Specialty Pharmacy

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A standards-development organization for the pharmacy services industry has updated a white paper on protecting consumers and patients from accidental overdoses of the painkiller acetaminophen.

The NCPDP announced the updated white paper, "NCPDP Recommendations for Improved Prescription Container Labels for Medicines Containing Acetaminophen Version 1.1."

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Armada Health Care will launch a new association of specialty pharmacy at its upcoming annual summit, the specialty pharmacy services company said Thursday.

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new drug for treating a rare cholesterol disorder, the agency said.

The FDA announced the approval of Kynamro (mipomersen sodium), made by Genzyme for the treatment of homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, or HoFH. Kynamro has been approved as an orphan drug, a designation the FDA gives to drugs that treat diseases affecting fewer than 200,000 people.

WAUKESHA, Wis. — Over-the-counter products across the front-end are becoming a more and more important profit driver for independent pharmacy operators, Hamacher Resource Group and the Healthcare Distribution Management Association revealed Wednesday as part of new research titled "Independent Pharmacy Shoppers: Who, What, and Why?" The report places a spotlight on the independent pharmacy front-end customer and helps identify shopper behaviors, purchase preferences and potential barriers that stand in the way of further engagement with independents.

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. — Aetna is offering individual health insurance plans to Costco members in California, the health insurer said.

The Costco Personal Health Insurance program includes five plans and offers broad medical benefits, dental options and a large network of doctors and hospitals. The program also is available to members of the club retailer in Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia. Aetna plans to expand the program to other markets in the coming months.

NEW YORK — The battle against biogenerics is on, noted a report published in The New York Times Tuesday.  As many as eight states have introduced legislation that would restrict generic competition of biological pharamceuticals so far this year and one, the Virginia House of Delegates, already passed such a measure by a 91-to-6 vote. 

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a regulatory approval application from Genzyme for an experimental treatment for multiple sclerosis, the company said Monday.

Genzyme, a division of French drug maker Sanofi, said the FDA accepted its application seeking approval for Lemtrada (alemtuzumab) for relapsing MS. The company expects the agency to decide whether to approve the drug in the second half of this year.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — McKesson Specialty Health and the U.S. Oncology Network on Friday announced that Marcus Neubauer accepted the position of medical director of oncology services for McKesson Specialty Health, effective March 1.