Podcasts about generic drugs

See all the Healthcasts at https://www.biobalancehealth.com/healthcast-blog If you ever doubted your doctor because she wrote a script that you later “Googled” and found was not FDA approved, I hope you trusted your doctor enough to realize that she wouldn't recommend any medication that would hurt you…. What is an unapproved use of a drug, also called “off-label”? Unapproved use of an approved drug is often called “off-label” use. This term can mean that the drug is: Used for a disease or medical condition that it is not approved to treat, such as when a chemotherapy is approved to treat one type of cancer, but healthcare providers use it to treat a different type of cancer. The drugs that are not approved by the FDA, yet are commonly used, have been used for decades before the 1964 law that required new drugs to go through extensive and very expensive testing before their release to the public. The operative word is NEW DRUGS AFTER 1964. Today I will talk about the safety of non-FDA approved drugs because they are: Older cheaper drugs used for many diseases and conditions before 1964 and are still used Drugs that are approved for one use, or one condition, but not for other conditions that it is effective and safe for. Drugs made by compounding pharmacies for diseases that the FDA has not approved a drug for, but there is research backing the drug and years of safe use. First, before we discuss the non-FDA approved drugs, I will discuss the safety/risks of FDA approved drugs, and why FDA approval doesn't mean a drug will do no harm or even that it is effective for the use it is approved for. A little background will help you understand the problem and the reason an FDA approval does not necessarily mean a drug is safe.  Since 1964, a law was passed that established testing prior to a drug being approved by the FDA became mandatory.   Since that time several drugs that survive FDA approval and are released but are later removed or banned after their FDA release when the public finds side effects that the FDA didn't discover in their trials. One such drug is Fen-Phen, Fenfluramine/Phentermine. This drug was released during my time practicing medicine and was withdrawn after one study claimed it caused heart valve disease…In the end the “one post approval study” that claimed that heart valves were affected by this drug that caused its bann was found to be false. The withdrawal of the drug followed one study by a single cardiologist from Kansas City had reviewed all of the cardiac valve echo tests and falsified the results to make Fen-Phen appear dangerous to heart valves, when in reality it wasn't.  She lost her license, but the FDA never put Fen-Phen back on the market!  The FDA hates to be wrong twice, so they never allowed this drug back on the market after its removal. Other mistakes made by the FDA include not allowing women in the studies to approve a drug before 2014 which ignores or misses all of the side effects or lack of effectiveness for a drug when taken by women.  Despite all the expensive testing before the release of a drug by the FDA, many drugs not tested on women were later often found to have severe side effects only on women. A few examples follow: You might have heard of the FDA approved drug Ambien that causes many women to experience “night eating”, sleepwalking, and night terrors, while their male counterparts were not affected, so because they only tested men the drug was approved. In retrospect it should have been tested on women as well, and then either not passed through the FDA or should have had a black box warning for women. It takes years get action from the FDA, notifying doctors of these side effects. Women were not included in testing for any drugs except female hormones until 11 years ago, but no other drugs.   Before 2014 all (non-hormonal) drugs that passed the FDA were not tested on women so the effect on women was unknown until it was tested on the public. The FDA left women out of drug-trials because it viewed women as “mini men”, or they didn't consider us important enough to test new drugs on…OR worse, they believed we were too complicated to easily test us because of pregnancy, menopause and other hormonal swings that normal healthy women have.  In any case, we are now suffering their decisions, when a medication works one way for men and another way for women! Finally, we are tested when drugs are being evaluated for approval by the FDA. Professional women have achieved a level of authority in medicine and pharmacology (2025) and are weighing in on the inequity. Women in the medical profession and the public are pulling back the curtain on the side effects of FDA approved drugs that are experienced by women only! Slowly, study by study investigators are now publishing the side effects and problems for women with FDA approved drugs….yet these findings are not included in the warnings on most of these drugs, even now over 15 year after they became obvious to the doctors who treat women! Drugs that either don't work for women, or that have severe side effects include that were approved before 2014. All statin drugs for high cholesterol (Crestor, rosuvastatin, atorvastatin, etc.) cause women to have muscle breakdown and muscle pain. Synthroid (levothyroxine), doesn't cure the symptoms of hypothyroidism in 80% of women, but just makes the TSH lower, so it appears as if it is working! This leads doctors to tell women that their symptoms are all in their heads!! Wrong.  It is the wrong medicine. Women have enzymes that differ from men that make it difficult for them to convert the inactive form (T4) into the active form (T3), so we can't convert Synthroid (all T4) into the active form. Synthroid, the FDA approved drug for hypothyroidism, shouldn't be given to most women. Women should be given the non-FDA approved drug Armour Thyroid or NP thyroid that have both T3 and T4 in them! Ambien Prednisone and other oral steroids We have reviewed the lack of testing on women before 2014, now we will discuss safe drugs that have been used for decades even before 1964 when the FDA required testing for FDA approval? Older, yet effective and inexpensive drugs have been tested by the public, some for almost 100 years that have saved thousands of lives, yet they are not given the FDA stamp of approval!  In fact, the FDA tries to put these drugs out of circulation, replacing them with very expensive drugs that are new! Or they just shut them down, because they are not FDA approved.  