Latest news with #Pharmacy
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Cannabis Is An ‘Effective Treatment' For Chronic Pain, Study Suggests
New research shows that medical cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic and improves the ... More quality of life for patients who use it. The use of medical cannabis is an 'effective treatment option' for chronic pain patients, according to the findings of a recent study. The research also found that chronic pain patients who used cannabis for at least on year 'exhibited significantly lower healthcare utilization' than non-users and had better quality of life. The study, which was published last week in the journal Pharmacy, was written by researchers with the Florida-based medical cannabis telehealth company Leafwell and George Mason University in Virginia. The findings also showed that chronic pain patients who used cannabis reported fewer visits to urgent care centers and hospital emergency departments (EDs). Additionally, the data showed that hospitalization rates were lower among chronic pain patients who used medical marijuana, although the difference was not sufficient to be considered statistically significant. 'Exposure [to cannabis] was associated with a 2.0 percentage point reduction in urgent care visits, a 3.2 percentage point reduction in ED visits and fewer unhealthy days per month,' according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. 'The findings of this study suggest, in line with existing research, that medical cannabis is likely an effective treatment option for patients with chronic pain,' authors wrote. 'This underscores the potential for not only [quality of life] The self-reported data used for the study was collected from chronic pain patients by Leafwell. The telehealth platform operates in 36 states, connecting physicians with patients seeking certification to use medical cannabis. 'The cannabis-exposed group included individuals who had used medical cannabis within the prior year and were seeking recertification of their medical card through Leafwell,' the authors wrote, 'while the unexposed group comprised first-time Leafwell patients who self-reported no cannabis use in the past year.' Study Of More Than 5,000 Chronic Pain Patients The study included data from 5,242 chronic pain patients. Of them, 3,943 reported using cannabis over the past year, while the remaining 1,299 participants reported no past-year cannabis use. Mitchell Doucette, senior research director at Leafwell and the lead author of the study, said the findings show that medical cannabis can improve the lives of chronic pain patients. 'We looked at a large set of real-world data, where we compared medical cannabis users who we knew used for at least one year and people who had never used cannabis,' Doucette told Marijuana Moment. 'When we compared those groups, we found that medical cannabis users who had used for at least one year had lower rates of emergency room visits, lower rates of urgent care visits and, importantly, increased quality of life.' 'When we combine those outcomes,' added Doucette, who has a doctorate in health and public policy from Johns Hopkins, 'it suggests that medical cannabis is not only leading to better quality of life for chronic pain patients but, again, potentially better health outcomes.' Doucette noted that some previous studies have explored quality-of-life improvements among medical cannabis patients, and other research has studied healthcare outcomes, 'but really this is the first study to kind of connect these two dots.' Overall, Doucette said, it is becoming increasingly apparent that medical marijuana 'is a helpful medicinal product for certain groups of people' and that healthcare systems 'should try to alleviate access and cost margins for those individuals who it may be too costly of a product for them to access.' Cannabis And Chronic Pain The Leafwell study is consistent with other research into the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain. Also last week, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reported on the results of German study showing that cannabis extracts significantly reduced pain and improved mental health for chronic pain patients who used it. 'Our findings indicate that treatment with medicinal cannabis improves both physical and mental health in patients with chronic pain,' the study's authors concluded. 'The results suggest that medicinal cannabis might be a safe alternative for patients who are inadequately treated with conventional therapies.'
