For a rheumatology practice, rooming time can be leveraged to improve efficiency and patient care. Christie Bartels, MD, MS, and colleagues have studied this time frame and developed data-based tips and tools to decrease variation among staff and streamline practices…
(Reuters)—A bipartisan group of state attorneys general announced on Thursday that they are jointly investigating the marketing and sales practices of drug companies that manufacture opioid painkillers at the center of a national addiction epidemic. Attorneys general from states including Massachusetts, Texas, Illinois and Pennsylvania announced the investigation two weeks after Ohio Attorney General Mike…
On Feb. 16, ACR leaders, insurers, pharmaceutical representatives, patients, patient advocacy representatives and more met in Scottsdale, Ariz. They came together for the first annual RISE Summit, aimed at setting strategic priorities and goals for the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) Registry, the qualified clinical data registry developed by the ACR. The Rise of…
Thousands of attendees travel to the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting from outside the U.S. to learn, network and exchange ideas. From Nov. 3–8 in San Diego, speakers from more than 30 different countries are scheduled to participate. The ACR is taking action to maintain diverse attendance in a challenging climate for international travel. New traveler vetting and…
In response to the required changes in reimbursement from fee for service to value-based payment under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015, the ACR is exploring development of a rheumatology-specific alternative payment model (APM) for rheumatologists and practices, which would provide an additional option for payment other than the Merit-Based Incentive…
On May 25, with Gov. Greg Abbott’s signing of Senate Bill 680, Texas became the fourth state this year to increase protection for patients subject to insurers’ step therapy protocols. The State of Texas Association of Rheumatologists (STAR) joined with 35 other professional societies and patient advocacy organizations in urging passage of S.B. 680. The…
PARIS (Reuters)—Sanofi announced plans to invest 600 million euros ($673 million) annually over the next two to three years in the field of biologics production, an area of strong growth potential. In contrast to most drugs that are chemically synthesized, many biologics are produced using living cells. They are seen as a promising answer in…
(Reuters)—A synthetic version of a medicine traditionally extracted from chili plant relieved knee pain among osteoarthritis patients for up to six months, data showed, bringing Centrexion Therapeutics a step closer to developing a safe and effective analgesic. The drug, designed to be injected at the site of pain, is being developed by the privately-held company…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Itch intensity in moderate to severe plaque psoriasis can be substantial, and may be on a par with the notoriously itchy skin condition atopic dermatitis, new research suggests. “Both conventional wisdom and some of our classic dermatologic textbooks have stated that psoriasis is not particularly itchy,” corresponding author Dr. Alexa B. Kimball…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday cut the time it will take for copycat versions of biologic drugs to get to the market in a pivotal ruling about an expensive class of medicines that can yield billions of dollars in sales for drug companies. The justices, in a 9–0 ruling, overturned a lower court…