EconRx

In this show we dive into the business of the US healthcare system. Why are some of my medications covered by insurance but not others? What does it mean for a provider to be "in-network?" Above all, WHERE DO OUR HEALTHCARE DOLLARS GO??! We want to understand and answer these questions, and we want you to come with us on this journey.

Alzheimer's Boom or Bust 10/14/2022

Alzheimer's Boom or Bust Aducanumab (brand name Aduhelm) drew headlines when it was approved by the FDA in 2021 against the recommendations of the FDA advisory committee. Today it's almost commercially dead. On this episode are joined by P4 student Ise Brockmann to dive into aducanumab's story. email: Twitter/Instagram: @EconRx LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/econrx/id/24660105

$35 Insulin Cap 04/21/2022

$35 Insulin Cap Capping patient out-of-pocket costs for insulin has been a popular move for legislators, most recently by the US House. On this episode we weigh the Pros, Cons, and viral reactions to this move including lowering vs. shifting costs, ADA guidelines, and political theater. email: Twitter/Instagram: @EconRx LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/econrx/id/22871285

Testing Woes & Ivermectin 09/27/2021

Testing Woes & Ivermectin After explaining a HORRENDOUS mistake made recently by the NABP and the oversight of NAPLEX testing that affected one of our own, we decided it's high time we dove into the controversy around the use of ivermectin against COVID-19. Social media and mainstream news can be confusing, so we tried to summarize while sticking to what we know. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/20620766

Blueberry Pharmacy 08/11/2021

Blueberry Pharmacy On this episode we were blessed to have on Kyle McCormick, owner/operator of Blueberry Pharmacy, to explain his unique business model. Blueberry operates on a cost-plus model and DOES NOT ACCEPT INSURANCE. Crazy? Maybe not. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/20112668

[NEWSFLASH] Amazon: Usual & Customary 07/06/2021

[NEWSFLASH] Amazon: Usual & Customary The Twittersphere recently noticed that quoted savings on Amazon Pharmacy are a little bit unrealistic. On this episode we break down how a pharmacy's "Usual & Customary" price SHOULD be calculated, what it is used for, and what Amazon's crazy numbers say about their pharmacy business model. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/19713728

US Drug Supply Chain 07/06/2021

US Drug Supply Chain The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted many weaknesses in the US Drug Supply Chain's dependence on foreign production (similar to toilet paper, masks, etc.). The Biden White House recently announced plans to address supply chain weaknesses to prevent future shortages due to overseas dependence. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/19713437

DIRty Money 05/19/2021

DIRty Money After a brief hiatus we are back in the studio! Everyone has important life updates to share, Aaron has some interesting learning points about Medicaid rebates, Ryan explains DIR fees, and we check back in with GoodRx's recent stock price woes. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/19158506

Mix and Match 03/28/2021

Mix and Match Since we have had guests on for the last few episodes, we wanted to take some time to cover some recent topics that have come up in the first quarter of 2021. Chosen topics: /episode/index/show/econrx/id/18493943

Kit Check 03/05/2021

Kit Check We are beyond excited to welcome AJ Rivosecchi, PharmD onto the podcast to talk about Kit Check. A company that started as a tool for managing hospital medication inventory is growing to address drug diversion and spend optimization. Along the way they may even change industry standards for the pharmaceutical industry. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/18197984

Roche Pharmacy 02/21/2021

Roche Pharmacy Ever been to an independent pharmacy? One with a soda fountain and ice cream bar? The level of service provided is a far cry more personal than the usual retail-pharmacy experience. Don't believe us? Hear it here straight from the Roche's mouth. Bad joke, sorry. But seriously, give @b_roche a listen and get yourself some Red Oil. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/18025769

Battle for 340B 01/28/2021

Battle for 340B On this episode we are joined by the one and only Mike Corvino of the @CorConsultRx podcast to talk about recent attacks on the 340B program. We outline, with a provider's perspective, how the 340B program helps provide care for underserved patients. We also explain how aspects of the program are seen as abuse or exploitation by some Industry stakeholders. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/17721107

