The same week that the White House likened legalized recreational marijuana to the opioid epidemic, and let it be known that the Justice Department will likely begin cracking down on non-medical pot, a Republican Congressman from Virginia introduced a law that, if passed, would put an end to the federal criminalization of marijuana. [More]
Pharma Medicine
This Pharmacy Ad Suggests “Very, Very Strong Antibiotics” Even When They Won’t Do Any Good
By 2.28.17
When you’re sick, it makes sense that you want a pill to just make all the symptoms go away, which is probably why some doctors continue to prescribe antibiotics even when they aren’t necessary and may, in fact, cause harm. It probably doesn’t help when a pharmacy perpetuates the myth that we should just take antibiotics whenever we might be sick. [More]
We Dissected This Fake News Site Linking Denzel, Stephen Hawking To Brain-Boosting Pills
By 2.27.17
For years, marketers of sketchy dietary supplements have cooked up fake news websites and used bogus “reporters” to push their product online. But we stumbled on one site that quadruples down on the fiction, attributing utterly made-up endorsements to bona fide stars of stage, screen, sports, and science. [More]
Report: Obamacare Replacement Will Likely Cover Fewer Americans
By 2.24.17
So far, the only thing the White House has said about its plans to replace the Affordable Care Act is that it would provide “insurance for everyone” and that people would be “beautifully covered,” but comments coming out of Washington indicate that not everyone will be able to obtain coverage under the replacement plan. [More]
White House May Crack Down On Recreational Marijuana
By 2.23.17
Even though federal law currently prohibits the Justice Department from using any of the funding it receives from Congress to prosecute medical marijuana in 40 states (and D.C., Guam, and Puerto Rico), no law blocks the DOJ from going after recreational marijuana operations, even in the growing number of states where it’s been legalized. This afternoon, the White House likened recreational pot use to the opioid epidemic and hinted that it may opt to crack down on non-medical pot. [More]
Flu Spreads, Leaves Small Workplaces Short-Handed
By 2.23.17
If your favorite small store or other small business is short-handed this winter, you might have to blame a worse-than-average flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, flu cases nationwide and in 35 out of 50 states are moderate to high, and absences are hitting businesses hard. [More]
Legislation Would Give FDA Mandatory Authority To Recall Drugs
By 2.17.17
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration confirmed that it had found varying and elevated levels of a potentially deadly toxin in teething tablets sold under the Hyland’s brand. Despite the dangers posed by the tablets, the FDA couldn’t order a recall of the products — and the manufacturer refused to. But that could change in the future, as recently introduced legislation would give the agency the authority to order mandatory recalls of drugs and homeopathic products. [More]
Decades-Old Drug Approved By FDA, Gets 7,300% Price Hike
By 2.14.17
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced that a drug previously not officially available to patients in the United States had been approved. Deflazacort, a corticosteroid, has been shown to be useful and life-prolonging for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a rare and fatal disease. Its U.S. launch has been delayed, however, after lawmakers questioned the dramatic price hike that came with its debut here. [More]
Whistleblower Claims Major Baby Formula Company Used Defective Packaging
By 2.10.17
The business pages are lighting up this morning with the news that baby formula biggie Mead Johnson Nutrition — makers of Enfamil — is being bought by Reckitt Benckhiser (whose brands include baby-stopping Durex condoms) for $16.6 billion, but we’re more interested in a new whistleblower lawsuit from a former Mead Johnson executive who claims the company ignored concerns about defective packaging and fired her for trying to get the problem addressed. [More]
Senators Want To Know Why Price Of Lifesaving Drug Went From $690 To $4,500
By 2.8.17 — Updated: 2.17.17
As you’re probably all too aware, the U.S. is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, meaning that some life-saving overdose treatments have become crucial tools for hospitals, law enforcement, first responders, and families of addicts. At the same time, the makers of one such vital drug have raised the price by more than 600% since 2014, drawing the attention of lawmakers who want to know why. [More]
New Lawsuit Claims Trump’s Pro-Deregulation Executive Order Violates Constitution
By 2.8.17
Last month, President Trump signed an executive order intended to spur massive deregulation — or at least curb new regulations — by requiring that for each new rule issued by a federal agency, at least two rules would have to be undone. Now that order is the target of a legal action claiming that it violates the Constitution and will ultimately harm American consumers. [More]
Police Charge Arson Suspect Based On Records From His Pacemaker
By 2.7.17
How would you weigh the choice to have a pacemaker implanted if you knew that information from the device could be used against you in a criminal case? A man in Ohio is having his own cardiac rhythm used against him as he faces charges of aggravated arson and insurance fraud. This week, he pleaded not guilty to those charges. [More]
Feds: Drug Company Delayed Cheaper Generics By Flooding The FDA With Paperwork
By 2.7.17 — Updated: 2.12.17
Given that a brand-name prescription drug stands to lose a significant chunk of its market share once a lower-price generic becomes available, you can understand why a drug company would want to do anything it can to delay the cheaper alternative, even if you disagree with their intentions. We’ve seen companies accused of paying millions to stave off competition through alleged “pay for delay” deals, and we’ve also seen examples of “product hopping” to prevent competitors from entering the field. Now here’s another method for keeping generics off the market: allegedly flooding the Food and Drug Administration with pointless paperwork. [More]
Diabetes Patients Sue Drugmakers Over Escalating Insulin Prices
By 1.31.17 — Updated: 2.1.17
Insulin is an essential hormone, and millions of Americans get the insulin that they need to stay alive and healthy from a vial. With insulin prices on the rise, a group of diabetes patients has filed a federal lawsuit against three drug companies, accusing them of carrying out a fraudulent pricing scheme. [More]
FTC Opens Antitrust Investigation Of Mylan Over EpiPen’s Market Dominance
By 1.30.17 — Updated: 1.31.17
The EpiPen was a perfect symbol of the current state of pharmaceutical companies and health care expenses: It was a life-saving drug that had been around for decades, often used by children, and with a price that kept rising. The controversy over the epinephrine injectors led to news stories, a Congressional hearing, a $465 million settlement for overcharging Medicaid, and investigations by the states of New York and West Virginia. [More]
Walgreens Slashes $2B From Value Of Rite Aid Merger; Up To 1,200 Stores To Be Sold Off
By 1.30.17
Last Friday, Jan. 27, was the deadline for the deal to close in the proposed acquisition of drugstore chain Rite Aid by competitor Walgreens. Today, the companies announced a revised deal with an eye to meeting Federal Trade Commission approval. This deal values Rite Aid at over $2 billion less, and proposes the sale of hundreds more stores to another drugstore chain. [More]
FDA Once Again Finds Elevated Levels Of Belladonna In Some Hyland’s Homeopathic Teething Tablets
By 1.27.17
Your infant is in pain from sore gums, and you want to do something to ease that pain, so maybe you consider a homeopathic treatment, with its heavily diluted active ingredients. What you may not know is that this seemingly innocuous teething tablet might contain unsafe levels of potentially dangerous belladonna. [More]
Walgreens And Rite Aid Still “In Discussions” With FTC On The Merger Deadline
By 1.27.17
Today, Jan. 27, is the deadline for Walgreens and Rite Aid to close the merger that they announced way back in October 2015. The companies didn’t ask for an extension or call the transaction off, so what’s going to happen to this deal? [More]
