Latest California Healthline Stories
With Donated Drugs, San Jose Pharmacy Dispenses Free Medications
Once bound for the hazardous waste incinerator, surplus pharmaceuticals are directed to people who find it hard to pay for prescriptions.
Debating The New Ballot Measure To Control Prescription Drug Prices
The California Drug Price Relief Act would mandate that the state pay no more for prescription drugs than the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. David Gorn sat down with Rand Martin, Sacramento lobbyist for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which is sponsoring the ballot measure, and Kathy Fairbanks, campaign consultant for the committee opposing it.
Drug Pricing Bill Can’t Pass Committee
Just like last year, a bill in the California Legislature to require pricing transparency by pharmaceutical companies was pulled from the Assembly Health Committee for lack of votes.
Expensive Drugs in 2016 Crosshairs
Lawmakers, policymakers and California voters are poised this year to move past dismay and discussion about rising prescription drug prices. With a new law on the books in California and a petition approved for the statewide ballot, dismay may give way to action.
Health Reform in 2015: A Year in Review
From the King v. Burwell decision to the ultimate “doc fix,” there were some major developments in health care reform this year.
How Should Drug Take-Back Work?
We asked stakeholders, experts, consumer advocates and legislators how California state and local governments should create and pay for systems to properly dispose of old and unwanted prescription drugs.
Amid Growing Rx Costs, No Consensus on Addressing Access
As rising prescription drug prices increasingly make headlines, stakeholders struggle to find the “right idea” to address them, as well as ensure medication access for consumers.
New Salvo in Old Battle Against Drug Ads
The American Medical Association this week called for a ban on direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs, a position the California Medical Association endorsed nearly 20 years ago.
Local Drug Take-Back Programs Could Be Pre-Empted by State Regulations
New statewide rules for proper disposal of old or discarded prescription drugs could conflict with a local ordinance already on the books in one California county and under consideration in other cites and counties..
Pharmacists Can Substitute Biosimilars
Biological medications are expensive, and new types of medications called biosimilars may cost significantly less. A new law allows pharmacists to substitute biosimilars, just as they now change some brand-name drugs to generics.