Young doctors are told not to use them by their medical schoolteachers who rarely have experienced these medications in private practice…. These doctors in training don't know the history of older safer, cheaper drugs, or even why the FDA tells them avoid them. They comply not knowing why, so you are left with no drug that works for you, or you pay 3-10 times the amount for a newer FDA version of the older drug which may even have more side effects. Some of these older very effective and cheap drugs are Penicillin, Nitroglycerine for chest pain, Morphine (pain), Phenobarbital (seizures), Codeine, Armour Thyroid, hormone injections including estradiol injections and testosterone, Thorazine for psychiatric use, (Pitocin) oxytocin for labor, lactation support and Autism Colchicine:Used to treat and prevent gout. Progesterone in oil (IM) Estradiol in oil (IM) B12 for injection Testosterone Cypionate for injection Compounded Estradiol in any form Compounded Testosterone for women These drugs have been used for so long that any safety risks or side effects have been found through the use of these drugs in the population. Yet the FDA won't grandfather them in and approve them based on their history! What do doctors do when the drug the FDA has approved a drug that doesn't work for a group of their patients (gender, race, blood type, etc.)?  What happens when a doctor can't find a drug that is FDA approved needed to treat a condition she is faced with? Why do we as citizens, allow the government to have power over doctors who are already controlled by their state licensing boards as to what medications they?  Lastly Why do taxpayers allow a government agency that they fund with tax dollars control their health by banning, or not approving drugs, or banning one drug so an outrageously expensive drug is put in its place? Compounded Medications/ Compounding Pharmacies: These drugs are made by mixing ingredients to meet individual patient needs and are not subject to premarket review for safety, effectiveness, or quality. However, they ARE subject to the success or failure for which they were prescribed. If a doctor prescribes a compounded drug that doesn't work, she is apt to be confronted by her patient who is not getting the expected results.  Compounding pharmacies usually don't get paid by insurance, so patients are more invested in getting a drug that works and that is one of the big reasons that Compounded medicines are at least as good or better than big pharma or generic drugs. I absolutely could not successfully treat the thousands of women and men that I have without compounding pharmacies.  They compound hormones/drugs that are safe and effective, mostly hormones that can't be patented because they occur in nature and won't ever be made by big pharma. More than that, big producers of drugs can't produce in mass quantities many doses of a certain hormone like compounding pharmacies do.  Compounding pharmacies provide what people need and they continue to do so because patients prefer their dosing and quality.  FDA approved Generic Drugs can be legally 25 % lower dose than what they say they are.  That would be a big problem if my compounded pellets had that kind of variability. People might need pellets every 2months or every 5 months instead of every 4 months..it would be like guessing what you need ahead of time…..I believe dedicated compounding pharmacists are more accurate than any generic on the market. Compounding pharmacies: Unsung Heros Compounding pharmacies serve the public when big pharma fails and hasn't developed a safety net for production if they have a problem and the FDA shuts them down. That situation leaves patients who take their medications, without an alternative. Compounding pharmacies step into the breech when big pharma has a problem with a particular drug and stop making a drug (e.g. Lidocaine, B12 injectable, IV Fluids, to name a few shortages and no production that have occurred in the recent past). What if patients couldn't get the meds they need, and if there were no compounding pharmacies—Chaos and suffering and dying patients would closely follow! The FDA is Fickle and is not on your side! For years the FDA did not approve of Bioidentical estrogen and testosterone in any form, and just a few months ago all of a sudden, long after they scared women from taking the hormones they needed to improve their length of life and quality of life, they decided bioidentical hormones are better than the FDA approved hormones!!!  That is a little too late.  Some of us will never forget the stress lack of approval of compounded hormones caused for doctors and patients alike.  Other doctors criticized us and now most of them aren't even in practice anymore.  Maybe the FDA read my blog!!! Compounded hormones have been approved by the masses of women who have taken them under my signature! Compounded BI hormones are medications with a long track record and should not have to be tested with the bloated expense required of testing for the FDA. For Gynecological Disorders that don't have an FDA approved hormone drug because testosterone and estradiol have been used for so long that they don't need testing. If there was a significant problem with them their history of use of over 5-7 decades has proven the efficacy and safety of the female hormones for treatment and hormone replacement. For Psychiatric Disorders: Some patients need compounded ketamine products for conditions like severe depression, despite lacking FDA approval for these uses and potential risks, yet it has been used for this purpose for decades and was used for childbirth for almost a century, until epidurals and saddle blocks took their place. Testosterone for women still is not recognized as a female hormone even though women produce over twice as much Testosterone as Estradiol when they are in their fertile years.   Replacement of T with bioidentical T pellets offers a treatment for dozens of symptoms women face after age 40, and it prevents the diseases of aging: osteoporosis, heart disease, sarcopenia, frailty, diabetes and more that have not been addressed by mainstream medicine and the FDA. Over a decade ago, the FDA turned down the approval of testosterone patch after over 3 years of positive research studies, the FDA said they didn't approve T for women is because the side effect of T for women, facial hair, was dangerous for women.…I cry B—–S—-!  That is really men not wanting to share testosterone replacement with women. I say leave us alone and let women and their doctors determine what they need.  It is proven that only 5% of all professionals in any profession are not trustworthy, so give doctors their due and trust that we are looking for answers to our patients' problems that you don't even know about! The FDA is paid for by us…everyone in this country. I say hands off! Speed up the approval process or forget it for older drugs and BI hormones! ~

