NLARx Newsletter Header
NLARx News
August 27, 2008
In This Issue
NLARX News
Conference
Outrage of the Week
In the States
Prices & Health Costs
Pharma Watch
Fraud & Abuse
Conflicts of Interest
Privacy
PBM Watch
Advertising & Marketing
Medicare
Medicaid
Generics & Patents
Safety & Clinical Trials
Website of Interest
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NLARx News
State Policy Options - 340B Challenges and Opportunities More
State Legislatures Magazine Features NLARx Members: "Marketing Drugs - Debating the Real Cost"  More

Upcoming Conference
2008 International Symposium on Pharmaceuticals in the Home and Environment: Catalysts for Change More
Outrages of the Week
Advocates to Channel One: Stop Marketing Prescription Drugs to Children More
Ex-Exec Suing Wellpoint: Says He Was Axed For Testifying In Drug Case More

In the States
Massachusetts: New Health Care Law Includes Marketing Disclosure, Ethics, Academic Detailing More
Gov. Patrick Signs MA Cost Containment Bill, Pharma Restrictions More
439,000 More Residents Insured Since 2006 Enactment of Mass Universal Health Insurance Law More
California: Proposed Medicaid Changes Could Drive Up Health Insurance Premiums, Report Finds More
Arizona: Universal Healthcare Initiative on Ballot More
New Hampshire: Legislators Seek Criminal Probe Into Antipsychotics Marketing to Children More
West Virginia: Testimony before Legislature on the Regulation of the Use of Prescription Data More

Prices & Health Costs
Study: Uninsured U.S. Residents Will Spend $30B Out-of-Pocket on Health Care This Year, While Receiving $56B in Uncompensated Care More
Commonwealth Fund Survey Shows More U.S. Residents Unable To Pay Medical Bills More
Prices for some drugs skyrocket More
Merck Freezes Price Of AIDS Drug For States More
Presentations at the 12th Annual 340B Coalition Conference on Improving Access to Pharmaceutical Care and Ensuring Compliance with State and Federal Laws More
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll - August 2008 More
Gardasil Isn't Worth The Cost For Women Over 18 More

Pharma Watch
NEJM Files Amicus Brief in Supreme Court Preemption Case More
Corruption, Pharma $$, CMPI, MS&L, DrugWonks and the FDA More
FDA/DOJ Ranbaxy Investigation Bleeds Over to Capitol Hill More
The Flawed Case Against Canadian Drugs, Brought to You by Big Pharma More
Prescription Drugs Boost Novartis's Profit by 12% More
Pfizer's Net Rises on Global Sales; Profit Shrinks for Glaxo, Wyeth More

Fraud & Abuse
WellCare Agrees To Pay $35.2M in Medicaid Fraud Investigation More
Pharma's Black Market Boom More

Conflicts of Interest
Stanford to Limit Drug Maker Financing More
Proposed CME Changes Unnerve Some CME Firms More
Glaxo To Disclose Educational & Charitable Grants More

Privacy
HHS Office Resolves More Than Half of HIPAA Complaints Without Investigation More
Doctor Blogs Reveal Patient Info & Endorse Products More

PBM Watch
Prescription Data & Health Coverage More
CMS Proposes Limiting PBM Practice That Raises Costs for Some Medicare Drug Plan Beneficiaries More
Audit Report on PBM Contracts at Selected State Agencies and Higher Education Institutions More
CVS Deal Seen As Costly Way to Expand More
UnitedHealth's Results Spur Hope More

Advertising & Marketing
Senate, House Bill to Provide Doctors With Unbiased Information About Prescription Drugs More
States Consider Legislation To Restrict Data Mining Access to Physician Prescribing Information More
The next big IDEA: Prescriber education More
Massachusetts Leaders Nip, Tuck Healthcare Policy More
Congress Considering Legislation That Would Create Academic Detailing Program for Prescription Drugs More
FDA Warns Regenerative Sciences About Marketing Unlicensed Drug More
Prescriber Education Initiative - Major Step Toward Better Medicine More
PhRMA Claims Reps Don't Influence Prescribing Habits More
Merck Cancer Shot May Not Be Economical for All Women More
Drugmakers' Push Leads to Cancer Vaccines' Rise More
Just Saying No to Drug Reps More
FDA Unlikely to Catch All Off-Label Drug Promotion Violations, Report Says More
Pharma DTC Ads Portray Women as Weak and Battered Victims More
In Australia, Pfizer Is Guilty Of Discrediting Pharma More

Medicare
The Medicare Part D Coverage Gap: Costs and Consequences in 2007 More
GAO: Lack of CMS Oversight To Ensure Part D Plans Have Anti-Fraud Programs in Place 'Risks Significant Use of Funds,' More
Medicare Anti-Fraud Claims Misleading, According to Confidential OIG Draft Report More
Many Older Adults Cannot Find Most Beneficial Prescription Drug Plan on Medicare Web Site More
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Monthly Premiums To Increase by 12% to $28 in 2009 More
Washington Must Curb Medicare Waste, Fraud More

Medicaid
Budget Deficits Lead State Lawmakers To Consider Medicaid Program Cuts More
Amerigroup to Pay $225M To Settle Allegations It Denied Coverage of Pregnant, Sick Illinois Medicaid Beneficiaries More
CMS Official Expresses Concerns With Timeline, Scope of Texas Medicaid Overhaul Plan More
U.S. District Court Judge Temporarily Blocks Medi-Cal Cuts More

Generics & Patent Policy
Appeals Court Rules in AstraZeneca's Favor in Prilosec Case More
Walgreens Adds Punch to Drug-Price Battle More

Safety & Clinical Trials
Conflict of Interest Fears Halt Children's Mental Health Project More
The Flawed Case Against Canadian Drugs, Brought to You by Big Pharma More
New Standards For Kids' OTC Cold & Cough Meds More
Vytorin Cancer Risks Face Further FDA Scrutiny More
Indiana District Court Vacates Prior Preemption Ruling Concerning PAXIL More

Judge Reverses Preemption Ruling In Paxil Case More
NEJM Editors: Lawsuits Help Ensure Drug Safety More
Lawyers: Drugmakers Given Legal Shield By Rule More
FDA Issues New Rules on Product Warning Label Updates for Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices More
Adaptive Trial Designs Seen as Flexible, Cheaper More
FDA Orders Labeling Changes for ESAs More

Study Examines Cost-Effectiveness of HPV Vaccine More
U.S. Measles Cases Rise as Parents Avoid Vaccinations More

Interesting Websites
Civil Servant Disobedience: A Critical FDA Site More