News Briefs

Surescripts, a leading health information network, is welcoming a new executive leader.

Frank Harvey is joining the company as CEO, effective June 27. Harvey succeeds Tom Skelton, who previously announced his decision to retire.

Harvey is a pharmacist, an experienced chief executive and investor who has had numerous senior leadership roles during his more than 35-year career in the healthcare technology, pharmacy and pharmaceutical sectors, the company said.

Harvey joins Surescripts from ATLS Investment, where he led private equity investing in healthcare technology companies. Previously, he served as CEO of Mirixa and Liberty Medical Supply.

“It’s been a pleasure to work closely with Tom over the past eight years, and we appreciate the many successes that Surescripts achieved under his leadership,” said Steven Miller, co-chair of Surescripts’ board of directors. “We are now poised for continued growth and new opportunities with Frank’s leadership at this incredible time in health care.”

“Frank is a results-oriented leader with strong operational skills, and extensive experience growing healthcare businesses,” said Douglas Hoey, co-chair of Surescripts’ board of directors. “Frank combines his unique perspective and depth of experience with a passion for improving the lives of patients and evolving the healthcare system.”

“I’m honored to join Surescripts at such a critical time, and I look forward to working with the team to realize the enormous potential we have to change health care,” Harvey said. “I’m committed to what we do as a company and the new products and services we will bring to market that I believe will have a significant impact on the healthcare system as a whole.”

The National Community Pharmacists Association is hailing a move by the Federal Trade Commission to proceed with a 6(b) study of pharmacy benefit managers and anti-competitive business practices.

After the commission in February split 2-2 on a proposal to launch a formal study into PBMs, FTC chair Lina Khan pledged to call for another vote on the issue.

“PBMs behave like monopolies. Their secretive, anticompetitive practices increase prescription drug prices, limit consumer choice and stymie competition. They’ve escaped serious scrutiny for far too long, but this study will bring their dirty laundry out into the open,” said NCPA CEO Doug Hoey.

The vote comes after Alvaro Bedoya, who was sworn in as commissioner in May, joined Khan and all commissioners in voting to support the investigation. This will make the six largest PBMs (CVS Caremark; Express Scripts; OptumRx; Humana; Prime Therapeutics; and MedImpact Healthcare Systems) hand over information on PBM business practices, including fees and clawbacks charged to unaffiliated pharmacies, patient-steering, audits of independent pharmacies, reimbursement and more, the organization said. 

“NCPA has repeatedly called on the FTC to scrutinize PBM practices and thousands of community pharmacy owners and their allies have shared with the FTC their examples of the impact health insurer-owned PBMs have on consumer costs and access to prescription drugs contributing to the FTC decision to do the 6(b) study. These examples have made a difference. We’re grateful to chair Khan and the commissioners for considering these concerns and approving this study, which we hope will result in meaningful reforms to merger and acquisition reviews and, of course, to the insurer-PBMs themselves.,” said Hoey.  

Pringles is continuing to once again innovate its Wavy chips line with the launch of a brand-new flavor.

Wavy Chipotle Ranch delivers smoky chipotle heat and creamy zesty ranch flavors in a chip that features a thick and wavy texture for an extra bold crunch, the Battle Creek, Mich.-based company said.

“We’re always listening to what our fans crave and pride ourselves on delivering insanely accurate flavor combinations in a single crisp,” said Mauricio Jenkins, U.S. marketing lead at Pringles. “These new crisps boast the perfect balance of spicy and sweet with flavor first and heat second, all while providing Pringles Ranch devotees and snackers alike with a new way to experience this classic bite.”

Consumers can find Pringles Wavy Chipotle Ranch for a limited time at Walgreens stores nationwide.

Ancient Nutrition is debuting its new Herbal Cider Vinegar product, which is set to be available in tincture, gummies and capsule formats.

The formula contains the time-honored genius of apple cider vinegar plus a regenerative organic-certified superfood blend of 10 fermented and antioxidant-rich herbs, spices and berries, the Nashville, Tenn.-based company said.

Included in the product’s formulation is organic and uncultured apple cider vinegar that is infused with fermented herbs, spices and berries such as turmeric, goji berry, sumac berry, guava, passionfruit, elderberry fruit, moringa leaf, holy basil leaf, feijoa and key lime.