John and Jonathan unpack the FDA's surprise approval of a generic abortion pill, the political and legal fallout, and why pro-lifers are demanding a real fight over Mifepristone.

Not all generic drugs are created equal. How much of a benefit do you get from learning a second language? A new product to help stop the spread of malaria. Your next hospital visit may look a bit greener. Learn More: https://radiohealthjournal.org/medical-notes-why-kids-should-be-bilingual-stopping-the-spread-of-malaria-and-are-generic-drugs-dangerous Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pharmaceutical companies are among the most maligned companies in America. BIG PHARMA are the constant and consistent targets of lawyers, sarcastically termed “ambulance chasers.” One bad incident can result in lawsuits which may produce tens of millions of dollars in damages.But, every day, these companies produce and provide lifesaving, life-extending, life-transforming therapies to millions upon millions in the United States and, of course, around the world. I wonder how many people would die tomorrow without the drugs produced by BIG PHARMA which keep them alive.Some experts indicate that every single American citizen, old and young, has been the beneficiary of a drug, or takes one on a regular basis. I wonder, has your body been the recipient of a drug, or does it take on now sporadically or on a regular basis? Or, in a life-saving moment, have you been the very fortunate recipient of a life-saving drug produced by BIG PHARMA. Have you?No matter, the relentless assault on pharmaceutical companies goes on. Some of the criticism and cry for control by the government is justified, and most of it, NOT JUSTIFIED. There are federal agencies like the FDA, a governmental watch dog, presumably protecting the people, protecting WE THE PEOPLE, making certain that only safe and effective drugs reach the market. But, because of the vilification of BIG PHARMA, regulators at the federal level are often hesitant in granting permission for a drug to be marketed, no matter its lifesaving or life-extending capabilities. The constant delay, testing, examinations of all kinds, no matter how necessary, add significantly to the cost of the drug when you and I purchase it.In many cases, politicians do the most harm. Their incendiary rhetoric corrupts public understanding, and in some cases, stokes outright hatred. Governmental policies make it far easier for BIG PHARMA to be sued for the very slightest matter. Huge judgements occur, and the cost of the drug goes up, or even in some extreme cases, off the market entirely. When that happens, there comes the hue and cry from the public for price controls, firmer and stronger regulations against BIG PHARMA, and the relaxation of protections for pricing, and especially PATENTS, which protect the drugs against competition for any number of years. Then there arises the public climber for GENERIC DRUGS which WE THE PEOPLE believe will have the very same beneficial effects for a lower price.In the favor of BIG PHARMA, these often-incredible drugs are born out of some of the world's most INGENIOUS INNOVATION AND IMAGINATION. The minds, brilliant minds, of the scientists who make these drugs happen are rare commodities on this Earth. Months and years are devoted to research testing, trial and error, before a drug is presented to federal regulators for approval with the request for marketing to the needy patients of the world. The scientists in BIG PHARMA work for the cures of the most horrendous diseases (i.e. Alzheimer's) investing tens of millions of dollars in such research, with no guarantee that investment will be returned, much less make a profit. Politicians and lawyers are determined that they will NOT!When, my fellow Americans, was the last time you were given a drug which saved your life, extended it, or cured a condition, small or large, and without which, your life may have been ended or permanently riddled with pain? Do you take the products of BIG PHARMA, the drugs, any of them on a regular basis, to save your life, or improve the quality of that life, do you? And if you do, are you grateful, thankful, for the men and women who invested tens of thousands of hours and dollars to make that drug and make your life better? No operation of any kind can occur without drugs, none. Whether anesthesia, or some other, no operation would be safe or curative. Instead of chastising BIG PHARMA, perhaps WE THE PEOPLE, the blessed recipients of these drugs, should give thanks to them and hope and pray they continue their absolutely necessary work in research and development (R&D).Let us hope and pray BIG PHARMA continues to invest, recruit the most brilliant scientific minds, motivates the innovators to give their lives in the search for new medicines and cures for the benefit of all humankind, in America and worldwide. Imagine for one minute what America, the world, or even your life would be like if there were no drugs available. That includes the most expensive to the very simple Aspirin, drugs produced from years of costly investment on the one hand, and over the counter on the other.To be sure, on occasion, there is greed, overpricing, and some marketing unfairness which may exist. But, those circumstances are rare, infrequent, can easily be detected, and just recompense delivered. Innovation is incredibly expensive, as is real, creative research and testing, INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE! If there is not fair payment for those services or a profitable return on investment, those innovative minds which provide us, WE THE PEOPLE, with the drugs that extend, save, or improve the quality of our lives, will spend their innovative lives in other industries. Even scripture tells us that no one builds a tower (develops a new drug) without considering the cost thereof and at the bottom line, that workman (BIG PHARMA and its innovative people) is entitled to the real value, the fair and profitable wage and return, on the products produced.So, my fellow Americans, what would your life be like if you had never had the benefit of a drug produced by BIG PHARMA? Would your life be the same, or would you even have life at this point in time? Governmental controls, pricing, and regulations would do nothing but destroy innovation, drive away the very best scientists, and allow the constant assault of diseases, old and new, to rule the day. Do not let that happen. We must, somehow, find the way to thank and encourage BIG PHARMA on the one hand, and on the other, provide these drugs to those who so desperately need them. I, for one, believe OUR GREAT PHYSICIAN would so have it, our Lord Himself, even more so than the innovators He has given us.

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries reported its second-quarter 2025 financial results on Wednesday, reflecting a mixed performance amid continued shifts in its portfolio strategy. CEO Richard Francis speaks with Bloomberg's Scarlet Fu and Katie Griefeld. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The FDA has allowed more than 20 foreign factories to send drugs to the US even though they were made at plants that the agency had banned, according to ProPublica.

In this episode of Tales From the Heart host Lisa Salberg speaks with Dr. Harry Lever about the safety of generic drugs and changes that are coming.   This conversation was recorded June 20, 2025.

In this episode of Tickers, Dr. Matthew Preston & Dr. Thaon Simms analyze Indies Pharma (INDIES) and its potential to reach $5 per share!

