In popular culture the notion of an undesirable employment situation having a negative impact on one’s health is common. We have all heard friends and colleagues say, “that job is going to kill me” or “my boss is driving me crazy.” People the world over spend so much time at work that work is often highly associated with self-identity. Research is increasingly finding our popular notions are indeed true. A bad job can kill you, make you feel depressed and sometimes physically ill.
Author: Devon Herrick
Nature: Many Clinical Trials Fake Data
Did that drug you just took flunk its clinical trial? How about the course of treatment your doctor just recommended? Of course, you don’t know that because you have faith in the regulatory bodies, academic journals and researchers to be both competent and honest. And, of course, you know nothing of the perverse incentives to…
Diagnostic Errors Result in 800,000 Deaths or Disabilities per Year
Our health care system is inefficient with physicians’ time. One study found doctors spend about 17% of their time on administrative tasks. A systematic review of 23 specialties found physicians spend from 9 to 19 hours a week on administration. Overall, physicians spend 15.5 hours per week on paperwork and administration, according to the report. Of that,…
Regulations and Patent Gaming Undermines Drug Maker Competition, Delays New Products
Yesterday John Goodman posted a link about pharmaceutical companies gaming the patent system. The following is an excerpt from the American Institute for Economic Research:
Senator Bernie Sanders isn’t right about much, but he is about one thing: The United States pays too much for prescription drugs.
… [t]here are also many bad US government policies putting upward pressure on domestic drug prices.
The fundamental issue is that there is no free market in the drug industry. It’s been steadily eroded by regulators and lawmakers, often at the behest and to the benefit of drug manufacturers, resulting in their ability to charge prices well over what a competitive market would allow.
Much of the blame for a lack of market competition can also be attributed to a U.S. patent system that is too easily gamed and exploited by drug companies.