Botox, or botulinum toxin, offers a new, non-surgical option for improving the upper extremity function of children with cerebral palsy (CP), report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. L. And
Thousands of men in the UK buy "lifestyle drugs" such as erectile dysfunction medication, weight and hair loss products from websites and are oblivious to the fact that some (not all) of the websites belong to unscrupulous vendors. Many of thes
Figures in a new survey, by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, show that car crashes account for more than half of severe alcohol-related injuries in Canada and nearly one-third of those hurt
A new heart drug designed specifically for blacks has been approved by U.S. officials.The heart-failure treatment is expected to sharply reduce deaths among the black population.In a study run by the drug company
Metabasis Therapeutics and Merck announced today that they have formed a collaboration to research, develop and commercialize novel small molecule ther
GlaxoSmithKline announced today the availability of Paxil CR (paroxetine hydrochloride controlled release) tablets in pharmacies across the United States. Other markets will follow shortly thereafter.
According to a survey commissioned by the Pharmacy Care Alliance, a large majority-76 percent-of Medicare beneficiaries without prescription drug coverage polled believe the Medicare drug discount cards are a good idea and will help them save money.Near
Pfizer said today that a review of all post-marketing ocular event reports has concluded that there is no evidence of increased risk of blindness among patients taking Viagra. "There is no evid
Unless things change breast cancer patient Barbara Clark will probably have to sell her house to pay for an expensive drug called Herceptin. The BBC reports that the 49-year-old mother of two wa
According to some press reports Canada is about to announce a ban on bulk sales of drugs to the United States as a way of reining in Internet pharmacies that sell cheap medicine to Americans.Quoting federal sources Health Minister
Date: Tuesday, 6-Feb-2007
Many low-income Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the prescription drug benefit receive no help from patient assistance programs operated by pharmaceutical companies, according to advocacy groups, USA Today reports.Many pharmaceutical companies ended their PAPs after the Medicare prescription drug benefit began over concerns that the programs could violate federal anti-kickback laws.
In response, federal officials said that pharmaceutical companies can legally operate PAPs under certain conditions.
PAPs operated by some pharmaceutical companies -- such as AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Pfizer and Wyeth -- provide help for low-income Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the prescription drug benefit, but dozens of other programs do not allow any beneficiaries to participate.
Patricia White, executive director of West Virginia Health Right, said, "Before the Medicare program, we had close to 4,000 seniors getting free drugs," adding, "We're probably down to 400 now."
In May 2006, several members of the Senate Finance Committee met with officials for eight pharmaceutical companies and asked them to continue to operate their PAPs.
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Friday in a statement said, "A company ought to be ashamed if it's still using (the Medicare drug program) as an excuse to abandon people with these extraordinary needs."
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America spokesperson Ken Johnson said that about half of PhRMA members operate PAPs that provide help for low-income Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the prescription drug benefit but added that many members have concerns about the legality of the practice (Appleby, USA Today, 2/5).
This article is republished with kind permission from our friends at the The Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery of in-depth coverage of health policy developments, debates and discussions. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for Kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Copyright 2007 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.