Pink Sheet Executive Editor Derrick Gingery, Senior Writer Sarah Karlin-Smith and Senior Editor Sue Sutter discuss the impact of the departures of several senior leaders in the US Food and Drug Administration's facility inspection group, Office of Generic Drugs and Office of Prescription Drug Promotion (:26). They also consider Commissioner Martin Makary's intent to combine the agency's many adverse event databases (14:52), his idea for a new approval pathway based on a “plausible mechanism” (26:25) and the seemingly increasing influence of politics at the agency despite his declarations that the FDA is apolitical (36:16). More On These Topics From The Pink Sheet US FDA Retirements Continue Unabated With Drug Inspectorate Leaders, Former Chief Counsel: https://insights.citeline.com/pink-sheet/compliance/manufacturing/us-fda-retirements-continue-unabated-with-drug-inspectorate-leaders-former-chief-counsel-JRKHCHZHMBC4RLRJRBDTSIP7E4/ FDA Leadership Shuffle Continues: Lowell Zeta Returns As OPDP, OGD Leaders Depart: https://insights.citeline.com/pink-sheet/agency-leadership/us-fda/fda-leadership-shuffle-continues-lowell-zeta-returns-as-opdp-ogd-leaders-depart-FONMRWR37VGAFL2JJ5S27QIU2E/ US FDA's Makary Floats Vague ‘Plausible Mechanism' Approval Pathway For Rare Diseases: https://insights.citeline.com/pink-sheet/pathways-and-standards/approval-standards/us-fdas-makary-floats-vague-plausible-mechanism-approval-pathway-for-rare-diseases-RJJJCPDUDFHINMPDE5VK4OFDVQ/ US FDA Commissioner Makary Wants To Combine Adverse Event Reporting Systems: https://insights.citeline.com/pink-sheet/agency-leadership/us-fda/us-fda-commissioner-makary-wants-to-combine-adverse-event-reporting-systems-UJ4QUEM72ZC25J7JHAC3LAKKKA/ Political Influence And The US FDA: A New Era?: https://insights.citeline.com/pink-sheet/agency-leadership/us-fda/political-influence-and-the-us-fda-a-new-era-SL6ZBNKHNVFEXCLQLCYTDJIETQ/

