What We’re Watching: July 9, 2019

WE’RE BRINGING MEDS BACK

Last week, we brought a drug back to the market that has been in shortage since 2015: cysteine hydrochloride injection. This drug is critical for newborn, pediatric and adult patients who require total parenteral nutrition.

What we’re saying: Premier’s ProvideGx program is making the first FDA-approved New Drug Application for cysteine hydrochloride injection, which is held by Exela Pharma Sciences, a U.S.-based manufacturer. Current supplies of cysteine hydrochloride injection are imported from Canada under special FDA rules that allow shortage drugs to be sourced abroad if no domestic supplies are available.

A BEACH READ FOR VACAYERS

The North Carolina Medical Journal published an invited commentary by Leigh Anderson, Premier’s President of Performance Services, discussing the evolution of the healthcare ecosystem.

What we’re saying: Leigh addresses how technology needs to be leveraged to achieve better outcomes and meet the goals of providing more coordinated, patient-centric and high-quality care. Take a read.

AND A WEBINAR TOO

On Wednesday, July 10, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) is hosting a webinar to share recommendations for success with value-based contracts for pharmaceuticals.

What we’re saying: Successful implementation of value-based agreements in integrated delivery networks (IDNs), specifically, requires a range of complex capabilities. The webinar is based on a forum held by the AMCP in November 2018, where challenges and opportunities in value-based contracting for IDNs were discussed. Premier’s VP of Strategic Accounts, Myla Maloney will be participating, along with Richard Demers, Chief Administrative Officer, Ambulatory Pharmacy Services at University of Pennsylvania Health System. They will address the current delivery of value-based care in IDNs, opportunities and barriers to implementing pharmaceutical value-based agreements, recommendations for IDNs to reach the full potential of value-based agreements, and opportunities for collaborations among managed care organizations, ACOs and IDNs to improve healthcare outcomes.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

• Breakthroughs 2019: Susan DeVore
• Breakthroughs 2019: Mike Alkire
• Breakthroughs 2019: Blair Childs
• Realizing the Future We Want: Leveraging Technology to Achieve a Better Health Care Experience for All
• Rethinking Cancer Care
• Premier’s ProvideGx Program to Make the First FDA-Approved Version of Cysteine Hydrochloride Available to Providers
• Premier's ProvideGx to launch intravenous nutrition drug
• Premier's ProvideGx supplies nutrition injection in shortage
• The evolving picture on drug price hikes
• Premier’s Draft Comments on FY 2020 Hospital Inpatient PPS and LTCH Proposed Rule

What We’re Watching is a weekly blog focused on the current events Premier is following and their relevance to the work of Premier and its members. Check out last week's update.