $103 billion on pharmaceuticals in 2013. The data show that 14 drugs cost the federal government and Medicare beneficiaries more than $1 billion each, accounting for nearly a quarter of Medicare prescription drug spending in 2013. Most of those drugs are used to treat chronic conditions that plague the elderly, including diabetes, depression, high cholesterol and blood pressure, dementia and asthma. (Rau, 5/30)
