Nashville, Tenn.-based Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy has appointed Ryan Nix, PharmD, as its new executive director.  Dr. Nix has been with Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy since 2017, most recently serving as senior director for the program, according to a recent LinkedIn post. …

Vaccines have the potential to reduce global antibiotic use by 2.5 billion doses a year, according to a report from Wellcome Trust, which underscores their role in curbing antimicrobial resistance.  The report presents findings from 11 Wellcome Trust-funded research projects…

Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Co. is rapidly scaling its affiliate pharmacy network, which is designed to support independent and grocery chain pharmacies, as well as consumers, with transparent drug pricing and expanded patient access.  Here are five details to…

Bend, Ore.-based St. Charles Health System opened a new community pharmacy in Madras, Ore., with an aim to improve medication access amid a growing trend of pharmacy closures.  The pharmacy will serve residents of Jefferson County and surrounding areas, offering…

A commonly used arthritis medication failed to improve symptoms in people with a specific form of knee osteoarthritis, according to an article published June 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine. In a randomized clinical trial, researchers tested low-dose methotrexate, a drug…

Avita Health System, which operates two critical access hospitals and one small acute care hospital in rural Ohio, has helped patients access $10.8 million worth of medications through a program launched in 2022, according to a May 29 article on…

The FDA has approved Moderna’s latest COVID-19 vaccine, mNEXSPIKE, for more limited use than its earlier versions.  The new shot is authorized only for adults 65 and older and for people ages 12-64 who have at least one underlying health…

Lawmakers in states across the country are advancing legislation to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. New bills in North Carolina and Illinois aim to curb practices critics claim inflate drug prices and threaten survival of independent pharmacies.  Here are four notes: 

HHS has proposed oversight of the 340B drug pricing program to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of a broader reorganization.  The move, initially referenced in a preliminary memo from White House officials in April, would place…

CVS Health and Express Scripts, two of the nation’s largest pharmacy benefit managers, have filed separate lawsuits challenging a new Arkansas law that restricts PBMs and their affiliated pharmacies from dispensing medications within the state.  CVS Health and Express Scripts…