What We're Reading: CVS Cost Guarantee; Cancer Blood Test; Dental Painkiller Risk

CVS Guarantees Clients 100% of Rebates

A new prescription benefit option at CVS Health will guarantee that clients can receive 100% of any rebates, discounts, or other fees that drug makers pay. The new option will begin on January 1 and will provide greater simplicity, predictability, and transparency around drug costs, according to Reuters. The news follows the creation of a new formulary by Express Scripts that would encourage drug makers to move away from rebates and instead keep list prices low.

Researchers Develop Universal Blood Test to Detect Cancer

A new 10-minute blood test can detect cancer cells anywhere in the human body. CNN reported that the test could help detect cancer far earlier than current methods by identifying the presence of a unique DNA structure that cancer forms when placed in water. The test has not been used on humans yet, but tests on more than 200 tissue and blood samples were able to detect cancer cells with 90% accuracy. While the researchers are confident the test can be used in all cancer types, the test so far has only been used to detect breast, prostate, bowel, and lymphoma cancers.

Dental Surgery Can Put Teens and Young Adults at Risk of Opioid Use

A new study has found that sending young patients home with opioids after getting their wisdom teeth removed can set a path of opioid use and abuse. According to The Los Angeles Times, about 7% of people who received their first prescription for opioids after a dental procedure filled another prescription 90 to 365 days later. Close to 6% of patients had a diagnosis of opioid abuse documented in the year after their procedure. The study shines a light on how dentists should rethink how they treat patients after painful procedures.