Baltimore Banner’s Post

Baltimore’s decision to opt out of Teva Pharmaceuticals’ $4.25B national opioid settlement has paid off. The city secured an $80M payout, significantly more than the $11M it would have received from the larger deal. Teva’s settlement is part of a broader wave of companies addressing their roles in the opioid crisis. Key insights - - Baltimore’s bold move results in a faster, higher settlement. - Teva joins other pharma companies navigating costly opioid litigation. - The settlement aims to fund efforts to combat the opioid epidemic locally. Questions to consider - - Could more cities follow Baltimore’s lead in opting out of national settlements? - How will these funds impact local opioid crisis mitigation efforts? - What does this signal for future litigation strategies against pharma companies? #OpioidCrisis #PharmaLitigation #Teva #PublicHealth #Baltimore

Cigna/ESI is vowing to better defend and explain their value in the drug channel. https://lnkd.in/g6d76nfd I’d be interested in an explanation of how they have 44 different prices for the same drug across their Medicare plans, where among them, their lowest one is still 92x higher than Cost Plus Drugs. https://lnkd.in/grxPS9Na

On this National Opioid Awareness Day, we want to share some of the profound impacts opioids have had on our society. Here are some statistics that might shock you: 1️⃣ 10.1 million people misuse prescription drugs each year. 2️⃣ 1.6 million will face opioid misuse problems in 2024. 3️⃣ Over 81,000 people lost their loves to opioid use in 2022 alone. 4️⃣ More than 50,000 people will use heroin for the first time in 2024. At Clarity Labs, we're committed to providing accurate, reliable testing to support those affected and to aid in their recovery. Let's work together to combat this crisis, one patient at a time. #OpioidAwarenessDay #ClarityLabs

On this National Opioid Awareness Day, we want to share some of the profound impacts opioids have had on our society. Here are some statistics that might shock you: 1️⃣ 10.1 million people misuse prescription drugs each year. 2️⃣ 1.6 million will face opioid misuse problems in 2024. 3️⃣ Over 81,000 people lost their loves to opioid use in 2022 alone. 4️⃣ More than 50,000 people will use heroin for the first time in 2024. At Clarity Labs, we're committed to providing accurate, reliable testing to support those affected and to aid in their recovery. Let's work together to combat this crisis, one patient at a time. #OpioidAwarenessDay #ClarityLabs

This "complaint alleged that J&J breached its fiduciary duties through a series of actions resulting in the plan (and its participants) overpaying for prescription drugs...The complaint suggests this allowed the PBM to favor more expensive drugs over generics, which increased the PBM’s compensation at the plan’s expense...(and) ERISA generally allows for equitable relief where a plaintiff can establish a breach of fiduciary duty that harmed participants" How were participants harmed? (1) Overpayment of Cost-Sharing & (2) inflated Overall Plan Costs. Rx Navigators, like Scripta Insights provide transparency tools that can help you minimize all this risk if you are a plan sponsor. It doesn't cost much to add a service like ours, and the benefits are that we help you (1) attract talent, (2) retain talent, (3) keep people healthy and working, (4) reduced stress for your employees and their families, and (5) a good faith effort towards living up to your fidiciary duty. No brainer! https://lnkd.in/e6KPbK4N

Disagree. We should wish the government to do less. We don’t need new hair-brained schemes, new laws, new restrictions, new plans, calculations, mandates, barriers to market entry, sweetheart deals for Pharma companies, or anything of the sort. Less of all of the nonsense that got us into this predicament, please. One exception. More enforcement of antitrust. More enforcement of the laws we already have. More restoring balance to the market. More elimination of middlemen, mergers, guaranteed contracts, secret deals, bribes, payoffs and kickbacks. Wait a minute, that’s actually “less.” Ok, less it is. #monopoly #antitrust #healthcare #drugshortages #pharmacy #pharmacist https://lnkd.in/gFmNE3Cf

Representative James Comer states during this interview: ⭐ "These 3 companies are vertically integrated." ⭐"We have caught several instances where they have ordered the patient to take a higher priced drug." ⭐"PBMs were created to help reduce the price of prescription drugs." Thank you to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for digging in and investigating these traditional PBMs. They continually seek profit for their shareholders versus focusing on the best interest of employers and their employees. Now is the time, employers ✨ - make SURE you contract with a PBM who puts Patients OVER Profits! #AffirmedRx #PBC #PBM #PatientsOverProfits

When the business model of buying and selling drugs is predicated on differential pricing and arbitrage, public disclosure of how spreads are harvested can be an existential threat to the model; hence why big PBMs won’t be publishing their real prices anytime soon.

🌟 Breaking News: AMA Endorses Drug Decriminalization! In a historic move, the American Medical Association (AMA) has officially endorsed the decriminalization of drug possession for personal use. At its annual meeting, AMA delegates voted 345-171 in favor of this progressive policy, marking a significant shift towards public health-focused drug reforms. Despite some opposition within the AMA, this decision marks a pivotal step towards addressing substance use through a health-centered lens rather than punitive measures. It's a move that holds promise for reducing addiction and overdose rates, as seen in successful models like Portugal. Let's continue to support evidence-based policies that prioritize public health and compassion over criminalization. #PublicHealth #DrugReform #AMA #Decriminalization #SubstanceUse https://lnkd.in/g2WAQ33s

🎙️ Did you catch our episode with Charles Fain Lehman on The Drug Report? We explored the economic and societal impacts of marijuana legalization, as well as addiction, regulation, and the costs of legal marijuana. 🔗 Revisit this insightful conversation: https://lnkd.in/dKz74xYn