Alexandra Murphy

Pharmaceutical prices are expected to rise by 3.35% in 2026, according to Vizient’s latest Pharmacy Market Outlet report, released in July.  The report found that price pressures are easing in certain areas due to biosimilar competition, especially with respect to drugs such as Humira and Stelara. High-use inpatient medications are also expected to see price […]

Salt Lake City-based Intermountain Health has started construction on a medical supply facility in Billings that will serve as a centralized distribution hub for hospitals and clinics across Montana.  The consolidated services center will be the first large medical supply warehouse in Montana, according to a July 29 health system news release. The center will […]

Medical supply chain costs are expected to rise by 2.41% in 2026, according to Vizient’s Summer 2025 Spend Management Outlook, released July 29.  The increase will be driven by rising costs in IT services, capital equipment and surgical supplies. The report showed an analysis of product cost inflation for 2026, with projections shaped partly by […]

The FDA’s top vaccine and gene therapy official, Vinay Prasad, MD, has resigned following an online campaign led by Laura Loomer, a right-wing influencer who targeted him over drug approval decisions, The New York Times reported July 29.  Over the last week, Ms. Loomer went to social media to criticize Dr. Prasad’s decision to deny […]

Elie Bahou, PharmD, senior vice president and chief pharmacy officer at Renton, Wash.-based Providence, stepped down from his role July 11, according to a July 7 LinkedIn post.  In the post, Dr. Bahou reflected on his eight years with the health system, saying, “Serving as the system CPO and building an exceptional pharmacy team alongside […]

More than two decades ago, St. Louis-based Ascension realized a troubling trend: While many patients could not afford basic medications, pharmacies were discarding unused drugs as they neared expiration dates.  In the wake of this recognition, the health system partnered with Dispensary of Hope, a nonprofit organization that distributes free, donated pharmaceuticals, and Ascension has […]

A trade deal between the U.S. and the European Union will impose a 15% tariff on imported medications from Europe, setting the stage for potential cost increases for pharmaceuticals, The New York Times reported July 29.  Here are four notes:

Mail-order pharmacies are becoming increasingly attractive to customers as satisfaction with chain drug stores continues to fall behind, according to J.D. Power’s 17th annual U.S. Pharmacy Study, released July 29.  To conduct the study, J.D. Power surveyed 14,700 pharmacy customers who fulfilled prescriptions between May 2024 and May 2025.  Customer satisfaction with mail-order pharmacies rose […]

A federal judge has blocked a new Arkansas law that would have barred pharmacy benefit managers from owning or operating pharmacies in the state.  U.S. District Judge Brian Miller granted a preliminary injunction preventing Arkansas Act 624 from taking effect, siding with PBMs including CVS Caremark and ExpressScripts, who argued the law violated the Constitution’s […]

The FDA has reported that the recent death of an 8-year-old boy was unrelated to Sarepta Therapeutics’ gene therapy Elevidys and recommended lifting the voluntary hold on the treatment, which is used for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  The agency paused use of the gene therapy for the patient group after the boy died June 7, launching […]