The United States reports a record 3000 daily coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) deaths; the House of Representatives passes bill in support of marijuana research; data show rises in prescription drug list prices.
Daily deaths from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) topped 3000 for the first time in the United States on December 9, The New York Times reports. The new peak comes 1 week after a previous daily record of 2885 deaths was set—a troubling milestone, as so many daily deaths had not been reported in the country since April 15. This nationwide surge also led to the highest average number of deaths reported in the country since April (from 2232 to 2249). At least 288,000 total deaths have been reported in the United States since the pandemic’s onset, more than any other country. Currently, Brazil ranks second for overall COVID-19 mortality, reporting around 179,000 deaths.
The United States House of Representatives passed a bill that would enable scientists to conduct marijuana research in states that have legalized the substance, according to Politico. The bill marks the second piece of marijuana legislation passed by the Democratic-controlled House in recent days, but it was passed with strong bipartisan support. Currently, research on marijuana is based on a few variations grown by the University of Mississippi, as it is the only entity permitted to grow the substance under federal law for research. In addition to creating a new research structure for the drug, the bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act to remove any limitations on researching marijuana and speed up wait times for research marijuana cultivation applications.
New research published in JAMA Network Open found list prices for prescription drugs have more than doubled between 2010 and 2016. Specifically, pricing data from the top 5 patent-protected specialty and 9 traditional brand name medications showed the median wholesale list price rose by 129% within the 6-year window. In addition, investigators found median patient out-of-pocket costs increased by 53% and median insurance payments after rebates and discounts increased by 64%. The cross-sectional analysis was based on 14.4 million pharmacy claims made by 1.8 million patients, with the researchers concluding that the increases in drug list prices associated with increased patient out-of-pocket costs may have implications for cost-related nonadherence and insurer payments.
Varied Access: The Pharmacogenetic Testing Coverage Divide
February 18th 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the author of a study published in the February 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® to uncover significant differences in coverage decisions for pharmacogenetic tests across major US health insurers.
Listen
Integrated CKD Care Model Cuts ED Visits by 30%, Boosts Specialized Treatment
April 21st 2025An analysis of an interdisciplinary care model for managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) shows hospital admissions dropped by 26% and emergency department (ED) visits decreased by 30% after clinic initiation.
Read More