Formularies, COVID Vaccines, and Rutledge v. PCMA 12/20/2020

Formularies, COVID Vaccines, and Rutledge v. PCMA 2020 IS OVER!!! Well, almost anyway. Before we end the weirdest year ever, we wanted to give you one more episode. We discussed a bunch of random stuff like the supreme court and vaccine approvals (YAY!). We also discussed formularies and how they work. Jan 1 is nigh and formulary changes come with it. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/17262713

Amazon Pharmacy 11/28/2020

Amazon Pharmacy Amazon is officially entering the mail order pharmacy space. Is this going to be a huge market-up-ending disruption like every other space the online retail giant enters? Hard to say at this point, but it sure is a fun topic to talk about. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/16983899

Biosimilar Barriers 11/13/2020

Biosimilar Barriers On this episode we were able to fit in two topics! First, we gave an update of the status of COVID-19 vaccines following some exciting news from Pfizer this week. We then began to discuss challenges around biosimilar adoption and interchangeability. What's a biosimilar? Why should you care? Guess you gotta listen to find out... /episode/index/show/econrx/id/16794041

Medicaid Spending Pressures 10/22/2020

Medicaid Spending Pressures On Oct 6, 2020 JAMA published an article by R. Sachs (link below) that explains the impossible position different pieces of Federal legislation have created for State Medicaid programs. In this episode we break down the article and why it provides some insight into broader problems in prescription drug reimbursement. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/16501169

America First Drug Prices 10/08/2020

America First Drug Prices On September 13th the White House published the "Executive Order on Lowering Drug Prices by Putting America First." EconRx breaks down the who, what, where, why, and HOW of this latest attempt to address rising drug prices. Spoiler: It might not do anything at all... /episode/index/show/econrx/id/16316987

Private Health Insurance 09/16/2020

Private Health Insurance Ever wonder how private health insurance became so common in the US? Or why it's most commonly given as a benefit from an employer? We break down the history of how this came to be and what that means for us today. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/16026014

GoodRx 09/04/2020

GoodRx This week the Trio break down GoodRx and the recent news that the prescription discount company wants to go public. How does a company that saves patients money...make money? The answer is a little frustrating to some. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/15881537

Medicare 08/30/2020

Medicare Did you know Medicare is the single biggest provider of health insurance in the US? Now you do. You're welcome. Josh and Aaron give an overview of this enormous government program and discuss its ups and downs. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/15804917

Telehealth 08/12/2020

Telehealth THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN...or at least able to record in person for a change. On this episode we are joined by Mike Corvino of CorConsult Rx to talk about telehealth changes, billing, and its potential for the future of healthcare. We went on some long winding tangents and had a LOT of fun doing it. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/econrx/id/15581081

[NEWSFLASH] COVID-19 Vaccines 07/30/2020

[NEWSFLASH] COVID-19 Vaccines We took another side session to talk about the current state of the race to a vaccine for COVID-19. Vaccine by October? Maybe, but that might not mean what you think it means. Initiate warp drive! -And other Star Trek references. We broke 1 hour for the first time (oops), but the time is well worth it. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/15408503

Kiddie Pool Health Insurance 07/21/2020

Kiddie Pool Health Insurance On this episode the guys try to do the opposite of a deep-dive...a belly flop...in the kiddie pool. In the first part of our "Health Insurance" series, Aaron and Ryan give a broad overview of health insurance (with a few tangents along the way). Josh provided a small cameo explaining the Indian Health Service that will definitely be expanded into a full episode soon. Enjoy! /episode/index/show/econrx/id/15294050

[NEWSFLASH] Remdesivir 07/08/2020

[NEWSFLASH] Remdesivir This episode tries out a different format from our regularly scheduled programming. We sit down and discuss (and sometimes rant about) our thoughts about Gilead's $3k price tag announcement for remdesivir. What was supposed to be a quick discussion of a current event quickly devolved into broader discussions about drug pricing, patent law, and public opinion. /episode/index/show/econrx/id/15126611

The Pilot 06/23/2020

The Pilot In this episode, Aaron, Ryan, and Josh introduce themselves and the podcast. They talk about where future episodes might lead and some other random stuff. They finish up by covering some basic economic principles: /episode/index/show/econrx/id/14928899

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