Increased Transparency and Consumer Protections for 2016 Marketplace Plans

The open enrollment period that ends in December 2015 for coverage beginning January 2016 marks the third year of the health care exchanges or marketplaces and of coverage through new qualified health plans. This issue brief investigates several key changes to the qualified health plans, with a focus on increased transparency and consumer protections. A new out-of-pocket costs calculator, requirements regarding provider networks, and prescription drug cost-sharing requirements should serve to better inform and improve consumer selection. In addition, several policy changes will help individuals with more severe health needs. These include: improved prescription drug coverage for HIV/ AIDS and other conditions, allowing prescription drugs that are obtained through the "exceptions" process to count toward the out-of-pocket spending cap, more comprehensive and consistent habilitative coverage, and an individual out-of-pocket spending cap within the family out-of-pocket maximum

UV SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC ANALYSIS AND VALIDATION OF ACYCLOVIR IN SOLID DOSAGE FORM

Objective: A new, economical, sensitive, simple, rapid UV spectrophotometric method has been developed for the estimation of Acyclovir in pure form and pharmaceutical formulation. Methods: This UV method was developed using distilled water as a solvent. In the present method, the wavelength selected for analysis was 254 nm. UV-Visible double beam spectrophotometer (Systronic 2201) was used to carry out the spectral analysis. The ICH guidelines were used to validate the method. Results: The method was validated for linearity, range, accuracy, precision, robustness, LOD and LOQ. Linearity was found in the range of 5-30µg/ml. Accuracy was performed by using a recovery study. The amount of drug recovered was found to be in the range of 100.1-100.5 %. The % RSD value was found to be less than 2. Conclusion: The proposed UV spectroscopic method was found to be accurate, precise, stable, linear, specific, and simple for quantitative estimation of acyclovir in bulk and pharmaceutical dosage form. Hence the present UV spectroscopic method is suitable for the routine assay of acyclovir in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations

Epidemiology of Sapovirus Infections in a Birth Cohort in Peru

Background: Sapovirus is one of the primary viral causes of acute gastroenteritis (AGE), especially where rotavirus vaccination has been implemented. The characteristics and impact of natural infection at the community level, however, have not been well documented. Methods: Stool samples were analyzed from 100 children randomly selected from a community-based birth cohort study in Peru. All diarrheal and 1 nondiarrheal stools collected trimonthly from children up to age 2 years (n = 1669) were tested for sapovirus detection. Viral shedding duration was determined by testing additional weekly samples (n = 440) collected before and after a sapovirus-positive sample. Results: The incidence of sapovirus infection in the first and second years of life was 4.3 and 11.1 per 100 child-months, respectively. By age 2 years, 82% of children had at least 1 sapovirus infection, and 64% had at least 1 sapovirus-associated diarrhea episode. The median shedding period was 18.5 days. In 112 of 175 infections, 14 genotypes from 4 genogroups (GI, GII, GIV, and GV) were determined. Among genogroups, GI were more frequently found in symptomatic infections than in asymptomatic infections (odds ratio, 3.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.3–7.4). Fifty-nine children had serial sapovirus infections, but only 3 had repeated infection of the same genotype. Conclusions: Sapovirus was frequently detected in children with AGE at the community level during the first 2 years of life. Serial sapovirus infections by multiple genotypes in a child suggest genotype-specific immunity from each infection, which needs to be taken into account for vaccine development