SCOTUS Case Hinges on ‘Weapon of Choice’ for Targeting Healthcare Fraud
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week on whether major pharmacies illegally overbilled Medicare and Medicaid for prescription drugs, a case that could weaken a key law the federal government uses to stamp out fraud. The case before the high court hinges on two whistleblower cases brought under the False Claims Act, a 19th-century […]
Senate Committee Puts PBMs Under the Microscope
Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — middlemen between pharmacies, health insurers, and drug companies — are responsible for driving up prescription drug prices and shuttering independent pharmacies, witnesses said during a hearing held by the Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee. Three of the four witnesses — an economist, a physician, and a pharmacist — called […]
Abortion Pill Can Be Dispensed in Retail Pharmacies, FDA Says
The FDA is now permitting mifepristone (Mifeprex), one of two drugs used for medication abortion, to be dispensed in retail pharmacies, the agency announced on Tuesday. Prior to this announcement, mifepristone could only be dispensed by some mail-order pharmacies, or in person by specially certified providers. This week’s decision will allow patients to pick up […]
Big data-derived tool facilitates closer monitoring of recovery from natural disasters
By analyzing peoples’ visitation patterns to essential establishments like pharmacies, religious centers and grocery stores during Hurricane Harvey, researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a framework to assess the recovery of communities after natural disasters in near real time. They said the information gleaned from their analysis would help federal agencies allocate resources equitably […]