Insight, analysis & opinion from Joe Paduda
Last week I posted on the perils of evaluating hospitals on the basis of ‘discounts’, noting that some hospitals’ charge to cost ratios are so high that it is relatively easy for them to offer large discounts – it’s the … Continue reading Why state reform initiatives won’t work
Read More...If you’ve been wondering why your company is paying so much for high-powered pain medications, here’s why. Cephalon, manufacturer of Actiq and Fentora, has: “agreed to plead guilty to promoting off label use of its painkiller Actiq–which was widely used … Continue reading Cephalon – the worst of the worst
Read More...Regulators are increasingly seeking politically low-cost ways to reduce workers comp costs. Some have decided to use the Medicaid reimbursement rate for drugs for Workers Comp, evidently figuring that if pharmacies accept it for Medicaid, they’ll do the same for … Continue reading Why Medicaid Rx reimbursement rates don’t make sense for Workers Comp
Read More...Because they can. Brand drug prices went up yet again last year, by over 7%. This on the heels of a similar price increase in 2006, which ‘coincidentally’ occurred after Part D went into effect and millions of seniors suddenly … Continue reading Why drug costs are going up.
Read More...The FDA has issued a warning notice for off-label use of Fentora after three deaths were linked to off-label usage of the fentanyl tablet. One issue may be related to the substitution of Fentora for another powerful pain medication, Actiq. … Continue reading Warning on Fentora
Read More...Sometimes it takes a few deaths for people to wake up. That appears to be the case with Fentora, the powerful narcotic manufactured by Cephalon. Four deaths have now been linked to Fentora, deaths that are all the more troubling … Continue reading The killer drug
Read More...My firm has conducted a survey of pharmacy benefit management in workers comp each year for the past four, and the latest has been completed. Executives in managed care and claims as well as program managers from 20+ payers responded … Continue reading Pharmacy benefit management in Workers Comp – Survey results
Read More...My post on the efforts by WCPA and others to roll back parts of the NY workers comp reforms has generated a lot of criticism by individuals who appear to consider themselves advocates for the injured worker. My motives, intelligence, … Continue reading PBMs and retail pharmacies
Read More...Pharmacy and Therapeutics committees have been around for ages in the provider community – they are the “link between medicine and pharmacy”. In the managed care world, P&T committees take on a somewhat different role, establishing formularies, reviewing medical device … Continue reading You need a P&T Committee
Read More...Actiq has hit the big-time. Newsweek’s latest edition will feature an article on the off-label prescribing of the highly potent narcotic lollypop, an article noting that as much as 80% of scripts for Actiq are for off-label use. Sources indicate … Continue reading UPDATE – The lollypop story gets big
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