Acetaminophen is a common drug used to treat pain and reduce fever. (Tylenol is a popular brand name for the drug.) But most of this over-the-counter medication comes from China, and at one point this year, the pandemic border closures and quarantine measures led to a shortage of it. In a new GHN Commentary, the CEO…
By Maria Thacker-Goethe We are seeing economic loss, strain on our health care systems and an unimaginable loss of life in our country due to the coronavirus pandemic. While we have confronted many challenges in the medical arena in recent months, our health care supply chain – which ensures that lifesaving medications are available to…
A meeting between President Trump and the pharmaceutical industry was called off Tuesday in the wake of his newly signed executive orders on drug prices. Trump signed four orders, including easing rules on drug imports from Canada and lowering the cost of insulin for some Americans. In a new GHN Commentary, former health care executive…
I support President Trump’s recently signed four pharmaceutical-related executive orders, especially his initiative to tie the Medicare Part B price of drugs to the lowest price received by other nations (“most favored nations” pricing). While it can be argued that his actions are political, they are still welcome. It should be noted that there’s still…
For several days now, an anti-malarial drug has been touted by President Trump and others as a promising treatment for COVID-19. The FDA, which has approved hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine as a treatment for malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, issued an emergency order recently allowing physicians to administer them to COVID-19 patients. But infectious disease experts…
“Corporate greed.’’ “Steering patients.’’ “No transparency.’’ Those phrases were used by Georgia lawmakers Thursday to characterize the complicated practices of pharmacy benefit managers. PBMs basically are corporate middlemen between health insurers or large employers and drugmakers in handling pharmaceutical benefits. A trio of House bills aim to strengthen regulation and scrutiny over the PBMs. One bill,…
A recent legislative hearing in Atlanta featured a stream of PBM critics. South Georgia pharmacist Nikki Bryant said PBMs are putting her out of business. Cancer patient Katie Groover said they have “exhausting” bureaucratic processes that “take away patient choice.’’ Dr. Melissa Dillmon, a Rome oncologist, said PBMs often cause delays for patients trying to get…
Curbing high drug prices is an issue that cuts across all political lines. In a new GHN Commentary, Della “Trip” Stoner says it’s time for Congress to act on the issue. She gives the example of insulin, which is used by people with diabetes. “The price of insulin has increased 700 percent over the last 20 years…
By Della “Trip” Stoner Price gouging by large, brand-name pharmaceutical companies has sparked a crisis of affordability for Georgia patients — a crisis that demands action from our elected officials in Washington. Insulin, a medication that I, like the approximately 1.1 million other Georgians living with diabetes, need every day to survive, provides a perfect illustration of…
Discounts on prescription drugs are a great thing for patients. They can also help hospitals. The 340B Drug Discount Program, in fact, requires drug companies to give deep price breaks to federally funded clinics and hospitals that serve many uninsured and vulnerable patients. But state Rep. Kim Schofield, in a new GHN Commentary, says some…