GTMRx releases latest CMM evidence document
The Get the Medications Right Institute has released its summary of research on comprehensive medication management (CMM). The December 2023 review, “The Outcomes of Implementing and Integrating Comprehensive Medication Management in Team-Based Care: A Review of the Evidence on Quality, Access and Costs,” highlights the best of the studies demonstrating the value of CMM in achieving all five aspects of the Quintuple Aim. It features 21 studies, three of which are from 2023: a paper demonstrating the value of implementing CMM after discharge for patients receiving high-risk medications on readmission and health care costs; an assessment of patient acceptance of CMM in the Veterans Health Administration; and a descriptive report of the impact of CMM in patients with substance abuse disorder. (evidence document)
Practice Transformation
Drugmakers to hike prices this month
Drugmakers including Pfizer, Sanofi and Takeda Pharmaceutical plan to raise prices in the United States on more than 500 drugs, according to data analyzed by health care research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Excluding different doses and formulations, more than 140 brands of drugs will have their prices raised next month, Reuters first reported. Pfizer alone intends to raise the prices of 124 drugs and 22 Hospira drug brands, accounting for over 25% of the planned price increases. (Reuters)
Drug utilization down, Medicaid spending up
Despite lower utilization, Medicaid spending on prescription drugs has increased, according to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation report. Net spending on Medicaid prescription drugs jumped 47% from $29.8 billion in 2017 to $43.8 billion in 2022. The report attributed the rise to increased spending on high-cost brand-name drugs. “Studies have found substantial drug price increases beyond the rate of inflation in recent years as well as increasing launch prices for new drugs,” the authors wrote. (MedCity News ; KFF)
Evidence & Innovation
Changes to PA leads to patients delaying, stopping meds
Changes to prior authorization policies can increase the likelihood that patients will delay or stop filling prescriptions for oral anticancer drugs, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Researchers used Medicare part D claims data from 2010 to 2020 to assess the effects of prior authorization changes on filling prescriptions for 11 oral anticancer drugs. “Introduction of a new prior authorization policy on an established drug regimen is associated with increased probability of discontinued and delayed care. For some conditions, this may represent a clinically consequential barrier to access,” researchers concluded. (Cancer Therapy Advisor; Journal of Clinical Oncology)
Seniors turning to cannabis, but it can mess with their other meds
Seniors are increasingly using cannabis for relief from age-related aches and insomnia. About 8% of people 65 and older reported using marijuana in the past year, a rate that has roughly doubled in seven years. However, experts warn that it can interfere with other medications and exacerbate chronic conditions. Today’s high-potency products are far stronger than what was previously available. Physicians want to help patients weigh the benefits and risks, but the lack of clinical trials studying the effects of cannabis complicates these discussions. What research exists raises concerns for older adults. (Washington Post)
Policy Solutions
Cigna likely to sell MA business to HCSC
Cigna is reportedly negotiating the sale of its Medicare Advantage business to Health Care Service Corp (HCSC) for somewhere between $3 billion and $4 billion. The Wall Street Journal, which first reported the news, calls it an “about face” for the company, which had been expanding its footprint in the fast-growing sector. Cigna entered the Medicare Advantage business with an $3.8-billion acquisition of HealthSpring in 2011, and it would be leaving at a time when the U.S. government is cutting reimbursement rates. (Reuters; Wall Street Journal)
CVS will move to Humira biosimilar
CVS Health announced that it will remove AbbVie’s blockbuster rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira from some of its lists of preferred drugs for reimbursement. It will recommend biosimilar versions of the medicine instead. This change goes into effect April 1. (Reuters)
