The mice are roaring

A group of smaller, transparent PBMs has come together to create “Transparency-Rx,” an organization to lobby for changes to how all PBMs operate.

These include a ban on spread pricing as well as reforms to the rebate model that include the impact of group purchasing organizations.

Other core tenets backed by the coalition include instituting a 100% pass-through model for discounts, “delinking” that requires PBMs to be paid by a disclosed flat fee and technology that backs data sharing with patients, insurers, pharmacists and other stakeholders.

We wish them luck.

The rats are dangerous

UGA researchers found that brown rats in the Atlanta area are now carrying rat lungworm, “a parasite that can trigger a dangerous brain encephalitis in both people and pets, and which now threatens a wide area of the U.S. Southeast.”

It’s rare but not unheard of for humans to become infected, so if you see a brown rat around Atlanta somewhere, don’t try to take it home as a pet.

Rite Aid proposes bankruptcy plan

Rite Aid is proposing closing 400 to 500 of its 2,100 drugstores as part of a bankruptcy plan.

The Philadelphia-based company faces more than $3.3 billion in debt and over a thousand federal lawsuits alleging it oversupplied opioids. A number of its stores are stuck in long-term leases that the company can’t get out of, making bankruptcy an effective tool to shed them.

Ulcer treatment recall

VistaPharm is recalling a lot (i.e., one lot) of its sucralfate oral suspension because it’s contaminated with Bacillus cereus, the food-poisoning bacteria.

It’s NDC 66689-305-16 and the affected lot is number 810300 with an expiration Date of October 31, 2023.

Ginger might tame inflammation

Somewhere out there are people who, when asked “Ginger or Mary Ann?”, for unfathomable reasons pick Ginger.

They might have the last laugh, though, as it seems ginger supplements could help alleviate inflammation. As Buzz readers know, 95% of what ails people is either caused by inflammation or gut bacteria, so controlling the former is always important.

The problem is when white blood cells — neutrophils — get overactive, leading to a condition called NETosis^* that itself leads to inflammation. “The study found ginger consumption by healthy individuals makes their neutrophils more resistant to NETosis.”

This is important because NETs are microscopic spider web-like structures that propel inflammation and clotting, which contribute to many autoimmune diseases, including lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis.

^* neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation

CDC taps Emory as part of prep for next pandemic

Thirteen organizations, including Emory University, will become part of a new $262.5 million CDC network (of “health departments, tribal organizations, academic institutions, and private-sector partners”) designed to “detect and respond to public health emergencies” including the next major disease outbreak.

The money will be given over five years, and this Outbreak Analytics and Disease Modeling Network will start with …

….an analysis of the public health landscape and identify “gaps, needs, and opportunities for outbreak analytics and disease modeling.”

ICYMI: Medical bills to come off credit reports

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has released its proposal to remove medical debt from credit reporting.

Medical debt is the most common debt in collection. The CFPB found that 58% of all third-party debt collection on consumer credit reports was for medical bills.