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Article Summary: Medicaid program stopped accepting prescriptions for Bextra on Thursday morning immediately
Washington Medicaid Program Updates Drug Rules After FDA Pulls Bextra From The Market
Washington State's Medicaid program stopped accepting prescriptions for Bextra on Thursday morning immediately after the state was notified that the federal Food & Drug Administration (FDA) wanted the drug withdrawn from the market by its manufacturer.The blocking action, which followed FDA hearings earlier this year on drug safety, was also the latest in a series of precautionary steps Washington state's Medicaid program and Preferred Drug List have taken with regard to painkilling drugs in the same family as Bextra and two other drugs in the news recently -- Celebrex and Vioxx.
Those drugs, known as "Cox II inhibitors," were developed to be easier on the stomach than older painkillers, but increasing evidence in recent months shows that they also may heighten the risk of heart attacks, especially in patients with a prior history of cardiovascular disease.The FDA also asked Bextra's manufacturer to add a stern warning to its instructions for Celebrex, alerting consumers and providers to the cardiac and stroke danger. Vioxx was pulled from shelves by its manufacturer last fall after studies showed some patients had an increased risk of heart attacks while using the drug.Washington State's Preferred Drug List is a joint program by the Department of Social and Health Services' Medical Assistance Administration (MAA), the Health Care Authority (HCA), and the Department of Labor and Industries (L&I). MAA operates the state's Medicaid program, while the HCA administers state employee health benefits and the Basic Health program. L&I provides statewide worker compensation coverage.
All three use the PDL to guide drug utilization. The process begins with research and clinical determinations by the Oregon Health Sciences University. Recommendations on drugs to be considered for preferred status are made by a Washington State Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee made up of physicians, pharmacists and other clinicians.
Non-preferred drugs are subject to further review by state pharmacy screeners, and they may even be denied unless prescribers make a case for medical necessity. Overall, the committee's decision-making is aimed at making sure patients not only receive the most effective medications but that taxpayers get the best price as well.
After the FDA hearings in February on the safety of Cox II drugs, MAA added history of cardiovascular disease as a contraindication and reason to deny either Bextra or Celebrex.
If you or anyone you know has taken BEXTRA and has experienced the above symptoms or side effects, contact our BEXTRA lawyer and receive a free case evaluation.
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