Colorado Gerontological Society’s Post

According to AMCP’s CEO Susan Cantrell, policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Access to Prescription Digital Therapeutics Act of 2023 and Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act (ECAPS) will remain crucial to increasing patient access and enhancing health equity for America’s most vulnerable populations in 2024. Read Susan’s health care outlook in the Chain Drug Review on how we can advance the pursuit of a more equitable health care system: https://bit.ly/3O9KfWh

During President Biden’s #StateofTheUnion address, he spoke about the #CancerMoonshot. We share the president’s vision of curing cancer and keeping America at the forefront of cutting-edge research. But to achieve these goals, we need the right solutions. We need to fix some of the flaws of the price-setting policies in the IRA, like the pill penalty. These policies are already stifling lifesaving research and creating access barriers for patients. Yet the administration is rushing to make this bad law worse. Letting government bureaucrats arbitrarily set medicine prices puts the government between patients and their doctors. The president failed to call out pharmacy benefit managers for gaming the system and driving up medicine costs for patients. We join employers, pharmacists, patient advocates, state regulators and others in hoping that Congress will pass bipartisan PBM reform this year. We stand with the #CancerMoonshot, but to save lives, @POTUS must support policies that make research possible. Our industry employs hundreds of thousands of people who work each day to improve patients' lives, and we need policies that strengthen their work, not put it at risk. https://lnkd.in/eB8BM7p4  

"A Journey Through Tapering,” authored by Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit Patient/Public Partner Linda Wilhelm, reflects on her journey of tapering off prescription opioids. She covers several issues relevant to many patients, researchers, clinicians and most importantly policy-makers, shedding light on the importance of appropriate opioid prescriptions, the lack of support for opioid-dependent patients and the need for comprehensive healthcare solutions: https://lnkd.in/e4zQrH3W

Great article here.

340B A Critical Program for Health Centers The 340B Drug Pricing Program is an essential source of support for Centerville Clinics Inc and other Community Health Centers, allowing them to stretch increasingly scarce federal resources and reinvest in patient care. The Program allows health centers to purchase outpatient drugs at significantly reduced costs. Health centers pass the savings on to their patients through reduced drug prices and invest additional savings to expand access and improve health outcomes. Our National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Centerville Clinics are concerned about ongoing actions by drug companies that threaten patient access to critical medicines available through the federal 340B Program. These attacks have diverted savings away from patient care and into corporate pockets, ultimately tying the hands of health center doctors and other care providers. Ask our your legislators to #PROTECT340B by voting for this bi-partisan bill in Congress! #SenBobCasey #JohnFetterman #GReschenthaler National Association of Community Health Centers Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers Health Center Advocacy Network Centerville Clinics Inc is a member of ThreeRiversAlliance.Org and is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). www.centervilleclinics.com

I had an incredible time moderating today’s panel at STAT's #STATSummit with my fellow panelists Kelly Brantley of Avalere and patient advocate George Valentine. We had the chance to unveil some brand new research from Avalere (sponsored by PAN Foundation) and hear directly from George about how upcoming Medicare Part D reforms may impact him, and other patients like him.  According to Avalere’s new findings, despite the historic reforms included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), patients will continue to face affordability challenges while also potentially seeing increased medication uptake and adherence. Based on a conservative estimate by Avalere, about 230,000 patients in key therapeutic areas are projected to still spend more than 10 percent of their income in 2025 on out-of-pocket prescription drug costs following the reforms, leaving them underinsured.  And as George shared during today’s panel, out-of-pocket prescription drug costs are just one of many healthcare-related costs patients are facing. The reality is, while these impending Medicare Part D reforms will bring relief to many, others will continue to struggle. And when people face high out-of-pocket costs, we know far too many choose to delay or go without their prescribed medications. That’s why at PAN we remain committed to providing the financial assistance underinsured patients need to manage their health conditions and focus on improving their quality of life. And we won’t stop advocating for improved healthcare access, equity, and affordability, so that everyone can live the life they deserve. Read the latest analysis here: [https://lnkd.in/gWsQjJ6n] #HealthcareAffordability #PANFoundation #STATSummit

340B A Critical Program for Health Centers The 340B Drug Pricing Program is an essential source of support for Centerville Clinics Inc and other Community Health Centers, allowing them to stretch increasingly scarce federal resources and reinvest in patient care. The Program allows health centers to purchase outpatient drugs at significantly reduced costs. Health centers pass the savings on to their patients through reduced drug prices and invest additional savings to expand access and improve health outcomes. Our National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and Centerville Clinics are concerned about ongoing actions by drug companies that threaten patient access to critical medicines available through the federal 340B Program. These attacks have diverted savings away from patient care and into corporate pockets, ultimately tying the hands of health center doctors and other care providers. Ask our your legislators to #PROTECT340B by voting for this bi-partisan bill in Congress! #SenBobCasey #JohnFetterman #GReschenthaler National Association of Community Health Centers Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers Health Center Advocacy Network Centerville Clinics Inc is a member of ThreeRiversAlliance.Org and is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).

Learn more about out-of-pocket costs for Medicare enrollees and other important drug cost considerations in this new op-ed from Morning Consult. #PfizerProud #PFEColleague

🌟 Big News from Tennessee! 🌟 Our home state of Tennessee has just passed groundbreaking legislation to expand and enhance the role of pharmacists in the healthcare system, particularly by broadening their prescribing rights. Here's what it means: The law empowers pharmacists to prescribe medications and treatments for a variety of conditions and needs, including: ☑️ Influenza and COVID-19 ☑️ Medications used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses ☑️ Epinephrine auto-injectors ☑️ Certain types of hormonal contraceptives ☑️ And more! Why is this important? By granting these prescribing rights, the law expands patient access, making it easier for Tennesseans to receive essential healthcare services conveniently at their local pharmacies. This is a major step towards improving continuity of care across the state. As Anthony Pudlo, CEO of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA), stated, “Pharmacists are critical to the infrastructure in today’s healthcare system. This law acknowledges that pharmacists have the expertise and skills to provide high-quality patient care." We couldn't agree more! 👏 #HealthcareReform #TennesseeHealth #PharmacistPrescribing #PatientCare #CommunityHealth

Only 34 more days til 2024 😯 🗓 — and so here are the 2024 trends to watch from Business Group on Health! We're excited to have conversations with those global employers looking for: ▶ more worldwide consistency in their benefit offerings ▶  ways to reduce healthcare spend ▶ continuing to define what wellness means for their population Read the full trend report 👇👇👇