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
Cannabis Is An ‘Effective Treatment' For Chronic Pain, Study Finds
New research shows that medical cannabis is an effective treatment for chronic and improves the ... More quality of life for patients who use it. The use of medical cannabis is an 'effective treatment option' for chronic pain patients, according to the findings of a recent study. The research also found that chronic pain patients who used cannabis for at least on year 'exhibited significantly lower healthcare utilization' than non-users and had better quality of life. The study, which was published last week in the journal Pharmacy, was written by researchers with the Florida-based medical cannabis telehealth company Leafwell and George Mason University in Virginia. The findings also showed that chronic pain patients who used cannabis reported fewer visits to urgent care centers and hospital emergency departments (EDs). Additionally, the data showed that hospitalization rates were lower among chronic pain patients who used medical marijuana, although the difference was not sufficient to be considered statistically significant. 'Exposure [to cannabis] was associated with a 2.0 percentage point reduction in urgent care visits, a 3.2 percentage point reduction in ED visits and fewer unhealthy days per month,' according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. 'The findings of this study suggest, in line with existing research, that medical cannabis is likely an effective treatment option for patients with chronic pain,' authors wrote. 'This underscores the potential for not only [quality of life] The self-reported data used for the study was collected from chronic pain patients by Leafwell. The telehealth platform operates in 36 states, connecting physicians with patients seeking certification to use medical cannabis. 'The cannabis-exposed group included individuals who had used medical cannabis within the prior year and were seeking recertification of their medical card through Leafwell,' the authors wrote, 'while the unexposed group comprised first-time Leafwell patients who self-reported no cannabis use in the past year.' Study Of More Than 5,000 Chronic Pain Patients The study included data from 5,242 chronic pain patients. Of them, 3,943 reported using cannabis over the past year, while the remaining 1,299 participants reported no past-year cannabis use. Mitchell Doucette, senior research director at Leafwell and the lead author of the study, said the findings show that medical cannabis can improve the lives of chronic pain patients. 'We looked at a large set of real-world data, where we compared medical cannabis users who we knew used for at least one year and people who had never used cannabis,' Doucette told Marijuana Moment. 'When we compared those groups, we found that medical cannabis users who had used for at least one year had lower rates of emergency room visits, lower rates of urgent care visits and, importantly, increased quality of life.' 'When we combine those outcomes,' added Doucette, who has a doctorate in health and public policy from Johns Hopkins, 'it suggests that medical cannabis is not only leading to better quality of life for chronic pain patients but, again, potentially better health outcomes.' Doucette noted that some previous studies have explored quality-of-life improvements among medical cannabis patients, and other research has studied healthcare outcomes, 'but really this is the first study to kind of connect these two dots.' Overall, Doucette said, it is becoming increasingly apparent that medical marijuana 'is a helpful medicinal product for certain groups of people' and that healthcare systems 'should try to alleviate access and cost margins for those individuals who it may be too costly of a product for them to access.' Cannabis And Chronic Pain The Leafwell study is consistent with other research into the use of medical cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain. Also last week, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) reported on the results of German study showing that cannabis extracts significantly reduced pain and improved mental health for chronic pain patients who used it. 'Our findings indicate that treatment with medicinal cannabis improves both physical and mental health in patients with chronic pain,' the study's authors concluded. 'The results suggest that medicinal cannabis might be a safe alternative for patients who are inadequately treated with conventional therapies.'
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Novo Nordisk announces WeightWatchers collaboration for Wegovy
Novo Nordisk (NVO) said it expanded patient access to Wegovy through a new collaboration with WeightWatchers, beginning July 1. WeightWatchers will work with CenterWell Pharmacy as the dispensing pharmacy managing prescription fulfilment and delivery for NovoCare Pharmacy. 'By extending access to Wegovy through their integrated support system, WeightWatchers aims to provide patients with a more streamlined experience, along with convenient access to FDA-approved medication with the lifestyle support shown to improve outcomes,' the company said. Starting on July 1, Novo Nordisk is also introducing a new cash-offer price of $299 available through July 31. This $299 introductory price is available for self-paying patients who are new to the Wegovy savings offer or those who have not previously filled a prescription through NovoCare Pharmacy. This builds on the previous $199 Wegovy cash-offer patient price that expires on June 30, Novo added. Patients who redeemed the $199 Wegovy savings offer between May 22 and June 30, will be eligible for the $299 price on one fill between July 1 and July 31. For subsequent months, self-paying patients will pay $499 per month. Easily unpack a company's performance with TipRanks' new KPI Data for smart investment decisions Receive undervalued, market resilient stocks right to your inbox with TipRanks' Smart Value Newsletter Published first on TheFly – the ultimate source for real-time, market-moving breaking financial news. Try Now>> See today's best-performing stocks on TipRanks >> Read More on NVO: Disclaimer & DisclosureReport an Issue Is the Hims & Hers Stock (HIMS) Crash a Hidden Buying Opportunity? Citi sees tiered orforglipron pricing $15B opportunity for Eli Lilly Needham Downgrades Hims & Hers Stock (HIMS) on Novo Nordisk Fiasco. Wall Street Sees Legal Risks California seeks to cut Medicaid coverage for weight loss drugs, Bloomberg says Hims & Hers litigation risk 'back on the table', says Truist Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Pharmacy Tech Scholar Launches New Collaboration with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pharmacy Tech Scholar, a provider of interactive e-learning for pharmacy technicians, today announced a strategic collaboration with the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB). The joint effort combines Pharmacy Tech Scholar's online pharmacy technician training program with PTCB's gold-standard credentialing resources, streamlining the process by which technicians learn, practice, and earn certification. "Our collaboration with Pharmacy Tech Scholar provides an excellent opportunity for pharmacy technicians, streamlining their journey by creating a seamless pathway from a comprehensive training program through earning their Certified Pharmacy Technician cr Share 'Pharmacy technician employers told us they needed a pathway that eliminates friction, reduces costs, and accelerates readiness,' said Aaron Emmel, PharmD, CEO of Pharmacy Tech Scholar. 