Drug Cost Management Report

View more issues: May 2003, June 2003, July 25, 2003

Articles in July 11, 2003, issue of Drug Cost Management Report

• Health Net of California is implementing a new tool that electronically prompts doctors to prescribe generics - Drug Cost Strategies in Brief - Brief Article
• Massachusetts Medicaid has abandoned a proposal to restrict coverage of antipsychotics - Government Issues in Brief - Brief Article
• Most cases of depression are treated by primary care physicians, and most of these patients are not receiving optimal treatment - Drug Cost Strategies in Brief - Brief Article
• National Medical Health Care Systems, Inc. has opened a new mail-order pharmacy division - dba NMHCRx - Company News in Brief - Brief Article
• Medicare drug benefit poses some opportunities, and maybe a few threats
• Xolair , the much-anticipated anti-IgE asthma treatment, is now available from Genentech - omalizumab - Product News in Brief - Brief Article
• MIM Corporation lost its TennCare contract as of July 1 - Company News in Brief - Brief Article
• Impact of new FDA generics rule on payers depends on effect on drugs' availability
• FDA approved AstraZeneca LP's Prilosec last month for over-the-counter sale - Product News in Brief - Brief Article
• The American Medical Association has adopted new guidelines regarding the use of Internet-based prescribing technologies - AMA - Company News in Brief - Brief Article
• Express Scripts, Medco praise generics for drug trend slowdown
• An FDA panel has recommended that growth hormone therapy may be marketed to children who are abnormally short - Product News in Brief - Brief Article
• National PBM NationsRx, Inc. is teaming up with disease management software and services firm I-trax, Inc - Company News in Brief - Brief Article
• DUR programs bring therapy changes for Express Scripts members - Brief Article
• President Bush's 2004 budget request would provide a $13 million booster shot for the administration's generic pharmaceutical program - Government Issues in Brief - Brief Article
• Keystone Mercy Health Plan has contracted with MedInitiatives to provide technology that integrates pharmacy, medical and clinical data for total health management - Company News in Brief - Brief Article
• Essentials for cost-effective, win-win injectables management
  by Chris Nee
• TennCare began phasing in a statewide preferred drug list as of July 1 - PDL - Government Issues in Brief - Brief Article
• Express Scripts unveiled a new pharmacy benefit plan designed to offer more choice to consumers - Company News in Brief - Brief Article
• OIG Pharma guidelines have implications for PBMs, payers
• New Jersey is considering a PDL as part of its fiscal year 2004 budget - Government Issues in Brief - Brief Article
• A new Harris Interactive survey indicates that Americans may be getting used to higher drug prices - Drug Cost Studies in Brief - Brief Article
• Michigan Blues members who do not have drug coverage are still eligible for discounts on their prescription drugs - Drug Cost Strategies in Brief - Brief Article
• Massachusetts biotech firms are speaking out against state budget proposals that they say will impose price controls on new biotech drugs - Government Issues in Brief - Brief Article
• The National Association of Chain Drug Stores Foundation reports that there are more than 5,000 vacant pharmacist positions at chain pharmacies - NACDS - Drug Cost Studies in Brief - Brief Article
• Andrx Corporation is offering a prescription drug assistance program for Altocor extended release tablets for cholesterol therapy - lovastatin - Drug Cost Strategies in Brief - Brief Article
• In Florida, a settlement agreement guarantees that Medicaid and Medically Needy recipients who are denied coverage of prescriptions will get a written notice explaining the reason the claim is rejected and how to appeal the decision - Government Issues in