Generics news from FierceHealthcare

Two members of Congress have introduced a bill that would allow the FDA to approve generic versions of biotechnonology drugs, though it also would allow companies making brand-name biotech drugs to... Read more...

It's looking like the next few years will be tough for the pharmas, with top-selling drugs going off-patent, and generics cutting $67 billion from annual sales between 2007 and 2012. Meanwhile, with... Read more...

> Healthcare issues continue to play a major role in the campaigning leading up to U.S. presidential election. Read more...

Over the past year, Wal-Mart has made tremendous waves with its $4 generics offerings. Not only has the retail giant built new possibilities for its own pharmacy business, Wal-Mart's moves have been... Read more...

> Ohio's medical association is calling for legislation that would require everyone in the state to buy health insurance. Read more...

> The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) may not have the clout of the AMA, but it's doing what it can on the lobbying front nonetheless. It's meeting with legislators on Capitol Hill to ask them to stop the planned 10 percent Medicare reimbursement cut. Article

> Tenet has struck a deal with Aetna which extends the Aetna network to all of the chain's 60 subsidiary-owned or operated hospitals. …

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Generics do save money, and in some cases they're just as effective as the more expensive name-brand drug. But sometimes, forcing physicians to prescribe a less-expensive drug may be penny-wise and pound foolish, according to one physician. After all, patients react to drugs in unpredictable ways, and once a physician finds drugs that work for them, forcing a switch could cause unneeded problems, he says. Article

Consumers are responding to the advent of higher-deductible plans and higher co-pays as you might expect. According to a new study by consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, patients who bear a higher percentage of the cost of health services are choosing lower-cost options for their care, such as substituting generics for branded prescription drugs or primary care visits for specialist visits. In particular, the study noted, consumers seemed to be happy to switch medications to save money, …

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> Aetna has announced plans to expand a program under which it waives six months of co-payments for beneficiaries who switch to certain generics. Article

> Giving up a measure of its independence, the California Nurses Association has joined up with the AFL-CIO. …

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When Wal-Mart throws its massive clout behind a concept, chances are that it's going to take root. So fans of the retail clinic concept will be pleased to hear that the giant retailer plans to launch... Read more...