Content about Supreme Court

NEW YORK — The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case that could determine the future of generic drugs in America.

The case, Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis, marks the latest attempt by federal authorities to put an end to what they say are deals between branded and generic drug companies that delay release of generic drugs to consumers.

NEW YORK — The stakes are high in a case involving generic drug maker Actavis and the Federal Trade Commission that will soon go before the Supreme Court, the head of a generic drug industry lobbying group said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

The case, FTC v. Actavis, will go before the high court on March 25 and may decide the future of patent settlements between branded and generic drug companies. The Generic Pharmaceutical Association filed an amicus brief with the court last week defending the settlements as beneficial to consumers.

Alabama's Supreme Court ruled in January that brand-name drug companies could be sued if patients suffer complications from generic versions of their medicines, according to published reports. According to the New York Times, an Alabama man named Danny Weeks claimed he developed tardive dyskinesia after taking generic versions of Pfizer's acid reflux drug Reglan (metoclopramide). Pfizer acquired rights to the drug when it bought Wyeth in 2009, and generic drug makers Teva and Actavis, now owned by Watson, make generic versions.

Health care is evolving. As obvious of a statement as that is, it doesn’t change the fact that it is very real. Throughout last year, there was intense discussion on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and what impact the outcome of the presidential election might have on its future. Now that the Supreme Court has ruled and elections are settled, healthcare companies and providers across the country are implementing strategies to meet ACA requirements.

NEW YORK — The Supreme Court will review settlements between branded and generic drug companies that critics say delay patients' access to cheaper drug treatments, according to published reports.

Politico reported that the justices had agreed to hear three cases, including Federal Trade Commission v. Watson Pharmaceuticals, involving settlements between branded and generic drug companies that critics deride as "pay-for-delay" deals.

 SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration took the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 one step closer to being considered by the Supreme Court earlier this week. The FDA recently petitioned the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to revisit the court's August decision that ruled in favor of the tobacco industry and precluded the FDA from mandating that graphic images depicting the consequences of smoking be placed on all cigarette packaging. 

TORONTO — Canadian pharmacy retailer Shoppers Drug Mart announced on Thursday that the Supreme Court of Canada has granted its application for leave to appeal to Ontario’s ban on private-label generic drugs.

“The company respects the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada and is pleased with the outcome,” the retailer stated. A hearing date has not yet been set, and no further details were provided.

According to Reuters, Canada’s Katz Group also has been granted leave to challenge the ban.

NEW YORK — Unilever’s Simple facial skin care brand has teamed up with Makers, a multiplatinum video experience from AOL and PBS that honors trailblazing women, to launch a nationwide search to find women in local communities who will become recognized as “Next Makers.”

For the next several weeks, the public may nominate themselves or women in their own lives who have made a remarkable impact at a local level, are viewed as role models and inspire people around them to take action.

As states grapple with tight budgets, rising Medicaid costs and the anticipated expansion of Medicaid following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, policy-makers should consider how community pharmacists can help reduce expenses. In addition, new evidence offers a fresh reminder of the perils of managed care in Medicaid and the need for proper oversight of managed care entities.

SAN FRANCISCO — With the Supreme Court maintaining a status quo of sorts with regard to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act last month, retail pharmacy operators are going to need to continually drive efficiencies into their businesses, McKesson chairman and CEO John Hammergren noted during the wholesaler's first-quarter conference call.

LAS VEGAS — The sweeping healthcare reforms encompassed in the landmark Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will transform parts of the American healthcare landscape. But the nation’s fiscal challenges and the unsustainable cost increases generated by the U.S. health system also will drive fundamental changes in the way providers, payers and patients search for a more cost-effective and accountable set of solutions to a health system in crisis, said McKesson’s top public policy expert at ideaShare 2012.