On May 24, an FDA advisory committee will meet to discuss the safety profile of Awiqli (insulin icodec), Novo Nordisk's long-lasting insulin, after a study showed the drug poses an increased risk of hypoglycemia to users. 

Drugmaker price hikes that have occurred in tandem with ongoing drug shortages have not only created headaches for both hospitals and providers  — but also jeopardized patient access to care, according to an analysis published May 22 by the American Hospital Association. 

In recent years, the pharmacy team at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center identified a recurring challenge with operating room inventory: after medications were stocked in the anesthesia workstations (AWS), visibility of that inventory diminished.

About a month after the number of ongoing drug shortages reached a 23-year record, more than four dozen patient advocacy groups wrote to legislators, urging them to address the shortages. 

Three judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Washington, D.C. Circuit ruled May 21 in favor of drug manufacturers' ability to limit sales and distribution of discounted drugs in the government's 340B drug pricing program.

In discussions about the evolution of the pharmacy sector, the role of specialty pharmacies in patient care is taking center stage. Major areas of focus include patient follow-up, care transitions and engagement. 

After positive results in phase 3 trials, a GSK experimental therapy could be the first ultra-long-acting biologic approved for severe asthma. 

Optum Rx, UnitedHealth Group's pharmacy benefit management company, unveiled a new pricing trend May 20 — following an industrywide trend of increasing transparency on medication costs. 

The FDA granted approval to Biocon Biologics' drug Yesafili and Samsung Bioepis and Biogen's drug Opuviz, the agency announced May 20. The two drugs are biosimilars for Eylea, an injection made by Regeneron that is used to treat wet age-related macular degeneration and other optical conditions. 

Within 90 days, Dallas-based Baylor Scott & White will close its pharmacy in Temple, Texas, a spokesperson confirmed with Becker's May 20. 

After hundreds of Kaiser Permanente pharmacy and imaging workers went on strike in late 2023, the health system reached an agreement with UFCW Local 555, a union spokesperson confirmed with Becker's May 20. 

On May 17, about 70 pharmacists and advocates protested outside an Express Scripts headquarters, according to a St. Louis Post Dispatch report. 

AstraZeneca has been ordered to pay $107.5 million to Pfizer in damages for infringing Pfizer's patents, Reuter's reported May 17.

Across nine states and Washington, D.C., some Ascension pharmacies cannot fill prescriptions as the St. Louis-based health system works to recover from a May 8 cyberattack. 

Amgen's Imdelltra is the first and only T-cell engager therapy approved for extensive-stage small cell lung cancer, an aggressive, stubborn cancer that spreads through the body.

Ochsner Baton Rouge (La.) has opened a new outpatient and home infusion pharmacy for chronic, specialty and acute home infusion therapies.

The FDA is warning healthcare professionals about compatibility issues between autoinjectors and glatiramer acetate injections, which are approved to treat relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis. 

The importance of operational fitness, organizing for growth, supporting changing care models, and addressing patient access challenges in the healthcare industry were outlined by Jeff Reichard, PharmD, executive director of pharmacy operations at UNC Health at Becker's 14th  Annual Meeting held in Chicago.

The FDA has granted accelerated approval to Bristol Myers Squibb's Breyanzi, a CAR T-cell therapy indicated for types of lymphoma and leukemia. 

Walgreens will sell a low-cost, over-the-counter version of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, the company said May 15.