pharmaceuticals

The veterinary tranquilizer xylazine, the choice du jour of local drug dealers to cut fentanyl, leads to necrotic ulcers and leaves street medics and physicians confused about how best to deal with this wave of the opioid crisis.

Medicare suddenly stopped paying for the pricey drug that prolongs his life. As he waits for an appeal, this retired physician wonders if he should give up treatment to spare his family the cost.

The nation’s largest Medicaid insurer denies wrongdoing after the California attorney general’s office investigated it for inflating prescription drug costs.

Drugmakers will be required to pay Medicare back for price increases that outpace inflation. The industry is expected to put up a fight over implementation.

Pharmacy closures by two of the biggest home infusion companies point to grave shortages and dangers for patients who require IV nutrition to survive.

The Vaccines for Children program, which buys more than half the pediatric vaccines in the U.S., may not cover the RSV shot for babies because it’s not technically a vaccine.

The FDA approved the use of Leqembi in January for patients with mild or early cases of dementia tied to Alzheimer’s. A year’s treatment runs about $26,500, and there are few options outside of self-pay.

Private equity groups are cashing in on rising rates of alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. But they aren’t necessarily investing in centers with the best treatment standards, and they often cut extra services.

Amazon will launch RxPass, a subscription service for customers who have Prime memberships. People will pay $5 a month to fill as many prescriptions as they need from a list of about 50 generic medications.

Gov. Ron DeSantis outlined proposed legislation that would target the health care "middlemen" to try to lower prescription costs. He said his plan will increase transparency and help small drug stores.