Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Balmy breezes and clear blue skies are enveloping the Pharmalot campus, where the official mascot is eagerly awaiting his first constitutional of the day and the short person is sleeping in. As for us, we are busy firing up the coffee kettle to brew yet another cup of stimulation — our choice today is peppermint mocha — and scouring for items of interest. Speaking of which, here is the latest rundown. We hope your day is simply smashing and encourage you to keep in touch, since we are always appreciative of your postcards and telegrams containing tips and secrets. Best of luck today. …
For the first time, retail pharmacies will be allowed to offer abortion pills in the U.S. under a regulatory change made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, a move that could significantly expand access to abortion through medication, The New York Times writes. Until now, mifepristone — the first pill used in the two-drug medication abortion regimen — could be dispensed only by a few mail-order pharmacies or by specially certified doctors or clinics. Under the rules, patients will still need a prescription from a certified health care provider, but any pharmacy that agrees to accept those prescriptions and abide by certain other criteria can dispense the pills in its stores and by mail order.
If rebates had been required for price hikes on most of the nearly 100 medicines covered by Medicare during a recent three-year period, the U.S. government program would have saved $3.7 billion, or 3% of the total spending on so-called Part B medicines, STAT writes, citing a new analysis. More specifically, 70 of the 93 top-selling drugs covered by the Medicare Part B program – which are typically pricier medicines that are administered by physicians or in hospitals – between 2018 and 2020 would have been subject to inflationary rebates each year. Most of these medicines were used to treat different forms of cancer and immune-system disorders.
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