Ralph talks about his new book, “Civic Self Respect” which reminds us that our civic lives have different primary roles—not only voter, but also worker, taxpayer, consumer, sometimes soldier and sometimes parent—and how each one offers special opportunities for people to organize to make change. Plus, we welcome back former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, John Koskinen, who tells us exactly how the Trump/Musk cabal is both gutting and weaponizing the IRS.John Koskinen served as the IRS Commissioner from 2013 to 2017.This is not a how-to book. It starts at a much more elementary level and therefore should interest a much greater number of people. Because, as I say, if you can expand your civic dimension as a part of your daily role without disrupting the rhythms of your daily life (in fact, actually making them more gratifying and more interesting, less boring), you're on your way.Ralph Nader author of Civic Self-RespectThe people who really fight for justice in this country have to fight for recognition, they have to fight for media, they have to fight an onslaught. And the people who lie and cheat and say the most terrible things and do the most terrible things are really the best-known people in the country. I mean, if you say who are the best-known people in Congress? They're the blowhards, the cruel and vicious people who've said things that are illegal, outrageous against innocent groups here and abroad.Ralph NaderI used to say to the Congress (trying to get appropriations) that the IRS is the only agency where if you give it money, it gives you more money back. Because the more you can actually audit people who aren't paying the proper amount or aren't filing at all, the better off you are. So no one has ever disagreed with that.John KoskinenGoing back a thousand years, tax collectors have never been particularly popular. And so when you talk about the IRS, people say, "Oh, the poor old IRS." In some ways, they don't understand just the points you're making about the impact on them, on the country, of an ineffective IRS going forward. And that's why my thought is this move toward using the IRS to attack people ought to be a way for everyone to say, "You know, I may not love paying taxes, but I certainly don't want the government and the president or the treasury secretary or somebody else ordering an audit of my taxes just because they don't like my political position or what I'm teaching in my course.”John KoskinenRalph Nader's new book Civic Self-respect is available now from Seven Stories Press.News 4/16/251. On Thursday April 17th, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland departed for El Salvador in an effort to personally track down Maryland resident Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an immigrant who was arrested and deported to CECOT, the notorious Salvadoran prison camp, WUSA9 reports. Garcia was legally protected against deportation by a 2019 court order and a Trump administration official admitted in court that he “should never have been on that plane.” Last week, the Supreme Court unanimously ordered that he be returned to the U.S. Van Hollen is quoted saying “You go out, you get disappeared, they say they did it in error, but they're not helping bring you back…it's a very short road to tyranny.” Gracia has not been heard from since he was deported, raising concerns about his health and wellbeing. This comes after ICE Director Todd Lyons said he wanted to see a deportation process “like [Amazon] Prime, but with human beings,” per the Guardian. This episode is among the most chilling in American history and we are less than four months into a four-year term.2. Another gut-wrenching immigration story concerns Palestinian Columbia University student, Mohsen Mahdawi who was tricked, trapped, and abducted by ICE. The Intercept reports “Even before his friend and fellow Columbia activist Mahmoud Khalil was arrested by immigration authorities, Mahdawi asked university administrators to help him find a safe place to live so he would not be taken by ICE agents…The school did nothing.” Then, “After ICE abducted Khalil last month, Mahdawi sheltered in place for more than three weeks for fear of being picked up himself.” So, the immigration authorities apparently devised a scheme. “Instead of taking him off the street…immigration authorities scheduled the citizenship test at the Colchester USCIS office and took Mahdawi into custody when he arrived.” This action is clearly intended not only to capture Mahdawi but to frighten immigrants and discourage them from seeking citizenship through the legal immigration channels for fear of being deported. Not only that, Mahdawi will be sent back to Palestine, which continues to be the target of relentless Israeli bombing. Mahdawi is quoted saying, “It's kind of a death sentence…my people are being killed unjustly in an indiscriminate way.”3. In more international news, CNN reports China has “halted” its deliveries of Boeing planes. According to President Trump, will “‘not take possession' of fully committed to aircraft.” According to CNN, Boeing is particularly vulnerable in a trade war scenario because “Boeing builds all of its planes at US factories before sending nearly two-thirds of its commercial planes to customers outside the United States.” Boeing anticipated China purchasing 8,830 new planes over the next 20 years. The aircraft manufacturer's stock value fell in the wake of this announcement and is unlikely to fully recover unless some accommodation is reached with China.4. On the other side of the trade war, the Trump administration is preparing to roll out steep sectoral tariffs in addition to the country-specific tariffs already announced, per the Washington Post's Jeff Stein. Stein reports these will target imports of various "critical" products, including autos, steel and aluminum, copper, lumber and semiconductors. Yet, likely no sectoral tariff will bite American consumers more than the proposed tariff on pharmaceutical drugs. On April 8th, POLITICO reported that Trump told the RNC he is planning to impose “major” tariffs on pharmaceuticals. FIERCE, a healthcare news service, reports these could be as high as 25%. Coalition for a Prosperous America, an advocacy group opposed to free trade with China, reports that “Over 90% of all Generic Drugs [are] Dependent on Imports.”5. Turning to domestic matters, the Federal Trade Commission is proceeding with their anti-trust case against Facebook. According to the FTC, “The…Commission has sued Facebook, alleging that the company is illegally maintaining its personal social networking monopoly through a years-long course of anticompetitive conduct.” Further, “The complaint alleges that Facebook has engaged in a systematic strategy—including its 2012 acquisition of…Instagram, its 2014 acquisition…WhatsApp, and the imposition of anticompetitive conditions on software developers—to eliminate threats to its monopoly.” According to Ars Technica, “Daniel Matheson, the FTC's lead litigator, [started the trial with a bang] flagg[ing] a "smoking gun"—a 2012 email where Mark Zuckerberg suggested that Facebook could buy Instagram to ‘neutralize a potential competitor.'” It is hard to see how the company could argue this was not anticompetitive corporate misbehavior.6. A dubious tech industry scheme is also underway at the highest levels of the federal government. WIRED reports that the Social Security Administration is shifting their communications exclusively to Elon Musk's X app, formerly known as Twitter. Wired quotes SSA regional commissioner Linda Kerr-Davis, who said in a meeting with managers earlier this week, “We are no longer planning to issue press releases or…dear colleague letters to inform the media and public about programmatic and service changes…Instead, the agency will be using X to communicate to the press and the public … this will become our communication mechanism.” WIRED further reports that, “The regional [SSA] office workforce will soon be cut by roughly 87 percent,” going from an estimated 547 employees to 70. Musk has called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time,” per the AP.7. Over at the National Labor Relations Board, a whistleblower claims Elon Musk and his cronies at DOGE may have extracted data including “sensitive information on unions, ongoing legal cases and corporate secrets,” per NPR. If that wasn't shady enough, “members of the DOGE team asked that their activities not be logged on the system and then appeared to try to cover their tracks…turning off monitoring tools and manually deleting records of their access.” This whistleblower took his concerns to Congress and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel – whistleblower activities that are protected by law – but faced retaliation in the form of someone, “'physically taping a threatening note' to his door that included sensitive personal information and overhead photos of him walking his dog that appeared to be taken with a drone,” clear attempts to intimidate and silence this employee. The Trump administrations have been rife with leaks at every level and instead of responding by addressing the issues raised, the administration has launched a permanent inquisition to plug the leaks by any means.8. In better news, the Independent reports that DOGE itself is finally being subjected to an audit. The audit is being undertaken by the Government Accountability Office at the urging of Congressional leaders after “'alarming' media reports of DOGE infiltrating federal systems,” according to a congressional aide. One DOGE worker has reportedly been identified by as “a 19-year-old high school graduate who was booted from an internship after leaking company information to a rival firm,” raising ever-deeper concerns about the purpose of the “fishing expeditions” DOGE is undergoing at every level of the federal government.9. Another uplifting story comes to us from New York City. In the latest round of public matching fund awards, Zohran Mamdani – the Democratic Socialist candidate surging from obscurity into second place in the polls – was granted nearly $4 million in public matching funds, “the largest single payment to any candidate in the 2025 Democratic mayoral primary race to date,” according to Gothamist. Meanwhile, former Governor Andrew Cuomo was awarded exactly $0. As Jeff Coltin of POLITICO New York explains, “Cuomo's campaign [was] scrambling to get the necessary info from donors to get matched…sending…dire warning to [his] entire email list, rather than…targeted outreach to donors.” If he had collected the necessary information, Cuomo would have been awarded $2.5 million in matching funds, Coltin reports. Cuomo still leads in the polls; as it becomes increasingly clear that Zohran is the only viable alternative, there will be increased pressure on other candidates to throw their support behind him.10. Finally, let's take a peek into the political climate's effect on Hollywood. New York Magazine, in an extensive profile of Warner Brothers-Discovery mogul David Zaslav, includes a piece about Zaslav seeking to ingratiate himself with Trump. According to this report, “a company representative recently reached out to the Trump0 orbit seeking advice about how the company might advantageously interact with the Whitte House.” Their answer: “look at the example of…Jeff Bezos paying Melania Trump $40 million to participate in a documentary about herself. Don Jr. might like a hunting and fishing show on the Discovery Channel, they were told.” Just like the Ivy League universities and the big law firms, if given an inch Trump will take a mile and use it for nothing short of extortion. Hollywood would be wise to steer clear. But wisdom has never been their strength.This has been Francesco DeSantis, with In Case You Haven't Heard. Get full access to Ralph Nader Radio Hour at www.ralphnaderradiohour.com/subscribe

