Latest Drugs Headlines

All the headlines from our Drugs Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Insurers Remain Cautious About Marijuana Insurance Market

Mar 14 2019 // The marijuana industry is an opportunity for insurers as more states have legalized the drug. But there are still risks in play that could limit wider carrier participation, A.M. Best said in a new report.One of the key...

Report: Ohio Sees Drop in Opioid Prescribing

Mar 13 2019 // The state’s prescription reporting system shows the number of prescription opioids dispensed to Ohioans declined for the sixth consecutive year in 2018. A recently released annual report from the State of Ohio Board...

Startup CEO Exonerated from Crimes, Seeks Compensation for Firing

Mar 13 2019 // Zain Jaffer’s charmed, Silicon Valley life was about to collapse beneath him.It was October 2017 and Jaffer, founder of a promising mobile ad startup, was suddenly arrested and charged with a series of crimes,...

Georgia House Passes Bill Expanding Access to Medical Marijuana

Mar 8 2019 // The production and sale of low-potency medical marijuana oil could soon be allowed in Georgia under a bill passed Tuesday by the House.Lawmakers voted 123-40 to clear the measure, two days ahead of a legislative deadline...

Drug Companies Seek Delay in Oklahoma Opioid Trial

Mar 7 2019 // Pharmaceutical companies have asked for a 100-day postponement of an Oklahoma trial accusing them of fraudulently marketing drugs that have fueled the nation’s opioid crisis.Several states have filed lawsuits against...

Jurors Told How Insys Chief Used Competitors’ Data to Drive Own Opioid Sales

Mar 7 2019 // Insys Therapeutics Inc. founder John Kapoor didn’t cut corners when it came to collecting intelligence on opioid sales, using the data to beat down his employees and to spur doctors to prescribe more of his highly...

San Antonio Area Drug Company Sales Rep Pleads Guilty in $8M Fraud Scheme

Mar 5 2019 // A former pharmaceutical representative has pleaded guilty in Texas to a role in an $8 million health care fraud scheme that netted her over $1 million, according to U.S. Attorney John Bash and FBI Special Agent in Charge...

With Opioid Litigation Mounting, Purdue Pharma Exploring Bankruptcy: Reuters

Mar 4 2019 // OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP is exploring filing for bankruptcy to address potentially significant liabilities from thousands of lawsuits alleging the drug manufacturer contributed to the deadly opioid crisis sweeping...

NSAIDs Overtake Opioids as Top Workers’ Comp Drug in California

Mar 4 2019 // Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs, have supplanted opioids as the most common therapeutic drug group prescribed to injured workers in California, according to a new California Workers’ Compensation...

Lawmakers Cite Own Experiences in Grilling Drug Executives on Prices

Mar 1 2019 // Channeling the ire of constituents and drawing from personal experience, senators chastised drug company executives Tuesday over the high cost of prescription medications, while the CEOs warned that government price...

How High-Pressure Insys Prescription Call Center Lied to Insurers to Sell Opioids

Feb 26 2019 // The goal for Insys Therapeutics Inc.’s call center in Phoenix was simple: persuade insurers to authorize at least 70 prescriptions a week of its expensive opioid spray.Workers would get bonuses for surpassing the...

North Dakota House OKs Medical Marijuana Law Changes

Feb 20 2019 // The North Dakota House approved legislation that would expand the list of medical conditions for which residents can use medical marijuana, add health care professionals who can certify patients for the drug and increase...

NSAIDs Overtake Opioids as Top Workers’ Comp Drug in California

Feb 15 2019 // Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs, have supplanted opioids as the most common therapeutic drug group prescribed to injured workers in California, according to a new California Workers’ Compensation...

Kentucky Governor Voices Support for Medical Marijuana as Legislature Weighs Bill

Feb 15 2019 // Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin spoke about his support for legalizing medical marijuana in highly personal terms on Tuesday, telling a community forum that his teenage nephew died after fighting “a very hard battle with...

Ohio Hospital Facing Excessive Dosage Lawsuits Tightens Drug Access, Rules

Feb 14 2019 // The Ohio hospital system that found a doctor ordered possibly fatal doses of powerful painkillers for dozens of patients has tightened policies and drug access to address problems in pharmaceutical services that...

Bills Would Improve Access to Medical Marijuana in North Dakota

Feb 11 2019 // As North Dakota’s Health Department enters the final stages of implementing a statewide distribution system for medical marijuana, state lawmakers are considering proposals that would make it easier for patients to...

Microsoft Targets Healthcare with Medical Records in the Cloud, Bots and More

Feb 7 2019 // Microsoft Corp. is releasing a service to help health-care companies move vast amounts of patient data to its cloud and connect with other related systems in a bid to offer clinicians, individuals and researchers a more...

Bipartisan Bill Would Boost Generic Drugs to Lower Prices

Feb 6 2019 // A bipartisan group of U.S. senators re-introduced a bill on Tuesday aimed at helping generic drug companies bring out a cheaper version of pharmaceuticals.Makers of branded drugs have long been accused of refusing to...

Trump Plan to Curb Drug Prices Targets Rebates to Pharmacy Benefit Managers

Feb 1 2019 // The Trump administration proposed ending a complex system of drug rebates that influence tens of billions of dollars in U.S. pharmaceutical spending, a move that could upend the relationship between drugmakers and pharmacy...

Differences in Opioid Dispensing Rates

Jan 21 2019 // Injured workers in mining and construction, those in rural counties or those who suffer fractures, carpal tunnel and neurologic spine pain are among those more likely to receive prescriptions for opioids than workers in...