News & Features

July, 2008

July, 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.

Researchers Fail to Reveal Full Drug Pay.

Millions of dollars were paid to at least three renowned Harvard child psychiatrists by several prescription drug manufacturers for "consulting fees" which were largely responsible for the explosion in the over-use of dangerous antipsychotic medicines in children. The named doctors also failed to report this income to the university with which they were affiliated, thereby possibly violating federal and university research rules designed to police potential conflicts of interest. Some of their research is financed by government grants. The Harvard group's consulting arrangements with drug makers were already controversial because of the researchers' advocacy of unapproved uses of psychiatric medicines in children. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is investigating what they referred to as "completely unacceptable behavior, and NIH will not tolerate it." These bribes, plus an additional $287million dollars in NIH (taxpayer derived) grants, constitute what the drug makers refer to as their "research and development costs". (New York Times).

Another National Poll Ranks Community CCRx #1 In Medicare Part D Plan.

Wilson Health Information, a leading consumer insight firm, names MemberHealth's Community CCRx the highest rated Medicare Part D plan in overall member satisfaction, reenrollment and recommendation intentions. Wilson Health Information LLC is an independent healthcare consumer research company. (YellowBrix, Inc.)

E-prescriptions Gain Momentum.

Electronically sending prescriptions to your pharmacy is starting to catch on with doctors as an often safer, faster and cheaper alternative to faxes or paper. Eliminating the infamous doctor's scrawl may reduce human error. We are proud to announce that we at M.D. Pharmacy have already installed the necessary equipment and computer software and training to participate in this cutting edge service.

Group Urges More Home Blood Pressure Checks.

Everyone with high blood pressure-some 72 million Americans-should own a home monitor and do regular pressure checks, the American Heart Association and other groups urged, in an unprecedented endorsement of a medical device for consumers. High blood pressure is a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes and death. Having it checked a few times a year by a physician or pharmacist is not enough to keep tabs on it, and regular home monitoring is more accurate. If you would like to purchase an easy-to-use blood pressure monitor for home use, M.D. Pharmacy carries several different convenient and inexpensive models. (Associated Press).

Consumer Rip-offs Benefit Drug "Managers".

In separate court cases and out-of-court agreements recently, CVS Caremark (a pharmacy benefits manager and retailer), Omnicare (nursing-home prescription providers), Walgreens (the 800 pound gorilla), Express Scripts (pharmacy benefits manager and mail-order drug provider), Medco Health Solutions (pharmacy benefits manager and mail-order provider), and Caremark RX (pharmacy benefits manager and mail-order provider) agreed to pay over $300 Million dollars to settle claims that they improperly switched patients' prescriptions to more expensive ones in order to increase their reimbursement from Medicaid, according to a Federal Justice Department announcement. The "benefit managers" also profited by receiving drug maker rebates which were never passed on to consumers, and provided no additional medical benefit to the patients, in violation of federal and state regulations. The Walgreens suit was filed by a pharmacist who was temporarily employed by Walgreens, after being fired by Omnicare for reporting their abuses. (NCPA/Yellowbrix)

Fish-Oil Supplements Plus Regular Aerobic Exercise Benefit Overweight Patients.

According to results of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, fish-oil supplements and regular aerobic exercise reduced body fat and improved cardiovascular and metabolic health in overweight patients. Independently, consuming fatty acids from fish or fish-oil, or regular exercise can both improve health, but combining these lifestyle modifications may be more effective than either treatment alone. (Medscape).

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

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