The Hidden Costs of PBMs: How Aggregate Discount Guarantees Inflate Drug Prices. In episode 465 of Relentlessly Seeking Value, host Stacey Richter interviews Chris Crawford, CEO of RxSaveCard, about the inflated costs within the pharmacy benefits industry. The discussion centers around a lawsuit involving J&J, highlighting how large PBMs can significantly overcharge for drugs that are available much cheaper through cash-pay options like Mark Cuban's Cost Plus Drugs. Crawford explains how Aggregate Discount Guarantees, a common contracting mechanism, often fail to control spread pricing effectively and instead may lead to higher costs for plan sponsors and employees. The episode also covers how RxSaveCard can help employers and employees access these lower cash prices, circumventing the inflated costs from traditional PBMs. === LINKS ===

On this episode of "Tales From the Heart" host Lisa Salberg is joined by Dr. Harry Lever and David Light to shed light on some generic drugs.   This conversation was recorded Nov. 8, 2024.

A large portion of the prescription medication American's consume are generic. But with many of the active ingredients being sourced and manufactured in other countries, are our federal oversights enough protection? This week, our expert explains the systems in place – as well as their weaknesses and strengths. Learn More: https://radiohealthjournal.org/generic-drugs-the-industry-secrets-that-can-lead-to-drug-shortages Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's something strange going on in hospitals. Cheap, common drugs that nurses use every day seem to be constantly hit by shortages. These are often generic drugs that don't seem super complicated to make, things like dextrose and saline (aka sugar water and salt water).So what's going on? The answer, as with anything in healthcare, is complicated.On today's show: why hospitals keep running out of generic drugs. The story behind these shortages tells us a lot about how these drugs are made, bought and sold–and, it shows us how these markets can falter without the proper care.This episode was hosted by Sally Helm and Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi. It was produced by Willa Rubin, with help from James Sneed and Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Martina Castro. Fact-checking by Dania Suleman. Planet Money's executive producer is Alex Goldmark.Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Entrepreneur Mark Cuban joins Chuck Todd to talk about his new venture, the Cost Plus Drugs Company. He also shares his views on cryptocurrency, sports business, and why he got involved in the 2024 campaign. 

In today's deep dive, we’ll learn more about the problems that threaten America’s generic drug industry.

Welcome to Tales from the Heart! This week host Lisa Salberg sits down with Dr. Harry Lever to discusses HCM, Septal Reduction September, and generic drugs. This conversation was recorded Sept. 20, 2024.

Are generic drugs as good as their name-brand counterparts? On Skeptical Sunday, Dave Farina compares their development, prices, and efficacy. Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by Is This Wi-Fi Organic?: A Guide to Spotting Misleading Science Online author and host of the Professor Dave Debates podcast, Dave Farina! On This Week's Skeptical Sunday: Generic drugs contain the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, but are typically much cheaper due to not having to absorb research and development costs. Drug patents typically last around 20 years, giving companies a period of market exclusivity to recoup their investment before generics can be produced. While the active ingredients are identical, there can be minor differences in inactive ingredients (excipients) between brand-name and generic drugs that may slightly affect bioavailability. Regulatory bodies like the FDA play a crucial role in ensuring drug safety and efficacy, though rare oversights can still occur. Consumers can make informed decisions about medications by understanding the similarities between brand-name and generic drugs, consulting with healthcare providers, and staying aware of drug safety information from reliable sources. This knowledge empowers individuals to potentially save money on prescriptions while still receiving effective treatment. Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at jordan@jordanharbinger.com and let him know! Connect with Dave Farina on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, and check out the Professor Dave Debates podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts. Dave’s book, Is...

America pays less, on average, than any other major country for our generic drugs. But selling essential drugs at such low prices comes with hidden costs — from quality problems to frequent shortages.This is the second episode of Race to the Bottom, a three-part series by Tradeoffs on the problems plaguing the generic drugs we all rely on — and how we could fix them.Guests:Christine Baeder, MBA, President, Apotex USALaura Bray, MBA, Founder, Angels for ChangeCraig Burton, Senior Vice President of Policy and Strategic Alliances, Association for Accessible MedicinesIilun Murphy, MD, Director of the Office of Generic Drugs, FDALeslie Walker, Senior Reporter/Producer, TradeoffsMarta Wosińska, PhD, Senior Fellow, Brookings InstitutionLearn more and read a full transcript on our website.Want more Tradeoffs? Sign up for our free weekly newsletter featuring the latest health policy research and news.Support this type of journalism today, with a gift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time now for our daily Tech and Business Report. Today, KCBS Radio's Holly Quan was joined by Bloomberg's Peter Robison. New analysis from Bloomberg shows that generic drugs made for and sold by CVS are twice as likely to be recalled than those sold by its biggest rival, Walgreens

