Senior citizens are denied prescriptions millions of times each year at the pharmacy counter because the drugs are not covered by their Medicare plan, according to a report published Sept. 18 by the Office of the Inspector General.
Pharmacy
India's Dr. Reddy's Laboratories is the latest drugmaker to stop distribution of ranitidine, the generic version of Zantac, after a potential cancer-causing impurity was found in the drug, according to Bloomberg.
Using drugs to treat conditions they are not FDA approved for, known as off-label use, is exacerbating the drug shortage problem, according to a Kaiser Health News article published by The Washington Post.
The FDA has approved Rybelsus, the first oral tablet to control blood sugar in patients with Type 2 diabetes.
The FDA finalized guidelines Sept. 18 for submitting petitions against new drug applications in an effort to prevent drug companies from slowing down the approval process of a rival drug.
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Pharmacists can play an important part in preventing the outbreak of Hepatitis A, according to Drug Topics.
PillPack, the online pharmacy acquired by Amazon last year, has new employees undergo a half hour of empathy training that includes sorting pills while wearing oversized gloves and thick prescription glasses, according to CNBC.
Torrent Pharmaceuticals is expanding a recall of its losartan blood pressure tablets after detecting trace amounts of a probable cancer-causing impurity.
Republican senators from Minnesota unveiled a bill Sept. 19 that would require drugmakers to provide free insulin to eligible patients for up to a year, according to the Pioneer Press.
In its Drug Pipeline Insights report for the third quarter, OptumRx highlights five drugs under FDA review that may soon make waves in the healthcare industry for clinical quality, effectiveness and cost. They are listed below: