Specialty Providers

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A new class action lawsuit filed against Caremark is the latest move in the fight to rein in the “revenue grab” of pharmacy benefit managers, says the National Community Pharmacists Association.  The NCPA is not a named party in the lawsuit, which was filed Sept. 27, but has helped educate the law firms behind it, says Anne Cassity, senior vice president of government affairs at association.  “These (pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration...

YARMOUTH, Maine – O&P Woman of the Year Nikki Grace-Strader wears a lot of hats at Osseointegration International, but chief among them is educating patients and clinicians about osseointegration, a procedure that enabled her to walk again. When Grace-Strader lost a leg several years after due to a spinal cord injury, she eventually underwent OI to directly connect a prosthesis to the end of her residual limb. “I became really passionate about exploring options for patients who...

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The National Community Pharmacists Association applauded a class action lawsuit filed against CVS Health, Caremark and Aetna that aims to recoup millions of dollars in wrongful back-end penalties for Medicare Part D prescriptions, otherwise known as pharmacy direct and indirect remuneration fees.  “It’s payback time,” said B. Douglas Hoey, CEO. “Finally, community pharmacies have a chance to recover DIR fees that were unfairly taken. PBMs have...

WASHINGTON – Medicare needs to improve access to home infusion services, said lawmakers during a Sept. 19 House Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing.  During the hearing, “Examining Policies to Improve Seniors’ Access to Innovative Drugs, Medical Devices, and Technology,” home infusion was discussed at least three distinct times, according to the National Home Infusion Association.  Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., brought up two bills—the Expanding...

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – After growing his breast pump business, Healthy Baby Essentials, “tenfold” since its inception, Jeff Goldshine is handing the reins to his son, Willie Goldshine.  Healthy Baby got its start as Lactation Consultants in 2012, when it stepped in to fill a void when Invacare exited the breast pump market. Jeff Goldshine approached competitor Enos Home Medical to develop a breast pump business, eventually adding www.breastpumps.com.   “The...

WATERLOO, Iowa – The Orthotic Prosthetic Group of America has named Nikki Grace-Strader the 2023 O&P Woman of the Year.  The OPGA presented Grace-Strader with the award in its booth at the AOPA National Assembly on Sept. 7.  "I am truly honored to receive the Woman of the Year award from OPGA and to be given the chance to represent women in the O&P profession," said Nikki, director of North American operations for Osseointegration International. "This recognition is not just...

YARMOUTH, Maine – Abbott will increase production of several adult enteral formulas in the retail market to offset low supplies in the institutional market, but providers worry that won’t be enough if a shortage drags on.  In September, Abbott said it would make Ensure Original Vanilla with Fiber, Ensure Plus Vanilla with Fiber and Nepro Vanilla available for institutional use – and at comparable pricing.   “It looks like they heard our concerns,”...

ABBOTT PARK, Ill. and MILPITAS, Calif. – Abbott will acquire Bigfoot Biomedical, a developer of smart insulin management systems.  Abbott  and  Bigfoot have worked together on connected diabetes solutions since 2017.  Bigfoot developed Bigfoot Unity, a smart insulin management system that works exclusively with Abbott's FreeStyle Libre technology and includes a customer smartphone app connected to a cloud-based online portal...

DUBLIN – A lawsuit filed against Medtronic alleges that the company’s insulin delivery devices shared patient data with third parties, including Google, in violation of HIPAA and other industry standards, according to online news reports.  The lawsuit, filed by “A.H.” in U.S. District Court in Central California, alleges that Medtronic and its MiniMed and InPen devices transmit personally identifiable information and protected health information to third parties.  Per...

ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Sixty-three percent of respondents to a recent survey by Aeroflow Breastpumps felt they needed assistance to properly breastfeed, pointing to a need for more resources and support.  To understand how breastfeeding impacts postpartum mental health and where resources are needed, Aeroflow Breastpumps surveyed 508 mothers who have had children within the past year, with 409 completed responses.  According to the survey:  67% of respondents said they...