Pharmacy

If Purdue Pharma files for bankruptcy to protect itself from thousands of lawsuits claiming the OxyContin maker contributed to the nationwide opioid epidemic, some of its newly created subsidiaries will likely come under scrutiny, according to a STAT news report.

Pharmaceutical companies such as Genentech and AmerisourceBergen Corp. are testing different blockchains to determine whether the technology can track counterfeit drugs, according to Bloomberg Law.

Faced with rising drug costs and shrinking reimbursements, hospitals must look to optimize every area of their organization. Because medications impact virtually every service line of the hospital, the pharmacy is powerful – and often under-utilized – center of innovation.

Here are 10 hospitals and health systems that posted job listings seeking pharmacy leaders in the last week.

In a move to enhance its cancer drug pipeline, AstraZeneca agreed to pay up to $6.9 billion to a Japanese drugmaker for the shared rights to a new cancer drug, according to The Wall Street Journal.

North Chicago, Ill.-based AbbVie will lay off 178 workers from its Stemcentrx unit, which the drugmaker acquired for $5.8 billion three years ago, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, Colo., will establish its own in-house pharmacy for patients and employees, according to the Ark Valley Voice.

A majority of hospital pharmacists in the U.S. deal with at least 50 drug shortages each year, which often results in rationing lifesaving medications, a new study published in JAMA found.

Following its rival drugstore chain CVS Health, Walgreens plans to sell CBD creams, patches and sprays in 1,500 stores in nine states, according to CNBC.

Novartis won approval for its multiple sclerosis drug Mayzent, which will launch at a price of $88,000 annually, according to Reuters.