RESOURCES
FirstRxSavings.com
Free Prescription Coupons Help
Doctors Evaluate Patients' Reactions to Medications
With
the recent launch of a new Internet search engine
¾
www.FirstRxSavings.com
¾
anyone who receives a doctor's prescription can now go immediately to that Web
site, refer to the alphabetical listing of more than 500 medications, print out
right from the computer the savings coupon they need for their specific
medication, and bring the coupon (together with the prescription) to virtually
any pharmacy in the nation. While each of the coupon programs differs, all can
be used to pay either part of an insured's co-pay, or the entire cost
¾
and often up to twelve refills.
Despite the
large number of prescriptions filled at pharmacies
¾
approximately 70 million each day nationwide
¾
there are many which are never filled, often because the patient's family either
has no health insurance or, for whatever reason, simply cannot afford the cost.
The potential danger that this creates is clear. In order to properly treat an
individual's illness, the physician must become certain of two things: that the
patient is following the doctor's instructions by filling the prescription and
taking the medication as directed, and that the medication itself is working and
having the desired effect with no unwanted side effects.
In today's
national economy, with increased joblessness and many families having to decide
between prescribed medicines and other critical items, the opportunity to have a
prescription filled at little or no cost can mean the difference between the
patient getting healthy ¾
by being able to follow the physician's instructions
¾
or suffering needlessly.
There is no
cost for any of these coupons and there is no need for Web site visitors to
register with FirstRxSavings.com in order to be able to print out the coupons
needed. FirstRxSavings.com serves as a search engine to link each individual
with the respective pharmaceutical company's Web site where the coupon can be
found and printed out. Many of the programs offer free trial supplies of the
medication ¾
for example, free 30-day supplies of Uroxatral (for enlarged prostate), free
15-day trial supplies of Crestor for lowering cholesterol, or even six-month
free co-pays for the rheumatoid arthritis medication, Orencia. Hundreds of such
offers are available as computer-printable coupons, at no cost, on
FirstRxSavings.com.
Even the
non-insured can take advantage of these free coupons on FirstRxSavings.com,
because many state specific dollar values that pharmacies will use to deduct
that amount from the usual price, enabling even non-insured families to be
better able to afford the vital medications prescribed by their physicians. With
the advent of the FirstRxSavings.com search engine, there is more reason for
physicians to expect that their patients will follow the instructions needed to
keep them healthy.
03/04/10
HDMA’s Center for Healthcare Supply
Chain Research Releases New
Publication on Specialty Pharmaceuticals
The
Center for Healthcare Supply Chain Research, the research foundation of the
Healthcare Distribution Management Association (HDMA), recently released 2009
Specialty Pharmaceuticals: Facts, Figures and Trends, a new publication
providing insight into performance trends in the specialty pharmaceuticals
segment of the health care industry. The publication presents data on nearly 40
measures of the specialty segment, including market characteristics, finance,
operations and handling and information technology. Primary research was based
on surveys of manufacturers and distributors. The surveys were developed with
the assistance of leading specialty distribution and manufacturing executives.
The specialty
pharmaceuticals segment, which focuses on the development of therapies to treat
chronic diseases, is among the fastest-growing sectors of the health care
industry. A majority of specialty pharmaceuticals are manufactured from
biological processes, creating products that replicate natural substances. IMS
Health data estimates the global market for specialty pharmaceuticals to be $134
billion in 2008, growing 8.8 percent from the previous year. The U.S. specialty
industry alone makes up nearly half of the global market.
Specialty
pharmaceuticals also comprise some of the most costly treatments available in
the marketplace. The publication notes that specialty distributors report an
average of 400 orders per day containing specialty pharmaceuticals, with the
value of these orders exceeding $12,000. Distributors and manufacturers report
oncology to be the largest and most costly therapeutic category in the market.
Oncology products alone account for more than half of specialty distributors’
annual sales volume; manufacturers indicate that these products make up nearly a
third of their annual sales volume.
The
publication analyzes therapeutic classes and delves into regulatory and
legislative topics associated with specialty pharmaceuticals, including Risk
Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies, insurance and cost issues and the
emergence and implications of biosimilars in the industry.