In this episode, Max breaks down the biggest scandal in the healthcare industry (and that's saying a lot). We walk through how a bunch of pencil pushing pharmacy middlemen became so powerful they bought out the biggest health insurance companies and pharmacy chains, and did it through hiking up drug prices, kickbacks and taking advantage of government contracts. This is the story of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and how they became the American Drug Cartel. Chapters Intro: 00:00:36 Sponsors: 00:03:14 Chapter One: The Birth of the American Drug Mafia. 00:04:47 Chapter Two: Unraveling the Supply Chain. 00:16:15 Chapter Three: Is that all? Please tell me that's all. 00:28:09 Chapter Four: Bring it home, Max. 00:38:44 Post Show Musings: 00:45:24 Outro: 00:01:16 Resources NAIC: Pharmacy Benefit Managers Healthcare Dive: FTC launches investigation into PBMs; CVS, UnitedHealth, Cigna and more hit with requests for data FTC: FTC Launches Inquiry Into Prescription Drug Middlemen Industry Healthcare Dive: PBM practices are keeping consumers from generics savings, white paper finds Association for Accessible Medicines:  US Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Savings Report 2021 Lever News: Who's Killing Your Independent Pharmacy? PSSNY: PBM Basics USC: PBMs Are Inflating the Cost of Generic Drugs. They Must Be Reined In Jama Network: Costco v Medicare study  Frier Levitt: AUDITING PBMs 46Brooklyn National Bureau of Economic Research: CVS Response: A world without PBMs: Unpacking the data FTC: White House Roundtable PBMs Yahoo Finance: 30 Largest Companies by Revenue UNFTR Episode Resources Healthcare Series. -- If you like the pod version of #UNFTR, make sure to check out the video version on YouTube where Max shows his beautiful face! www.youtube.com/@UNFTR Please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com. Join the Unf*cker-run Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/2051537518349565 Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee® at shop.unftr.com. Subscribe to Unf*cking The Republic® at unftr.com/blog to get the essays these episode are framed around sent to your inbox every week. Check out the UNFTR Pod Love playlist on Spotify: spoti.fi/3yzIlUP. Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations. Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility. Unf*cking the Republic® is produced by 99 and engineered by Manny Faces Media (mannyfacesmedia.com). Original music is by Tom McGovern (tommcgovern.com) and Hold Fast (holdfastband.com). The show is written and hosted by Max and distributed by 99. Podcast art description: Image of the US Constitution ripped in the middle revealing white text on a blue background that says, "Unf*cking the Republic®."Support the show: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/unftrSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Generic drugs are a great way of making healthcare more affordable to those who really need it. They are becoming increasingly popular and seem to have strong government backing. However, doctors claim that they being arm-twisted into prescribing them even when there are questions about their quality endangering patient safety. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Matter.

Tales from the Heart host Lisa Salberg and guests Dr. Harry Lever catch up to discuss heart arrhythmias + HCM. This conversation was recorded March 15, 2024.

We explore the chemical similarities and key differences between brand-name and generic drugs. Learn about:Equivalence in active ingredients, as approved by the FDA.Exceptions: Narrow Therapeutic Index drugs and inactive ingredients.When to consult a doctor before switching brands.Listen to find out if you can save money without sacrificing quality!

On this episode, I was joined by Katherine Eban, the New York Times best-selling author of "Bottle of Lies". In this episode, Katherine dives deep into her decade-long investigation into the quality issues prevalent in generic drug manufacturing overseas. Eban highlights the need for improving transparency in the pharmaceutical industry. She shares some inspiring stories of dedicated professionals in the industry who strive to ensure patients receive quality. Eban also discusses her findings on fraudulent practices in manufacturing plants and the role of quality data in drug production. The episode sheds light on the importance of understanding the manufacturing process behind generic drugs and critical quality control issues needing urgent attention. Time-Stamps: 02:12 The Start of the Investigation into Generic Drug Quality 08:59 The Impact of Quality Issues on Global Health 12:54 Understanding the FDA's Role in Drug Quality Control 16:55 The Struggle to Maintain Quality in the Pharmaceutical Industry 18:39 The Ranbaxy Story 27:45 Peter Baker 30:19 Quality Stories 33:27 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Link to Katherine's Book: Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Drug Boom, is a New York Times bestseller and one of the New York Times' 100 Notable Books of 2019.

