August 4, 2016—Drug manufacturers have been reporting quarterly best prices for brand-name drugs to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services higher than the same drugs' average manufacturer prices. … [Read more...]
Senator Wants to Know if Drugmakers Are Bilking Medicare Part D
Judiciary Committee Chairman Grassley asks CMS to investigateJuly 28, 2016—Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) wants the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to investigate "an alarming trend in spending growth" in the catastrophic coverage portion of Medicare's prescription drug benefit, including whether drug companies might be exploiting the benefit. … [Read more...]
HRSA Seeing “Great Trends” in 340B Audits
Fewer issues of any sort are turning upJuly 19, 2016—Adverse findings in 340B covered entity audits are trending downward this year and the Health Resources and Services Administration is "comfortable" the direction will continue, the head of HRSA's Office of Pharmacy Affairs said at the largest annual gathering of 340B stakeholders. OPA Director Capt. Krista Pedley delivered the good news about 340B provider … [Read more...]
House Appropriators Concerned About 340B Guidance and Ceiling Price Website
Committee proposes to level-fund office that administers drug discount programJuly 14, 2016—House appropriators are "concerned about the large number of negative comments on" the Health Resources and Service Administration's proposed 340B program omnibus guidance and HRSA's inability "to meet its own deadlines to complete work" on a statutorily mandated secure website to make 340B ceiling prices available to healthcare providers in the drug discount … [Read more...]
GAO Says New Drug Shortages Are Down, but Ongoing Shortages Persist
HHS: depending how one defines shortage, progress might be even greaterJuly 7, 2016—While the number of new drug shortages has generally decreased since 2011, the number of unresolved shortages has remained fairly high, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report. … [Read more...]
Valeant Posts 340B Overcharging Public Notice
Congress has been grilling the company over its massive price hikes on Isuprel and NitropressJuly 5, 2016—Valeant Pharmaceuticals, which is under congressional and Justice Department investigation for its prescription drug pricing, says it might have overcharged healthcare providers in the 340B program for three products between Aug. 4 and Sept. 8, 2015 and will issue the affected providers wholesaler credits. … [Read more...]
Best-selling Drug Prices Far Outpacing Inflation, Even With Discounts
Only six of 39 drugs Bloomberg studied had price increases in line with or below inflationJune 30, 2016—Thirty out of 39 medicines with global sales of more than $1 billion a year had price increases of more than double the rate of inflation from 2009 to 2015, even after estimated discounts were factored in, an analysis by Bloomberg reveals. Only six drugs had price increases in line with or below inflation. … [Read more...]