“To date,
there has been little data published about distribution in this expanding market
segment,” said Karen Ribler, executive vice president and COO of the Center for
Healthcare Supply Chain Research. “This research gives executives and analysts
fundamentals on how specialty pharmaceuticals are brought to market. It also
provides the reader with useful data and commentary to understand how this
unique sector is growing.”
To order or
for more information, visit
www.hcsupplychainresearch.org for more information.
03/04/10
NACDS Foundation Patient Care Database
Delivers Valuable Information on Public Health
The
National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) Foundation has launched its
Patient Care Database ¾
a fully searchable resource dedicated to raising the public’s awareness of
important topics, such as medication adherence and other patient services
provided by community pharmacy. The Database can be accessed at
www.nacdsfoundation.org/PCD.
“Tremendous
collaboration between the NACDS Foundation and the University of Tennessee (UT)
Center for Medication Therapy Management at the College of Pharmacy made
possible this important public resource,” said NACDS Foundation president Edith
A. Rosato, RPh, IOM. “The Patient Care Database will provide a wealth of
knowledge about the multitude of services that community pharmacists deliver to
patients that contribute to the advancement of public health.”
In
development for one-year, the project was launched successfully under the
leadership of the UT Center’s director, Dr. Lawrence M. Brown, PharmD, PhD,
known for his expertise and work in the medication therapy management (MTM)
arena both in the United States and abroad.
This one-of-a
kind compendium serves as a user-friendly, searchable, Web-based database, whose
aim is to archive and track pharmacist-provided patient care activities and
services in the community pharmacy setting. The Database consists of media
articles, academic studies, research materials and other resources related to
the services provided by pharmacists, including MTM services, vaccination
administration, diagnostic screenings and patient counseling. It will help
identify trends in pharmacy and allow academia and pharmacy students to study,
track and evaluate the short-term and long-term public health benefits of
expanded pharmacist-provided healthcare.
02/24/10
MPR Drug Database Available as a Free
Application for the iPhone and iPod Touch
MPR
(monthly prescribing reference) ¾
a widely used drug reference by clinicians
¾
is now available as a free App for the iPhone and iPod touch, says Prescribing
Reference LLC. The MPR drug database is also available for free for BlackBerry,
Palm, and Microsoft mobile devices, as well as desktop and laptop computers
running Microsoft XP and Microsoft Vista (www.empr.com/download).
The MPR
delivers:
u
Over 4,000
up-to-date drug monographs organized by therapeutic category, brand name,
generic name, disease, or manufacturer;
u
Monographs for
prescription and OTC drugs;
u
Continuously updated
drug news, safety alerts and recalls, drugs in the pipeline; and
u
Over 30 clinical
calculators.
For 25 years,
medical professionals in the United States have relied on the print editions of
MPR to deliver up-to-date, concise drug information at the point-of-care. Now
the exact same drug information is available on the iPhone and iPod touch.
This
technology is available through the partnership of MPR with U.S. Biomedical
Information Systems Inc. (USBMIS), a software solutions company that specializes
in developing interactive, mobile applications for the health care industry.
To download
MPR, health care professionals should visit the MPR Web site or the iTunes
store.
MPR and
USBMIS are also developing CME/CE courses and educational videos, which will be
available in the second quarter of 2010.
Since 1985,
PRI has published MPR for clinicians in a wide variety of medical specialties
and practice settings. Published monthly for primary-care physicians, MPR also
has specialty editions for hematologists/oncologists, oncology nurses, nurse
practitioners, physician assistants, OB/GYNs, pediatricians, urologists, medical
residents, the long-term care team, pharmacists, neurologists, psychiatrists,
pulmonologists, endocrinologists, and dermatologists. PRI is part of the
Haymarket Media Group, an international media company, with products in 23
languages in more than 100 countries.
02/24/10
Timely, Reliable Pharmacy News Available Online
e-News,
a free biweekly electronic newsletter delivered directly to your e-mail by the
National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), will provide up-to-date
articles on policy issues and pharmacy practice standards, according to an
article in a recent nabp newsletter.
According to
the article, breaking news and time-sensitive information relating to pharmacy
legislation, regulations and competency will be included in the e-News.
To subscribe,
send an e-mail to
NABPnews@nabp.net with the
word “subscribe” written in both the subject line and body of the e-mail from
the address you wish to subscribe.
02/24/10
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