1. Drugs ads on mobile devices are not providing a fair representation of risk information, according to an FDA examination of 51 mobile ads and related landing pages. The agency found that 25% of the ads linked to a landing page citing benefits but not risks; 51% required scrolling to see all risk information; 71% presented benefits before risk; and 51% used a bigger font for benefits than risks. (Journal of Medical Internet Research)
2. Makers of rare-disease drugs are concerned about the Senate version of the Republican healthcare bill because it would allow insurers to cut off reimbursement once a patient spends up to $2 million on prescription drugs. Drugs that treat rare diseases are often more expensive than those that treat more common conditions. (Bloomberg)
3. A new CDC study found that the amount of opioids prescribed in the U.S. has declined since 2010. The study also revealed that providers prescribed six times more opioids per resident in the highest-prescribing counties, versus the lowest-prescribing counties. (Kaiser Health News)
4. Thirty-seven percent of people between the ages of 50 and 80 years old have received a recommendation for a cheaper drug from their pharmacist. (CBS News)
5. Alkermes has marketed its opioid treatment Vivitrol to jails and drugs courts, but critics are concerned that those organizations are prioritizing the treatment over therapies with better effectiveness data. (Yahoo News)
