Pharma Pulse 10/25/24: Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Compounded Medications, Move Over, Dr. Google. ChatGPT, M.D., Has Better Answers & more

Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Compounded Medications

Scott Brunner, CEO, and Tenille Davis, Chief Advocacy Officer, of the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding discuss how compounded medications differ from commercially available drugs in terms of their manufacturing process, quality standards, and more.

Move Over, Dr. Google. ChatGPT, M.D., Has Better Answers | AAO 2024

ChatGPT bested Google in a blinded comparison of their answers to common oculoplastic questions.

Apple Intelligence Isn’t Very Smart Yet—and Apple’s OK With That

Our columnist reviews the first wave of AI features coming to iPhones with iOS 18.1, and asks Apple’s software chief why so much is still missing.

New Study Reveals Unprecedented Increases in Fentanyl and Stimulant Concentrations in Urine Drug Test Results

A study published in JAMA Network Open, led by Andrew Huhn, PhD, MBA, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Kelly Dunn, PhD, MBA, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and co-authored by Millennium Health researchers, illustrates striking increases in the amounts of illicit fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine detected in urine drug testing (UDT) specimens since 2013. The analysis showed that the concentrations of fentanyl and methamphetamine were 8.3 and 5.2 times higher, respectively, in 2023 compared to 2013 (Figure). Cocaine concentrations also doubled across this time period, whereas those for heroin fell by more than half.

Paul Callahan, MBA on LinkedIn

Thanks to Pharmaceutical Commerce for the attached Specialty Pharmacy article in their October edition! The article does an excellent job of framing some current and emerging trends and best practices of these critical pharmacy partners. So now many manufacturers may appropriately ask exactly how many pharmacies do I need in my network? Also, with so many national, regional and disease specific pharmacies across the U.S. which one(s) are right for my product and the patients we serve? The solution is channel strategy development that will support your product and disease state, followed by a rigorous Specialty Pharmacy RFP process that includes real-world disease specific case studies. Following identification of the partner(s) at the end of the RFP process make sure to memorialize what we expect from each other in a strong dispense and distribution contract that includes detailed measures and metrics that will inspect what we expect from the pharmacy to support the unique patient journey. If you need any help with your strategy, partner selection or performance-based contracts let’s connect. #SpecialtyPharmacy
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