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Dececember 11, 2008 Newsletter
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK
CMPI NEWS
www.cmpi.org
Backward Health Care Reform
Washington Times
By Peter Pitts
December 11, 2008
The expected uptick in left-leaning legislation from Capitol Hill started early when Sen. Max Baucus, Montana Democrat, unveiled a sweeping plan for health-care reform.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/11/backward-health-care-reform/
Clear Drug Labels Key To Good Health Care
Sun-Sentinel
By Peter Pitts
December 6, 2008
The Supreme Court just heard oral arguments in Wyeth v. Levine. At the case's core is the question of what to do when federal regulations conflict with state ones. The court's decision could have a significant impact on the health care system.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum06courtpndec06,0,4933983.story
Cost Of Living – Who Gets New Drugs?
New York Times – Letter to the Editor
By Peter Pitts
December 3, 2008
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in Britain is set to lift its ban on several kidney cancer drugs. The move will give patients access to lifesaving medicines that had previously been deemed “too costly” to cover under public health insurance.
This reversal is effectively an acknowledgment that the agency hasn’t worked as intended. By denying patients access to cutting-edge treatments simply because of cost, it has heartlessly put lives at risk.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/opinion/l08health.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
DRUGWONKS BLOG
www.drugwonks.com
NICE To The Max
By Peter Pitts
December 11, 2008
Let’s be honest -- the fundamental assumption behind the push for a comparative effectiveness agency in the US is that high drug prices are the primary reason American healthcare costs are on the rise. That's simply not true. Drug prices went up less than 1 percent last year, well below the rate of inflation. Pharmaceuticals are about 11% of our national healthcare spend – with on-patent medications representing only about 7 percent. (Something to remember when we debate the non-interference clause and drug importation.)
http://www.drugwonks.com/blog_post/show/6502
Dr. Woodcock: Sailing Into The Wind
By Robert Goldberg
December 5, 2008
Barbara Stanwyck (the actress) said of egotism that it's a case of mistaken nonentity. The same can be said the rampant speculation and self-promotion regarding who is going to be the next FDA commissioner. Lots of people weighing in who don't know the full story or the full weight of the job. Lots of second guessing. Only one or two people who are willing to stand and accept the responsibility and stand by decisions regardless of what is said to attract the crowd or generate a headline.
http://www.drugwonks.com/blog_post/show/6494
CMPI 2008 REPORTS
The Patient-Centric Health Leadership Forum
http://www.cmpi.org/uploads/File/cmpi7-25.pdf
The Hazards of Harassing Doctors: Regulation and Reaction in Trans-Atlantic Healthcare
http://www.cmpi.org/PDFs/Reports/Hazards.pdf
Medicare Decision on Anemia Drugs Ignored Benefits of Drugs
http://www.cmpi.org/PDFs/Reports/MedicareDecision.pdf
Insta-Americans: The Empower (and Imperiled) Health Care Consumer in the Age of Internet Medicine
http://www.cmpi.org/PDFs/Reports/insta-americans.pdf
ARTICLES OF NOTE
Free Drugs For All
State House Call
By John LaPlante
December 11, 2008
It sounds like a dream from Woodstock: Free drugs for all!
Well, not all drugs and not for everyone, but some customer of plans from Blue Cross/Blue Shield of North Carolina will be able to get free generic drugs for the first six months of 2009. Why six months? It could be a publicity stunt. It could also be a trial, to see what offering "free" generic drugs does to the company's overall payment for drugs.
http://www.statehousecall.org/free-drugs-for-all
Drug Safety: Jurors Shouldn’t Be Practicing Medicine
Galen Institute
By Joel White
December 7, 2008
Jurors aren't physicians. They're regular people. So why would we entrust them with medical decisions best made by clinicians or scientists?
It sounds preposterous, but jurors could be given the responsibility for deciding how doctors should practice. That's the scenario one woman is pushing before the Supreme Court.
http://www.galen.org/component,8/action,show_content/id,13/category_id,7/blog_id,1129/type,33/
The Trouble With Canadian Healthcare
The American
By Brett J. Skinner
December 6, 2008
Many people assume that Canadians enjoy universal healthcare coverage while receiving the same quality and quantity of medical goods and services as Americans. But the alleged superiority of single-payer health care is not consistent with the evidence. The reality is that, on average, Americans spend more of their income on healthcare than Canadians do but get faster access to more and better medical resources.
http://www.american.com/archive/2008/december-12-08/the-trouble-with-canadian-healthcare
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