Pharma Blog Watch
A
New Study and COX-2 Drug Lawsuits (Drug Injury Watch)
Will an article
in the June 2006 edition of the journal Circulation — which states
that the COX-2 drugs Bextra, Celebrex, and Vioxx can be dangerous when used by
people who have survived a heart attack — affect lawsuits related to these
drugs? In his entry, blogger Tom Lamb describes the study and muses on its ramifications.
The
Continuing Debate on the Drug Approval Process (DrugWonks.com)
Blogger
Peter Pitts provides a link to an op-ed piece that he and Robert Goldberg wrote
for the Washington Times, in which the two discuss the Critical Path Initiative
and the negatives of the current drug-approval process.
Part
D, Chain Pharmacies and Independent Pharmacies (Drug Channels)
A recent
Wall Street Journal article states that "Part D reimbursement rates
— which are set by insurance companies but reviewed by the government —
vary widely but are usually so low that many independent pharmacies worry they
will be put out of business," notes blogger Adam Fein. In his entry, Fein
discusses the Part D issue, citing his June 18 blog entry about the relationship
between chain pharmacies and PBMs.