I love this time of year, it feels nostalgic. All sorts of changes are going on with students graduating or changing schools with the hum of music and the whiff of sunscreen ever present in the background. Or maybe I just long for simpler times? Caught my Eye Waiting Game. This week the Department of…
I do love a Monday off. It somehow feels like an a double-treat – you get the Monday off and the week flies by. Yes we had to cram more meetings and work into the shorter week but totally worth it. Caught my Eye Processed Over. This week the Secretary of Health and Human Services,…
It’s the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, let’s blow this pop (pup?) stand. I’m playing with the format of these posts so let me know what you think. The aim is to be more of a newsletter than a blog, but still give you everything you need to know in just a few minutes a…
This week I’ve repeatedly spoken to groups about the President’s Executive Order (EO) on Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing and I feel a little vulnerable. I am often “authentic” in my explanations. I recognize that to many people I seem biased on a lot of issues but, in my defense, I find most politics maddening…
Initial take at 3:30 today … which could change as I learn more… The foundational premise of the President’s new Executive Order (EO) is that the United States should pay less for drug and other countries should pay more; there should be an equalization. The Administration will take steps to work with foreign countries and…
Direct Cost. I’ve written about the cuts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), but I’m not sure I was clear on the impact on pharmaceutical manufacturers. Pharma relies on basic research for its drugs, and they also rely on scientists that have been trained in graduate schools and post-doctoral fellowships to develop and advance…
Let’s wrap up my musings on the President’s Executive Order (EO). Medicaid. Section 6 of the EO directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), to…
Some days I sit down the pottery wheel and I pull 4 bowls or vases in a row that are fantastic. Other days (like, oh, this Sunday and Wednesday) it all collapses. Here is hoping that all of us get better at staying centered and not collapsing. I’d Prefer Not. The 2026 Medicare Advantage and…
Mom and Pop Going Broke. The economics of pharmacies are fascinating. Like did you know they usually lose money on brand-name drugs? A pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) law in Montana would help those pharmacies get closer to at least breaking even and make sure they get dispensing fees. I thought this KFF piece was a…
There are some weeks you get to Friday and it’s just nice. The anticipation of some dopamine, some relaxation over the weekend. There are other weeks where you barrel into Friday and cram everything in so that 5 pm can arrive with a cocktail. Guess which week I’m having… three quick things you should know.…