“Apple cider vinegar has been used for its health-promoting benefits for centuries. Using the power of apple cider vinegar to amplify the benefits of time-honored and revered herbs and spices creates an incredible synergy. Simply put, Herbal Cider Vinegar takes ACV and herbs to the next level!” said co-founder of Ancient Nutrition Dr. Josh Axe. “Fermenting traditional superfoods such as herbs, spices, roots and berries in a raw vinegar culture is an ancient process that is an effective way to capture their beneficial properties. That’s what makes our Herbal Cider Vinegar a one-of-a-kind product that has benefits beyond measure.”

In addition, the Herbal Cider Vinegar product has also been designed to provide users with 3-in-1 benefits that include supporting healthy microbial balance, promoting healthy antioxidant levels, supporting healthy weight management, supporting healthy body composition, promoting cardiovascular health and function, and promoting healthy nutrient metabolism, the company said.

The Herbal Cider Vinegar capsules, tinctures and gummies retail for $24.95 each and will be available for purchase on Ancient Nutrition’s website and Amazon.

The majority of responding pharmacists (66%) would be prepared to administer COVID-19 vaccines to children under 5 years old if authorized to do so, according to a recent survey of pharmacists conducted by the American Pharmacists Association.

Nearly half of respondents (44%) said they are currently planning to vaccinate based on community needs and abilities of pharmacy teams following FDA and CDC authorization and guidance. Pharmacists’ level of vaccination engagement for this age group will be an individual practice and practitioner decision. As always, pharmacists stand ready to work with other immunization stakeholders, APhA said.

“The data show that pharmacists are again poised to contribute to our nation’s health efforts and vaccinate all Americans against COVID-19,” said Scott Knoer, APhA executive vice president and CEO. “This has been true since the first COVID-19 vaccines arrived in December 2020, and it continues to be the case today despite the enormous challenges facing pharmacists in every practice venue.”

CDC recently reported that 70% of COVID-19 vaccinations have occurred in pharmacies, including 60% of adolescent vaccinations and 46% of vaccinations in children 5 to 11 years old.

The survey of 612 pharmacists was conducted from Feb. 12, 2022 to March 1, 2022, with respondents from all regions of the country and representing a wide range of practice types, including chain pharmacies, independent pharmacies and supermarket pharmacies. The margin of error in this survey is ±3.9% at the 95% confidence level.

Galderma is introducing Epsolay (benzoyl peroxide) Cream 5%, a topical cream containing benzoyl peroxide 5% for the treatment of bumps and blemishes (inflammatory lesions) of rosacea in adults. 

The company said that the medication is the first and only microencapsulated benzoyl peroxide topical treatment proven to relieve the bumps and blemishes of rosacea and provide rapid, significant and sustained relief.

Over 16 million people in the United States struggle with rosacea, a chronic and recurrent skin condition that can worsen over time. More than 82% of people feel their rosacea is uncontrolled, and less than 50% are satisfied with their current prescription treatments, which can lead to overuse or misuse of these products and can trigger or worsen the condition. Rosacea can be so challenging to manage that 55% of people with the skin condition and a high disease burden reported a willingness to give up one year or more of their life to cure their symptoms, the company said.

"Through our decades-long heritage in dermatology and skin science, Galderma is committed to bringing cutting-edge innovation to patients with rosacea and the healthcare professionals who treat them," said Anthony Pansy, vice president and general manager of the U.S. prescription business at Galderma. "Epsolay Cream represents an important advancement for those who are living with this incredibly challenging skin condition."

A month's supply of Epsolay Cream costs as little as $0 for commercially covered patients with the Galderma CAREConnect savings card at participating pharmacies, according to Galderma.

"Until now, BPO has never been indicated to treat rosacea in part due to its poor tolerability for sensitive skin. Epsolay Cream helps overcome tolerability issues via its patented microencapsulation technology, which controls the gradual release of BPO onto the skin," said Ted Lain, executive director of the Austin Institute for Clinical Research and principal investigator for the Epsolay Cream clinical trials. "Epsolay Cream showed great efficacy and tolerability in the pivotal trials, as evidenced by high patient satisfaction and compliance."

The medication utilizes a proprietary, patented technology licensed from Sol-Gel Technologies to encapsulate BPO within silica-based microcapsules to create a barrier between the medication and the skin. The silica-based shell is designed to slowly release BPO over time to provide a tolerable and effective treatment.

Sol-Gel Technologies received FDA approval for Epsolay Cream on April 22, 2022 and has granted exclusive rights to Galderma to commercialize the treatment in the United States.