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Regulatory and Washington

  • PhRMA taps Brian Toohey to head international advocacy
    WASHINGTON — The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America on Thursday announced the addition of Brian Toohey as SVP international advocacy, effective July 11. 
     
    Toohey is the former president and CEO of the Semiconductor Industry Association, where he oversaw that industry’s federal advocacy, international trade and technology programs. Before joining the SIA, Toohey had been at PhRMA, first as a lead international lobbyist and then as the leader of its international advocacy team. 
     

  • Senators, U.S. Rep introduce bill to shorten length of biologics exclusivity
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky and Sens. Sherrod Brown and John McCain on Thursday introduced a piece of legislation aimed at shortening the period of exclusivity for brand-name biologics products. The Price Relief, Innovation and Competition for Essential Drugs (PRICED) Act would amend the Public Health Service act to change the exclusivity period from 12 years to seven years. 
     

  • WellCare of Georgia increases OTC, vision Medicaid benefits to boost preventative care

    ATLANTA - WellCare of Georgia, a subsidiary of WellCare Health Plans, enhanced its Medicaid benefits Thursday by adding new incentives to its healthy rewards program and increasing its over-the-counter and vision program benefits.

  • Letters to House Ways and Means Subcommittee underscore pharmacy value

    WASHINGTON - Reps. Todd Yong, R-Ind., and Ron Kind, D-Wis., issued statements this week to the United States House of Representatives’ Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health in support of pharmacists having a larger role in health care as part of a hearing on legislation to improve and sustain the Medicare program, the American Pharmacists Association reported Thursday.

  • Congress calls on CMS to finalize DIR guidance

    ALEXANDRIA, Va. - As many as 16 United States Senators and 30 members of the House of Representatives recently wrote to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, urging the agency to finalize its proposed guidance on how Medicare prescription drug plan sponsors report pharmacy price concessions, often referred to as direct and indirect remuneration (DIR) fees, to provide more accurate information to beneficiaries, pharmacies and the federal government.

  • CDC's ACIP recommends against 'nasal spray' flu vaccine for next season

    ATLANTA - The Center for Disease Control and Prevention's  Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Wednesday voted that live attenuated influenza vaccine, also known as the “nasal spray” flu vaccine, should not be used during the 2016-2017 flu season.

    ACIP continues to recommend annual flu vaccination, with either the inactivated influenza vaccine or recombinant influenza vaccine, for everyone 6 months and older.

  • Pro-generics access bill gets Senate subcommittee hearing
    WASHINGTON — The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights on Tuesday held a hearing on the Creating and Restoring Equal Access to Equivalent Samples (CREATES) Act, a piece of legislation that was introduced last week that could increase patient access to generics if passed. 
     

  • Texas to enable pharmacists to dispense naloxone

    AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Pharmacy Association last week announced the implementation of an expansive physician-authorized "standing order" regarding the dispensing of naloxone. Effective Aug. 1, the standing order will allow Texas pharmacists to dispense the fast-acting antidote for opioid overdose to patients.

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