Several "perverse" incentives for drugmakers have led to artificially high prices for insulin, which is placing the lifesaving drug out of reach for patients, according to a bipartisan report released Nov. 1 and cited by The Hill.
Pharmacy
In the first earnings report after receiving federal approval for its proposed merger with Cigna, Express Scripts posted a third-quarter net income of $1.07 billion, a 27 percent year-over-year increase.
John Hammergren, McKesson's longtime chairman and CEO, will retire March 31, ending a 17-year career at the nation's largest pharmaceutical wholesaler.
UnitedHealthcare introduced a new program Oct. 29 that incentivizes members to choose less expensive prescription drugs.
As Pfizer attempts to shift its focus toward developing treatments with higher returns, the U.S. pharma giant is weighing the sale of its women's health division, which is valued at about $2 billion, according to Bloomberg.
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CVS is testing a membership program in Boston as Amazon pushes into prescription drug delivery, according to CNBC.
Regional hospitals in the U.S. are banding together to attract more lucrative drug trials to their facilities, according to Bloomberg.
Rite Aid shareholders voted down the pharmacy chain's "say on pay" proposal at its annual meeting Oct. 30, demonstrating their disapproval with executive compensation for the 2018 fiscal year, according to Bloomberg.
Two former executives from Valeant Pharmaceuticals and mail-order pharmacy Philidor Rx Services were sentenced to one year in prison and ordered to forfeit $9.7 million for defrauding the drugmaker through a secret kickback scheme, according to CNBC.
Hospital leaders are challenged with expanding pharmacy services to execute strategic initiatives while controlling labor costs.