Drug News

Preferred Medical continues to serve you by staying up to date on industry changes and drug updates that impact you.

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FDA Approves Prescription Nasal Spray to Reverse Opioid Overdose

The use of opioid medications is at an all-time low but there is a need to remain vigilant to ensure those patients in need of pain management are not deprived of treatment and are encouraged to obtain the optimum combination of medications and other proven alternative options. As announced previously, the FDA continues to advance …
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FDA Announces New Safety Label Changes for Opioid Pain Medicines

While we have seen a decrease in the use of opioids over the past few years, they are still an important treatment option when prescribed responsibly and appropriately. However, they also have serious risks, including misuse and abuse, addiction, overdose, and death. To help reduce these serious risks, the FDA has developed a vision to …
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Opioid Accountability !?

Drug News from Preferred Medical … Purdue Pharma, the company that manufactures OxyContin, is in the news. Again. On October 21, the Sackler family (company owners) agreed to pay $225 million to resolve their liability under the False Claims Act (FCA). On November 24, their company pled guilty to three felonies – two counts of …
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New York Formulary Flash

Drug News from Preferred Medical … The New York Workers’ Compensation Board announced on November 18 it is “temporarily suspending the January 1, 2021, date for refill compliance, and a new date (likely spring, 2021), will be announced soon.” The original May 2019 regulations set the date for refill and renewal prescription compliance with the …
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Duragesic Discontinuation Decision

Drug News from Preferred Medical … In case you missed the notice on April 1, 2020, the FDA announced the following about Janssen Pharmaceuticals: “The Company made a business decision to permanently discontinue all Duragesic/fentanyl transdermal system. Product should be maintained on the formularies until the last batch produced expires (31 July 2021), in order …
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Mainstreaming Naloxone

Drug News from Preferred Medical … Naloxone medications (the generic naloxone or brand names Narcan and Evzio) are opioid antagonists that block the effects of an opioid in the brain, effectively reversing an overdose from a prescription or illegal opioid. First responders around the country use these drugs on a daily basis (130 people every …
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Hand Sanitizer Heads-Up

Drug News from Preferred Medical … Since it appears that COVID-19 is going to impact our daily lives into the foreseeable future, continuing good hygiene basics makes sense. Practice social (more accurately, physical) distancing and wear a mask when that is not possible or is required by government, do not touch your face, cover coughs …
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A New Combo Drug is Coming

Drug News from Preferred Medical … On February 28, 2020 the FDA approved Advil® Dual Action that combines 250mg of acetaminophen and 125mg of ibuprofen into a single tablet. While over-the-counter (OTC) medications are not as prevalent at workers’ compensation PBMs as prescription medications (including the prescription versions of acetaminophen and ibuprofen), this new all-in-one …
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Famotidine & Ranitidine

Drug News from Preferred Medical … The FDA announced on April 1 it is “requesting manufacturers withdraw all prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) ranitidine drugs from the market immediately.” This includes the Zantac brand name variant, a popular drug used for stomach ulcers and conditions where the stomach produces excess acid. The FDA also recommends that …
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