Regulatory and Washington

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — Washington-based healthcare accrediting organization URAC has given a subsidiary of CVS Caremark case management accreditation, valid through March 1, 2016, CVS said Wednesday.

CVS said Accordant Health Services met URAC's standards, which require companies to establish processes to assess, plan and implement case management interventions.

WASHINGTON — Prescription-only pseudoephedrine laws result in well more than $278 million in additional burdens to taxpayers, according to a study published by Matrix Global Advisors on Monday. 

WASHINGTON — Club retailer Costco Wholesale is throwing its support behind a bill introduced in Congress Tuesday to raise the federal minimum wage.

WASHINGTON — Several senators have requested that the Government Accountability Office look for ways to coordinate the efforts of law enforcement and public health agencies at various levels and nonprofit organizations to address prescription drug abuse.

NEW YORK — The stakes are high in a case involving generic drug maker Actavis and the Federal Trade Commission that will soon go before the Supreme Court, the head of a generic drug industry lobbying group said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday.

The case, FTC v. Actavis, will go before the high court on March 25 and may decide the future of patent settlements between branded and generic drug companies. The Generic Pharmaceutical Association filed an amicus brief with the court last week defending the settlements as beneficial to consumers.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Drug maker Actavis is challenging the patent for a drug used to treat testosterone deficiency or absence in men, the company said.

Actavis, formerly known as Watson Pharmaceuticals, said it had filed a regulatory approval application with the Food and Drug Administration for a generic version of Endo Pharmaceuticals' Fortesta (testosterone) gel in the 10 mg-per-0.5 g strength.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The National Community Pharmacists Association on Friday submitted written comments urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to take action on a wide range of what NCPA characterizes as "anti-patient, anti-pharmacist practices," the association announced. 

PHILADELPHIA — The Food and Drug Administration has accepted a regulatory application for a new painkiller from Iroko Pharmaceuticals, the drug maker said Monday.

Iroko is seeking approval for a lower-dose, submicron diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for treating mild to moderate acute pain in adults.