Content about Collaborative Care

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Hy-Vee has hired an NBA player to promote health and fitness among children around the Midwest, the supermarket chain said Wednesday.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal court has declined to review an earlier decision to uphold cuts to California's Medicaid program, drawing criticism from several groups.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — A federal court has blocked Actavis from distributing its generic version of a drug for treating asthma, the company said.

Actavis said the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had issued an injunction against Actavis' distribution of budesonide inhalation suspension at the request of AstraZeneca, which sells the drug under the trade name Pulmicort Respules.

CHICAGO — Soda may be as damaging to the teeth as some illegal drugs, according to a new study.

The study, published in the March-April 2013 issue of the journal General Dentistry, found that drinking large quantities of carbonated soda that the study labeled "abusive" can be as harmful to dental health as methamphetamine and crack cocaine.

NEW YORK — You might remember back in January 2011, when DSN profiled Terry Teller, a pharmacist from Lukachukai, Ariz., who uses his Navajo-language skills when working with patients. Now, according to published reports, he can add "Jedi Knight" to his resume.

NEW YORK — Forest Labs president and CEO Howard Solomon will retire at the end of 2013, the company said.

The drug maker announced that Solomon would still remain as chairman through the 2014 annual meeting, retaining the title of chairman emeritus after a replacement is elected. Solomon has served as CEO since 1977, chairman since 1998 and president since 2010.

An independent committee of the company's board of directors is looking within and outside the company for candidates to replace Solomon and plans to announce a successor before the end of the year.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — Johnson & Johnson expects to file for Food and Drug Administration approval of more than 10 new drugs over the next four years, the drug maker said Thursday.

J&J's Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. highlighted its more than 11 new product launches since 2009 and said it hoped to file with the FDA for more than two-dozen "significant" extensions to its branded drug lines by 2017.

WASHINGTON — More than half of all healthcare providers who are eligible have received Medicare and Medicaid incentive payments for electronic health records, the Department of Health and Human Services said.

HHS secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the department had exceeded its goal for 50% of doctor offices and 80% of hospitals to have EHRs by the end of the year. By contrast, the percentage of physicians using EHRs in 2008 was 17%. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 contained incentive programs for adoption of EHRs that went into effect in 2011.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Several members of Congress are requesting that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reverse a decision to prohibit independent pharmacies from delivering diabetes-testing supplies to homebound seniors.

PRINCETON, N.J. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a generic heart-disease drug made by Sandoz, the company said Wednesday.

Sandoz, the generics division of Swiss drug maker Novartis, announced the approval of candesartan cilexetil tablets, a generic version of AstraZeneca's Atacand.

The drug is used to treat some types of heart failure in adults with left ventricular systolic dysfunction, as well as high blood pressure in adults and children as young as 1.

Atacand had sales of $120.3 million in 2012, according to IMS Health.

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J. — Generic drug maker Par Pharmaceutical Cos. has started shipping an authorized generic version of a heart-disease medication made by AstraZeneca.

Par said it had entered into an agreement with AstraZeneca to supply authorized generic Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) and had begun shipping the drug in the 4 mg, 8 mg, 16 mg and 32 mg strengths. Atacand has annual sales of about $113 million, according to IMS Health, and is used to treat certain kinds of heart failure and high blood pressure in children and adults.

SEATTLE — Bartell Drugs has increased its store count by two following the purchase of two pharmacies.

The Seattle-based regional chain announced the purchase of the pharmacies — in Everett and Marysville, Wash. — from The Everett Clinic. Bartell will begin operating them on June 10, bringing its total number of stores to 60.