- Weight gain is not a new thing: Americans have been gaining weight for as far back as we have data.
- When Cuba sends doctors to other countries, it’s not charity; it’s business.
- The Heath Care Blog discovers the joys of patient power. Of course, 30 years is a long time after we first explained it all; but better late than never.
- Biologics account for 2% of US prescriptions for drugs, but 40% of total spending on prescription drugs. Here’s what drug companies do to discourage generic (biosimilar) competitors.
- Do health insurers provide fair access to drugs? Evidence that they don’t.
Category: Drug Prices & Regulations
Wednesday Links
- The human circulatory system is 60,000 miles long.
- While waiting for government price negotiations to begin, Pfizer Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. have raised prices on nearly 1,000 products so far this year.
- Matt Holt discovers that he pays more for drugs than his insurer does – just like Medicare enrollees. Too bad he didn’t do more to help stop the congressional Democrats from rescinding the Trump executive order that would have ended this practice—at least for Medicare.
- Are politicians playing doctor on marijuana, or are they just getting big brother out of the way?
- JAMA: AI can’t be included as a coauthor on published articles.
Pharmacists Should be Able to Dispense More Drugs without a Prescription
At my local Kroger grocery store there is a waiting area next to the pharmacy with a room that says Consultations. The waiting area is rarely used. There is only the occasional person whose prescription is being filled. The consultation room is generally only used for those occasions when a pharmacist administers a vaccine. It’s mostly…
Tuesday Links
- Paragon study: In 2023, the federal government is expected to spend 6.2 percent of the economy (or more than $1.6 trillion) on mandatory health programs. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that within 30 years, the federal government will annually spend at least 9 percent of the economy on those programs. And this is a conservative estimate.
- A little-noticed provision of the omnibus spending bill could give the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to ban off-label use of approved therapies, even though 1 in 5 prescriptions written are for an off-label use.
- Study: Laughter really is contagious – and that’s good. (WaPo)
- Diversity training not only doesn’t work, it may actually backfire. So why are we spending $3.4B a year on it? (NYT)
- Fourth Quarter lobbying: almost $7 million by the American Hospital Association and $6.6 million by PhRMA. As Milton Friedman said, the question is not why we get so many bad laws; the question is, why aren’t things worse?
- Amazon will sell generic drugs for as little as $5 a month. But, no Medicare or Medicaid or private insurance.
- 25 of the 37 novel drugs approved in 2022, were first approved in the US.