Latest Conference Articles

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology in the gastrointestinal field continues to advance, speakers at Digestive Disease Week 2022 discussed how these tools can be put into practice to improve efficiency, reduce physician burnout, and reap cost savings.

Latha Alaparthi, MD, gastroenterologist at Gastroenterology Center of Connecticut, talks about lessons she has learned from being a woman in a medical leadership position and what she hopes to teach others at the Women in GI Luncheon at Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2022.

Digestive Disease Week (DDW) 2022, held virtually and in San Diego, California, from May 21 to 24, will feature research and presentations exploring new ways to prevent and treat digestive diseases.

While 2023 is a big year with at least 7 adalimumab biosimilars expected to come to market, 2024 will be even more important because all the products will be on the market and formulary decisions can be made, said Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, BCMAS, DPLA, vice president of biosimilars at Cardinal Health.

Biosimilar adoption can be accelerated or stymied depending on actions taken by the managed care space, explained Sonia Oskouei, PharmD, vice president, biosimilars, Cardinal Health, during a session at Asembia’s Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

David Skomo, and Nick Page, PharmD, of WellDyne offered their perspectives on recent developments in precision medicine at the 2022 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

In a session at the 2022 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit, Jayne Hornung, chief clinical officer at Managed Markets Insights & Technology (MMIT), outlined factors driving payer hesitation when it comes to covering prescription digital therapeutics.

Katharine Rimes, PharmD, and John Bosso, MD, discussed updates in management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps at the 2022 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit.

UPMC Health Plan, RxAnte, and Mosaic Pharmacy Services outlined how they are operating a value-based pharmacy care management program within Community HealthChoices, Pennsylvania’s managed Medicaid long-term services and supports (LTSS) program, at a recent conference.

Future quality conversations must recognize what the pandemic has illustrated over the past 2 years—that patients who were in the most dire need of health care, including those with multiple chronic conditions, had the least amount of access, said Jonathan Blum, MPP, the principal deputy administrator and chief operating officer of CMS.

Addressing rural care is a way of addressing health inequities, and the Biden administration’s recent investment in rural care reflects its commitment to addressing health equity, said Ryan Urgo, MPAP, managing director, health policy, Avalere.

At the Pharmacy Quality Alliance (PQA) 2022 Annual Meeting Wednesday, participants heard about some unexpected insights arising from a workshop held this week between patients and pharmacists who are creating a patient-centered outcomes research agenda focused on addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) in the community pharmacy setting.

Panelists discussed results of a survey conducted among 171 benefits leaders representing more than 40 million covered lives.

The pandemic drove telehealth usage, but it has challenges that might prevent doctors from prescribing new therapies, said Doug Long, MBA, vice president, industry relations, IQVIA.

Adam Fein, PhD, of Drug Channels Institute, and Doug Long of IQVIA discussed trends in the specialty pharmacy market in the United States.

Representatives from employers, pharmacy benefit managers, and others discussed methods of improving pharmacy access and affordability in health plans.

Value-based payments were a benefit during the pandemic, but it remains to be seen if patients are interested in keeping those changes in care delivery as the pandemic recedes, said Jayson Slotnik, partner, Health Policy Strategies, Inc.

Scott Gottlieb, MD, and Adam Fein, PhD, discussed potential fallout of the FDA Aduhelm approval and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his talk, "340B at 30 and the Impending Cliff on the Road to 40," Tim Paine outlines how the program came to be and what needs to happen to improve future implementation.

There are several pieces of legislation that could have an impact on drug rebates, explained Tracy Russell, senior director, government affairs, CoverMyMeds.

The approval of aducanumab (Aduhelm) was very controversial. There are 3 promising Alzheimer disease drugs in the pipeline with trials evaluating the efficacy, and there is a huge unmet need for these therapies, said Ray Tancredi, RPh, MBA, CSP, divisional vice president, specialty pharmacy development and brand Rx/vaccine purchasing, Walgreens.

The opening plenary of the Spring 2022 National Association of Accountable Care Organizations conference focused on addressing health equity and improving synergy between CMS and ACOs.

Avalere is presenting at Asembia’s 2022 Specialty Pharmacy Summit, and Ryan Urgo, MPAP, managing director, health policy, discusses possible drug pricing policy options on the table for the Biden administration to consider in a midterm election year.

Numerous topics will be addressed at this year's Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit, held in-person in Las Vegas from May 2 through 5, including updates on cell and gene therapies and insights on the future of the industry.

Gary Owens, MD, president of Gary Owens Associates, outlines the challenges of screening for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

A combination of biology, access issues, and delayed diagnoses have contributed to disparities experienced by Black women with metastatic breast cancer, explained Hatem Soliman, MD, medical director of the Clinical Trials Office, Moffitt Cancer Center.

Bill Vandivier, DO, outlines the challenges brought on by health care consolidation in his talk at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Spring Managed Care Forum.

Bill Vandivier, DO, a consultant at Insight Health Partners, explains how the health care industry differs from traditional corporations with regard to consolidation.