'By aligning with PTCB, we're able to wrap world-class instruction, mission-critical practice tools, and the nationally recognized Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam ® (PTCE ®) into one cohesive, learner-friendly experience.' The recently updated self-paced Pharmacy Tech Scholar program features interactive e-learning modules, e-textbooks, and over 3,000 exam questions designed to facilitate maximum retention. The program completion certificate qualifies students to sit for the PTCE. Enrollees in the partnered program receive exclusive discounts on the PTCE Practice Bank ® and Pre-PTCE ®, empowering focused, confidence-building preparation. In addition, students receive a voucher for the PTCE, streamlining the application process and ensuring follow-through with certification. I ndustry voices highlight the collaboration's value "Our collaboration with Pharmacy Tech Scholar provides an excellent opportunity for pharmacy technicians, streamlining their journey by creating a seamless pathway from a comprehensive training program through earning their Certified Pharmacy Technician credential," said PTCB's Chief Professional Officer Liza Chapman, PharmD, FAPhA. Dr. Emmel added, 'Our instructional design team leveraged micro-learning, an adult learning principle driven e-learning module design, and gamified checkpoints to craft an experience that feels intuitive yet intellectually robust. This combination enhances knowledge retention and exam-day performance.' Interested employers, educators, and prospective students can explore the program and enroll instantly at About Pharmacy Tech Scholar Pharmacy Tech Scholar is a learner-first education company dedicated to empowering individuals to become certified pharmacy technicians. About the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) The Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) is the nation's first, most trusted, and only nonprofit pharmacy technician credentialing organization. Founded on the guiding principle that pharmacy technicians play a critical role in advancing medication and patient safety, PTCB has established the universal standard of excellence for those supporting patient care teams through offering the industry's most-recognized credentials, including the PTCB certification for Certified Pharmacy Technicians (CPhT).
Business Wire
26-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Walgreens Boots Alliance Reports Fiscal 2025 Third Quarter Results
1 These charges are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses and Impairment of goodwill within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. The Company excludes these charges when evaluating operating performance because it does not incur such charges on a predictable basis and exclusion of such charges enables more consistent evaluation of the Company's operating performance. Impairment of goodwill, intangibles, and long-lived assets recognized in the nine months ended May 31, 2025 resulted from the interim goodwill impairment assessments for the VillageMD, U.S. Retail Pharmacy, and CareCentrix reporting units, as well as the intangible asset impairment for the Boots reporting unit and impairment of certain multi-year internal software development projects within the U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment. Impairment of goodwill, intangibles, and long-lived assets recognized in the nine months ended May 31, 2024 resulted from the interim goodwill impairment assessment for the VillageMD reporting unit and impairment of certain multi-year internal software development projects within the U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment. 2 Acquisition-related amortization includes amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets and stock-based compensation fair valuation adjustments. Amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets includes amortization of intangible assets such as customer relationships, provider networks, trade names, trademarks, developed technology and contract intangibles. Intangible asset amortization excluded from the related non-GAAP measure represents the entire amount recorded within the Company's GAAP financial statements. The revenue generated by the associated intangible assets has not been excluded from the related non-GAAP measures. Amortization expense, unlike the related revenue, is not affected by operations of any particular period unless an intangible asset becomes impaired, or the estimated useful life of an intangible asset is revised. These charges are primarily recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. The stock-based compensation fair valuation adjustment reflects the difference between the fair value based remeasurement of awards under purchase accounting and the grant date fair valuation. Post-acquisition compensation expense recognized in excess of the original grant date fair value of acquiree awards are excluded from the related non-GAAP measures as these arise from acquisition-related accounting requirements or agreements, and are not reflective of normal operating activities. 3 Certain legal and regulatory accruals and settlements relate to significant charges associated with certain legal proceedings, including legal defense costs. The Company excludes these charges when evaluating operating performance because it does not incur such charges on a predictable basis and exclusion of such charges enables more consistent evaluation of the Company's operating performance. These charges are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. 4 Footprint Optimization charges are costs associated with a formal restructuring plan. These charges are primarily recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. These costs do not reflect current operating performance and are impacted by the timing of restructuring activity. 5 Acquisition and disposition-related costs are transaction and integration costs associated with certain merger, acquisition and divestitures related activities recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. Examples of such costs include deal costs, severance, stock-based compensation, employee transaction success bonuses, and other integration related exit and disposal charges. These costs are significantly impacted by the timing and complexity of the underlying merger, acquisition and divestitures related activities and do not reflect the Company's current operating performance. In the three and nine months ended May 31, 2025, the Company recorded professional services and other transaction-related expenses of $15 million and $50 million, respectively, related to the merger agreement with Blazing Star Parent, LLC. As part of the amendment to the VillageMD Secured Loan executed in the three months ended November 30, 2024, Walgreen Co. and VillageMD agreed to terminate certain intercompany leases resulting in an early termination charge of $107 million incurred by VillageMD within the U.S. Healthcare segment and a corresponding gain recognized within the U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment. The impacts of the intercompany lease termination eliminate in consolidation. 