News & Features

November, 2007

November edition of M.D. Pharmacy's monthly newsletter. Articles regarding your medications, their safety, and the politics behind the price you pay for them. Please share this with your neighbors.

Medicare audits show problems in private plans

Tens of thousands of Medicare recipients have been victims of deceptive sales tactics and had claims improperly denied by insurers that run the system's huge new drug benefit program encouraged by the Bush administration, a review of scores of federal audits has found. The problems described in 91 audit reports include improper termination of coverage, huge backlogs of claims and complaints, and a failure to answer telephone calls from consumers, doctors, and pharmacies. The companies include three of the largest participants in the Medicare market, United Health, Humana, and Wellpoint. The audits document widespread violations of patients' rights and consumer protection standards. Some violations could directly affect the health of patients-for example, by delaying access to urgently needed medications. These problems have been obvious to pharmacists ever since the beginning of the program, when the Medicare Part D nightmare began. The Federal government could have saved the money spent on expensive audits by simply spending an hour behind the prescription counter of any pharmacy, and observing the egregious actions of the insurance companies first hand. For years, Democrats have complained about efforts to "privatize Medicare", and they are likely to cite the above findings as evidence that private insurers cannot be trusted to care for the sickest, most vulnerable Medicare recipients.

Study shows older diabetes drugs more effective than some new ones

Older, cheaper diabetes medications are highly effective, and come with far fewer side effects than a pair of drugs that received federal regulators' most stringent warning last month. Actos and Avandia, medications designed to keep blood sugar under control in people with type 2 diabetes, have been under close scrutiny for several months. Actos and Avandia (both members of the same class of drugs) may raise the risk of congestive hart failure, and rival Avandia has even more side effects including the risk of heart failure. "Patients should be taking older, cheaper drugs like Metformin (available generically) and newly diagnosed patients should not be starting on Avandia or Actos" said Dr. Sonal Singh, a professor of internal medicine at Wake Forest University. "These are third-line options. Neither of these drugs should be used" he said.

Drug halts breast cancer bone loss

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine discovered breast cancer survivors taking a weekly dose of Actonel (risedronate) lost significantly less bone than did those who did not take the drug. At the beginning of the study 97% of the participants had normal or low bone mass, but after 24 months women taking the drug had a bone density much higher in the spine and hip than women in the placebo group.

Daisies lead to new leukemia drug

A compound derived from daisy-like plants developed at the University of Rochester Medical Center has proven successful in treating leukemia in laboratory studies, with clinical trials expected to begin in England by the end of the year,. The compound consists of a chemical known as DMAPT, a form of chemical derived from a plant known as feverfew or bachelor's button, a plant similar to the daisy. The Rochester team has been developing the compound for nearly five years, and its progress from a laboratory concept to patient studies is very fast progress in the drug development world.

Survey shows Community CCRx ranks highest in customer satisfaction

In a recent survey of Medicare beneficiaries conducted by CMS (Medicare), Community CCRx was ranked highest in customer satisfaction. The 2008 edition of the "Medicaid and You" handbook published each year by Medicare will list Community CCRx as the highest rated plan. We at M.D. Pharmacy are gratified by this official recognition, as CCRx has been the Medicare Part D plan recommended by us for the last year as being the easiest plan to deal with, and the best choice for seniors.

The pharmacists and staff at M.D. Pharmacy, your neighborhood pharmacy.

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