SAN DIEGO, April 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Health insurers should use both medical and pharmacy data to forecast specialty drug costs which are predicted to rise to 50 percent of commercially insured total drug costs by 2018, according to a new study by pharmacy benefit manager Prime Therapeutics (Prime). The study will be presented today at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP)'s 25th Annual Meeting & Expo in San Diego. The study found that in 2009, specialty drugs those that require special handling, are typically injected, and are more expensive than traditional drugs represented 20 percent of all drug (medical and pharmacy benefit) costs. In addition, by September 2012, specialty drugs increased to 28.7 percent of the total costs. Based on average increases in recent years, researchers predict specialty costs will increase 15 percent per year, while non-specialty costs will remain flat. As a result, specialty costs are expected to make up 50 percent of the overall drug costs by 2018, for commercially insured individuals. Patrick Gleason, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, director of health outcomes at Prime, explains, "The increasing rate of specialty drugs expenses is due to increased non-specialty generic drug use; expected continued pharmaceutical manufacturer, annual, double-digit price … Continue reading →

By Dana Ford, CNN updated 2:26 AM EDT, Wed April 3, 2013 Patients at four Ontario hospitals received lower-than-intended doses of two cancer drugs, officials said. STORY HIGHLIGHTS (CNN) -- Close to 1,200 patients in Canada got lower-than-intended doses of chemotherapy drugs, officials said Tuesday, in a case that is sure to upset those patients and raise concerns about how potentially life-saving drugs are handled. Cancer Care Ontario, a government agency, reported that 990 patients were affected at four hospitals: London Health Sciences Centre, Windsor Regional Hospital, Lakeridge Health and Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Another 186 patients were underdosed at Saint John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick, said hospital spokeswoman Janet Hogan. The drugs in question were bought by the hospitals from a supplier that produces and labels the medications, according to Cancer Care Ontario. The supplier was identified as Marchese Hospital Solutions, a company spokesman said. "We are, of course deeply concerned whenever any question is raised about the quality of our work," the company said in a statement. "Our preliminary investigation of this issue leads us to be confident that we have met the quality specifications of the contract we are honored to have been awarded." Go here … Continue reading →