6 Adjustments to equity earnings in Cencora consist of the Company's proportionate share of non-GAAP adjustments reported by Cencora consistent with the Company's non-GAAP measures. Adjustments are recorded to Equity earnings in Cencora within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. 7 The Company's U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment inventory is accounted for using the last-in-first-out ('LIFO') method. This adjustment represents the impact on Cost of sales as if the U.S. Retail Pharmacy segment inventory is accounted for using first-in first-out ('FIFO') method. The LIFO provision is affected by changes in inventory quantities, product mix, and manufacturer pricing practices, which may be impacted by market and other external influences. Therefore, the Company cannot control the amounts recognized or timing of these items. These charges are recorded in Cost of sales within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. 8 Transformational Cost Management Program charges are costs associated with a formal restructuring plan. These charges are primarily recorded in Selling, general and administrative expenses within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. These costs do not reflect current operating performance and are impacted by the timing of restructuring activity. 9 Total non-cash impairment charges for goodwill and long-lived assets that were adjusted from Operating income (loss) were $115 million and $5.8 billion in the three and nine months ended May 31, 2025, respectively. Total non-cash impairment charges for goodwill and long-lived assets that were adjusted from Operating income (loss) were $23 million and $13.6 billion in the three and nine months ended May 31, 2024, respectively. 10 Includes fair value gains or losses on the VPF derivative contracts and gains on VPF settlements. These charges are recorded in Other income (expense), net, within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. The Company does not believe this volatility related to the non-cash mark-to-market adjustments and associated settlement gains or losses on the underlying derivative instruments reflects the Company's operational performance. 11 Gains on the sale of equity method investments are recorded in Other income (expense), net within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. The Company excludes these charges when evaluating operating performance because these do not relate to the ordinary course of the Company's business. 12 Includes significant gains resulting from the change in classification of equity securities as well as the fair value adjustments recorded on investments in equity securities to Other income (expense), net, in the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. In the three and nine months ended May 31, 2025, the Company recorded pre-tax gains of $10 million and $135 million related to the change in classification of its previously held equity method investment in BrightSpring to an investment in equity security held at fair value and subsequent related fair value adjustments. 13 Includes gains or losses related to the sale of businesses. These charges are recorded in Other income (expense), net, within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. The Company excludes these charges when evaluating operating performance because these do not relate to the ordinary course of the Company's business. 14 Includes interest expense on certain multi-year litigation settlements and interest expense on external debt to fund incremental contributions to the Boots Plan required to complete the Trustee's acquisition of a bulk annuity policy (the 'Buy-In') from Legal & General. The payments and related incremental interest expense are not indicative of normal operating performance. 15 Adjustments to income tax provision (benefit) include adjustments to the GAAP basis tax provision (benefit) commensurate with non-GAAP adjustments and certain discrete tax items including U.S. and UK tax law changes and equity method non-cash tax. These charges are recorded in Income tax provision (benefit) within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. 16 Adjustments to post-tax earnings (loss) from other equity method investments consist of the proportionate share of certain equity method investees' non-cash items or unusual or infrequent items consistent with the Company's non-GAAP adjustments. These charges are recorded in Post-tax earnings (loss) from other equity method investments within the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Earnings. Although the Company may have shareholder rights and board representation commensurate with its ownership interests in these equity method investees, adjustments relating to equity method investments are not intended to imply that the Company has direct control over their operations and resulting revenue and expenses. Moreover, these non-GAAP financial measures have limitations in that they do not reflect all revenue and expenses of these equity method investees. 17 In the three months ended November 30, 2024, the Company and VillageMD executed an amendment to the VillageMD Secured Loan that consolidated certain VillageMD obligations to the Company, modified certain interest and fee terms, and provided VillageMD with additional borrowing capacity. These intercompany credit facilities eliminate in consolidation. The Company applies the legal claim approach to the attribution of intercompany transactions to non-controlling interests. The amendment of the VillageMD Secured Loan increased the Company's claim on VillageMD's net assets resulting in a pre-tax non-controlling interest benefit. The amendment and related one-time benefit to the Company are not indicative of normal operating performance. 18 Due to the anti-dilutive effect resulting from periods where the Company reports a net loss, the impact of potentially dilutive securities on the per share amounts has been omitted from the calculation of weighted-average common shares outstanding for diluted net loss per common share. 19 Includes impact of potentially dilutive securities from unvested stock-based compensation programs in the calculation of weighted-average common shares, diluted for adjusted diluted net earnings per common share calculation purposes. For the three months ended May 31, 2025, this impact of potentially dilutive securities in the calculation of weighted-average common shares was approximately 4 million shares. Excluding the impact of potentially dilutive securities, weighted-average basic and diluted common shares outstanding were approximately 865 million shares.
