Executive Briefing Series (formerly The Food & Drug Letter)

As the November elections draw closer, the issue of prescription drug pricing is drawing increased attention on the public policy stage.

Despite industry claims to the contrary, pharmaceutical manufacturers spend relatively little on R&D compared to what they spend on marketing, according to a former editor of the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched an online-cost comparison tool to allow Medicare beneficiaries to compare more than four dozen prescription drugs in eight therapeutic classes.

State Medicaid programs that aggressively substitute generic drugs for their brand counterparts have the potential to achieve major savings, according to a report issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Several senators are maneuvering to bring drug importation legislation up for a full vote before the Senate adjourns early next month — regardless of whether Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) calls the bill to the floor.

Model guidelines for Medicare drug formularies drafted by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) do not provide patients with access to needed medicines and are in need of a comprehensive revision, according to the brand industry trade group.

Minnesota and Hawaii have become the latest states to receive HHS approval to join an existing purchasing pool that includes Michigan, Vermont, New Hampshire, Alaska and Nevada.

A subcommittee of the West Virginia Pharmaceutical Cost Management Council has recommended that the state use the Australian drug pricing schedule for its public healthcare programs such as Medicaid, as well as for state employee insurance programs.

Officials from a national project that compares prescription drugs on the basis of efficacy have partnered with 11 states and a pair of health-related organizations in an effort to change the way pharmaceuticals are purchased.

The Senate Appropriations Committee will provide $15 million for an HHS agency to study the comparative effectiveness of prescription drug products — the first time federal funding would be used for such a purpose.