| LTC Pharmacy News
March 2025 |
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| It's been an unusually cold winter in the Mid-Atlantic, so we welcome the warmer weather of Spring. Meanwhile, the temperatures seem to be rising in Washington, DC. The Trump Administration has been busy issuing executive orders, firing federal employees, and raising tariffs. Each day brings new surprises.
One of the most surprising stories in this month's edition is the introduction of legislation in Congress to allow artificial intelligence to write prescriptions. It will likely not be acted upon during this Congress. Is it a one-off or the start of a movement?
This got me thinking. If people are willing to consider allowing machines to write prescriptions, why shouldn't we insist that pharmacists have that authority. The bill, as drafted, would require states to authorize AI-written scripts, so why aren't pharmacists (and pharmacies) aggressively lobbying for that privilege?
I can see a day when physicians and their extenders would provide a diagnosis and hand the medical record off to a pharmacist to choose an appropriate medication It's not difficult to imagine the outcomes would be as good (or better) and the costs would be lower.
Anyway, just a thought.
Happy Reading, and Happy Spring!
Paul |
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The 411 on Home Care-Part 1: Understanding the Trend
The trend away from institutional to home and community-based care is in full flower. If you haven't dipped your toes into non-institutional business, take a look at the factors that are driving this trend. See Post |
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| | | | PBM Reform Legislation Stalls
Senate Democrats were thwarted in their attempt to achieve Senate approval of The Bipartisan Healthcare Act, which includes PBM reforms, along with telehealth extension and a bump in physician Medicare payments. Supported by several members of both parties, the proponents attempted to get the bill a vote in the senate, but were not successful. More
HHS Rolls Back Some Notice and Comment
The HHS Secretary issued a notice that the Department would avail itself of the letter of the Administrative Procedure Act by reducing the types of actions that require notice and comment ruling. Critics worry that this will make Department agencies less transparent with regard to policies governing NIH grants and Medicaid program policy. More
CMS Delays Implementation of Surveyor Guidance
CMS publishes a memo to state surveyors that delays implementation from March 25 to April 28. The new guidance places more focus on the potential inappropriate use of unnecessary psychotropic medication and other issues.
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Flu Shot up to 55% Effective in Preventing Hospitalization This Season
A Center for Disease Control (CDC) report estimates that the flu vaccine selected for the 2024-25 season is up to 55% effective in preventing hospitalizations in the adult population. The choice of which strains to include in the annual flu vaccine recipe is a speculative adventure driven by the Vaccine Advisory Committee (see next story). Some years the choice is spot-on and other years,,,,not so much. More
Vaccine Advisory Committee Meeting Canceled
The committee that advises the federal government on which vaccines to prepare for the next flu season has had its March meeting canceled upon the confirmation of Robert Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. If there is no scientific consensus on which strains are likely to be prevalent, the default strategy may be to defer to the World Health Organization. Ironic perhaps?
Trump Administration Offers Buyouts to HHS Employees
The Trump Administration notified thousands of HHS employees they would be eligible for a severance payment of $25,000 to leave their jobs. Those who have been notified can begin accepting the offer on Monday, March 10 and have until Friday to take the deal. More
GAO Identifies $162 Billion in Improper Payments.
The Government Accountability Office issued a press release announcing that it has identified $162 billion in improper payments across a small subset of federal agencies. It notes that this doesn't always represent fraud, but includes payments that should not have been paid or overpayments for legitimate claims. See Report
HHS Inspector General: Part D Spending on Diabetes Rx Soars
The HHS Inspector issued a briefing document that shows Medicare Part D spending on 10 drugs for type 2 diabetes grew from $7.7 billion in 2019, to $35.8 billion in 2023, a growth rate of 364 percent. More
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| | | | NASHP State Health Legislation Tracker
If you need to follow state legislation on issues related to health care across multiple states, you might want to start here. The National Academy for State Health Policy issue tracker. |
| | | | BCBSA: Cut $1 Trillion Healthcare Tab by Doing This..
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has issued a new report, outlining the steps we could take to reduce costs, such as lowering hospital charges, reducing drug costs, and taking a hard line on provider consolidation. The association says implementing these proposals could have a big payoff in reducing healthcare costs. More
Walgreens to be Sold to Private Equity Group
One of the nation's largest drug store chains has agreed to be bought by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $10 billion. The company, once valued as high as $107 billion, has stumbled over the past several years with aggressive acquisitions that didn't work out. More
Federal Judge Stops Lilly GLP-1 Compounders
A federal judge in Texas declined to intervene in an attempt by a trade group effort to reverse the FDA's decision to declare Zepbound and Mounjaro no longer in shortage, effective making the compounding of these drugs no longer legal. More
Medicare Advantage Enrollment Slows in 2025
While Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment increased over 2024, the growth is beginning to slow. Among the contributing factors is the already-dominant position of MA as more popular than traditional Medicare, and the paring of supplemental benefits included in plan designs as insurers attempt to become more profitable. More
KFF: What Does the Federal Government Spend on Healthcare?
KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) published an analysis of how much the federal taxpayer pays for healthcare, and where to money goes. In the last fiscal year, KFF reports that the number is $1.79 trillion. As for where it goes, see here.
Bill in Congress Would Allow AI to Prescribe
I know. It's ironic, but a bill titled The Healthy Technology Act of 2025 was introduced in the US House in January that would allow artificial intelligence, and machine learning, to prescribe medications to humans. Caveats include the requirement that state laws and regulations would have to allow it. More
BrightSpring Health Services Reports Q4 Results
Pharmerica parent BrightSpring Health Services reported 4th Quarter revenues of $3.04 billion and profit of $0.22 per share earnings. More
Guardian Pharmacy Services Announces 4th Quarter and Full Year Results
Guardian Pharmacy Services (GRDN) announced 4th quarter and full-year results show healthy increases in revenue, profits, and residents served. More |
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