For a full transcript of this episode, click here. This show is a very natural follow-on to episode 418 with Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams, PharmD, MBA. This show is the how, as in, “How did everything that we talked about in the earlier show wind up the way it did?” And it also proves it … with data. I gotta say I never quite understood the finer points of the rationale of a cash pay system for minor expenses—expenses like generic drugs. I always framed this whole thing in the context of a senior on a fixed income taking 10 drugs, as my grandma did. And even if each of those drugs was only $5 or $10 a month, that's enough beans a month that it was a big deal for her to swing. So, I have always had this thought that these drugs should be covered by her insurance so she and everybody else living on a fixed income trying to make ends meet could get them and take them and not die from complications of diabetes or high blood pressure. Now, the counterargument to the above, which I have certainly heard more than once, is to offer members/patients HSAs (health savings accounts) and have them buy stuff with their HSA. My knee jerk there is, yeah, but I can barely figure out the deal with HSAs. Most Americans don't even know what a deductible is let alone an HSA. This approach just feels like it demands a lot of health literacy. So, that's the place I was when I walked into this conversation in this episode with Ge Bai, PhD, CPA. Here's two facts that got me inching away from my original position: 1. Generic drugs are cheap. There is already competition in the manufacturing marketplace that holds these prices down. 2. PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) and insurance are devices to pool risk. If you have a high expense, that expense gets spread out over the rest of the insured population (ie, the risk pool). This whole spreading out of the risk is arduous to pull off and requires a level of administrative costs. So, let's break this down: In terms of #1 fact, that generic drugs are cheap, let's think about the value prop of PBMs. It's to throw their market power around to lower drug prices. But, oh wait … the prices of cheap generics are already cheap. So, not much need for market power? Yeah, that's a fact. One of the studies that I talk about in this healthcare podcast with Ge Bai quantifies that. For patients in their deductible phase actually, 79% of the time paying cash is cheaper than if the patient had used their insurance and gotten the price “negotiated by their PBM.” So, yeah … anytime pretty much anybody can wander in and get a better price than a Fortune 15 PBM, it's pretty clear that market power is not overly required here. In fact, getting PBMs in the mix just seems to make the drug prices higher for patients. Alright now, moving on to my fact #2 I talked about earlier, which is, what is the point of insurance (and PBMs are a derivative of insurance)? The point with them is to pool risk, to spread out the cost of something over the entire risk pool. So, yeah … drug costs $3. What is the administrative burden that goes in to spreading $3 across a risk pool? Is it worth it? Or is the admin cost burden more burdensome than the actual cost burden of the cost of the drug, and all we're doing here is driving up the price of healthcare, which ultimately might throw more financial burden back on the patient through higher premiums or out-of-pockets? That's the second study that I talk about today with Ge Bai, and it quantifies exactly how much that administrative burden is when it comes to generic drugs. Because you know who makes the most money in a generic drug transaction? No, it's not the pharma manufacturer, if that's what you were thinking. It's not the pharmacy. It's not the wholesaler. Yeah, it's the PBM. The PBM, by a margin of 10 points, makes the most money. The administrative cost burden is actually the most expensive part of buying a generic drug using your insurance and going through that PBM. There's a bar chart that visualizes these proportions. But while I'm on a roll here, here's a #3 fact that speaks to my concerns about HSAs that I raised at the beginning and the financial literacy required to use them: Health insurance is already super complicated, and no one can understand it. And here's a #4 let's-talk-about-the-real-world fact: Health insurance and paying for drugs is already pretty unaffordable for lots of people. So, I guess in theory it would be amazing if we could have our drugs paid for so they could be affordable. And if that were true and things were a little complicated … okay, trade-offs and all that. But right now, the situation is that drugs can be pretty unaffordable, including “cheap” generics; AND getting them covered is complicated. So, bar is pretty low to do better by patients is my point. And this is what I talk about with, as aforementioned, my guest today, Ge Bai. Ge Bai probably needs no introduction. She is a professor of accounting at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and also a professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As she says, she studies nothing but healthcare dollars. Also mentioned in this episode is the show with Steven Quimby, MD (EP344) going deep on the generic drug market. Additional links for this episode: Links for second study: JAMA Health Forum, coauthored with Joey Mattingly, Kenechukwu Ben-Umeh, Gerard Anderson; The Johns Hopkins University - Carey Business School; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; University of Utah College of Pharmacy Bar chart/article: by Jason Shafrin You can learn more about Ge's research on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).   Ge Bai, PhD, CPA, is a professor of accounting at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and professor of health policy and management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An expert on healthcare accounting, finance, and policy, she has testified in Congress, written for the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, and published her studies in leading academic journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and Health Affairs. Her work has been widely featured in the media and cited in regulations and congressional testimonies. She was a visiting scholar at the Health Analysis Division of the Congressional Budget Office from 2022 to 2023. She teaches graduate courses and has received the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association's Excellence in Teaching Award.   06:13 What is the background on generic drugs that is need-to-know? 06:39 EP344 with Steven Quimby, MD. 07:04 Do we have affordability for generic drugs? 15:40 What's the policy failure around generic drugs? 18:34 Why is there a huge health equity issue? 20:13 How do PBMs have both a monopoly and a monopsony? 21:59 What should be the goal for cheap generics? 23:36 “Whenever we have no competition, we'll see high price.” 26:00 What's the best approach to addressing operational challenges behind generic drug costs? 28:42 How do we solve generic drug costs on the back end? 31:15 “Healthcare insurance is not the same as health.” 36:07 “It's time for us to reflect and think whether there is a better way to try.”   You can learn more about Ge's research on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).   @GeBaiDC discusses paying cash for #genericdrugs in our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #digitalhealth   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Andreas Mang, Karen Root (Encore! EP381), Mark Cuban and Ferrin Williams, Dan Mendelson (Encore! EP385), Josh Berlin, Dr Adam Brown, Rob Andrews, Justina Lehman, Dr Will Shrank, Dr Carly Eckert (Encore! EP361)

The rates of alcohol use disorder increased significantly since the onset of COVID-19, making this a major public health issue, though it's not discussed as frequently as opioid overdoses. Over 140,000 Americans die from the effects of alcohol in an average year (more than from drug overdoses). Ten percent of Americans over the age of 12 have Alcohol Use Disorder. And according to the 2023 Alcohol Abuse Statistics, 60% of Americans increased their alcohol consumption during COVID-19 lockdowns. In this podcast, we are joined by Dr. Iilun Murphy, Director of the Office of Generic Drugs in FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), and returning is Dr. Marta Sokolowska, CDER's Deputy Center Director for Substance Use and Behavioral Health to discuss the recent first generic approval to Vivitrol, a one-month extended-release injectable naltrexone that is used to help people recovering from opioid or alcohol dependence.

Roy has been developing websites and software for over 20 years and has taught and training on web development, graphic design, DevOps Methodologies and Software Implementation and strategies to High School Students, Enterprise Organizations and the Federal Government. He currently holds AWS Cloud Practitioner Certification, 4 AWS Accreditations, 4 Microsoft certifications in Azure and is a Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365 and SharePoint SME (Subject Matter Expert). He has been awarded the 2016 iCARE award from Veteran Affairs in the Federal Government for Outstanding SharePoint Support, as well as received Special Citations from members of the Office of Generic Drugs in the Food and Drug Administration.Website: https://www.capitolpresence.com/Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Zgc1tDRFVXO7NDCHvo9qd?si=16458007e9814e48Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapitolPresence/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capitolpresence/https://www.instagram.com/roygedwards/?hl=enTwitter: https://twitter.com/capitolpresenceLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capitol-presence-consulting-group/Connect and tag me at:https://www.instagram.com/realangelabradford/You can subscribe to my YouTube Channel herehttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDU9L55higX03TQgq1IT_qQFeel free to leave a review on all major platforms to help get the word out and change more lives!