Former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, is defending his decision to join the board of a drug company he once regulated, saying he is "very proud" of his new role at Pfizer, according to CNBC.

Controlling drug spending is top-of-mind for many healthcare leaders, especially as declining reimbursements and increasing drug costs cut into hospital margins.

Pharmaceutical companies have raised the prices of 3,400 drugs this year, 17 percent more than during the same period last year, according to a new Rx Savings Solutions analysis cited by CBS News. 

Becker's Hospital Review has reported the following six drug, biotech or retail pharmacy company layoffs in the last two weeks. They are listed below, beginning with the most recent.

The American Pain Society filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy June 28 and voted to cease operations altogether due to opioid-related legal costs.

The nation's first prescription drug affordability board will begin to take shape after a Maryland law allowing the creation of the board in went into effect July 1, according to WBAL NewsRadio. 

As part of a worldwide cost management program, Walgreens Boots Alliance is closing 200 drugstores in the U.K. and plans to close 750 of the Rite Aid stores the company acquired in 2018, according to Forbes. 

Below are 10 of the top pharmacy stories published by Becker's Hospital Review in June, beginning with the most popular:

As the shift to value-based care marches on, many hospitals and health systems are turning to the pharmacy for help to improve patient outcomes and achieve their strategic goals.

Two Texas physicians have sued the state pharmacy and medical board in an effort to lift the ban that prevents them from dispensing medication directly to their patients, according to the Statesman.