Apparently, Looks DO Matter!

….at least when it comes to prescription drugs. According to Harvard Researchers, many patients become accustomed to the appearance of certain drugs and can become confused when given a generic alternative that looks different. The danger being, patients confused with the drugs they’re taking often...

Pharmacists Authorize Prescription Refills in Ontario

A new regulation passed in Ontario has some very interesting implications for the dispensing of prescription drugs. The regulation allows pharmacists to authorize prescription drug refills in certain circumstances. The intent of the regulation is to prevent a delay in refilling prescriptions for patients on...

The Time is NOW to Manage Group Drug Plans

The rising cost of employer sponsored drug plans has been a hot topic for quite some time; the real problem is many organizations have not taken action to address the issue.  Helen Stevenson, President and CEO of Reformulary Group has joined the conversation, with an insightful white paper entitled “An...

Drug Costs – What’s Working and What’s Not.

Check out this “must watch” video clip of Mike Sullivan from Cubic Health. Mike presents some startling numbers illustrating how group plans that don’t have provisions regarding generic drugs are spending significantly more than they need to. Group plans facing insurmountable cost...

Word is Spreading: Expensive Drugs Are Wreaking Havoc on Group Plans

It’s pretty close to common knowledge in the benefits community, but the general public is now taking notice: expensive drugs are crippling group benefit plans. Specialty medications including “biologics” are a contributing factor to skyrocketing costs for group drug plans – some employers have put...

Electronic Prescriptions May Not Be the Answer

It seems like a commonsense shift in the logistics of prescribing drugs to patients: electronic prescriptions. Most assume electronic prescriptions would eliminate drug mix-ups as a result of seemingly illegible paper prescriptions, but a recent study in Toronto disproved that assumption. The study followed...

Drugs Are Losing Effectiveness

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the world is facing a dire prospect: the loss of “miracle cures” for common infections. The focus of World Health Day 2011 last week was “Urgent action necessary to safeguard drug treatments.” The focus comes as drug treatments for many common and not...

Weekend Drug Use Affects Weekday Performance

Most employers have policies in place to forbid employees from being under the influence of drugs or alcohol while at work. The majority of employees understand and adhere to these policies, but many may unknowingly be working while still dealing with the effects of alcohol or drugs. The short term effects...

The Value of Prior Authorization (PA) Programs

A recent Benefits Canada article draws attention to an opportunity many plans have overlooked regarding drug cost management: prior authorization. In the wake of soaring drug costs related to expensive specialty or biological drugs, the lack of robust prior authorization programs is becoming evident. More...

How Many Prescriptions Are You Taking?

In 2008, Canada’s National Prescription Drug Utilization Information System (NPDUIS) reported that 40.6 % of seniors were taking 5-9 different prescriptions drugs. With drug costs soaring, it begs the question: how many prescription drugs is the rest of the population ...