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A new report released by the Washington-based National Institute for Health Care Management reveals that spending on retail outpatient prescription drugs rose 18.8% from 1999 to 2000, from $111.1 billion to $131.9 billion. The report attributes the bulk of this growth to "increased expenditures among a relatively small number of drugs and therapeutic categories of drugs." The report also noted an increase in the number of prescriptions overall and a shift toward the use of costlier drugs.

The Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act is working just as Congress intended for the benefit of patients, according to Tim Franson of Indianapolis-based Lilly Research Laboratories, who testified in front of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health on behalf of the Washington-based Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Information consumers find on Web sites is generally accurate, but usually incomplete and hard for many readers to understand, according to a report featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association (vol. 285, no. 20).

Study authors Asbjorn Hrobjartsson and Peter C. Gotzsche looked at 114 clinical trials - covering 7,500 patients with 40 different clinical conditions - in which patients were randomly assigned to placebo or no treatment. For the purposes of the study, the placebo could be "pharmacologic (e.g., a tablet), physical (e.g., a manipulation) or psychological (e.g., a conversation)." The authors found that "as compared with no treatment, placebo had no significant effect on binary outcomes, regardless of whether these outcomes were subjective or objective."

A recent survey commissioned by Atlanta-based Consortium Health Plans, which comprises 14 member Blue Cross Blue Shield plans operating in 26 states and the District of Columbia, found that health benefits play an increasingly important role in Americans' employment choices and job retention. Furthermore, for the first time, almost two-thirds of employees surveyed said they were willing to pay extra for key services, including continued access to prescription drugs. Employees are deeply committed to passage of The Patients' Bill of Rights, to the point of being willing to pay extra for it. Employees indicated that government involvement in healthcare reform is very important; however, they are split on whether the new administration will be successful in bringing about reform.

When presented with a list of products and services and asked what they would most like to find in the pharmacy of the future, 30% of respondents chose an on-site nurse practitioner, according to the AmeriSource Index, a survey of 1,034 consumers nationwide released by AmeriSource Health Corp., Valley Forge, PA. When asked what their second choice was, nutrition counseling and a nurse practitioner tied at 15%. A specialist on different diseases came in next at 14%. Other top contenders for second place were kiosks with medical or diagnostic information, at 12%, and weight loss counseling, at 8%.

The National Cholesterol Education Program has issued new clinical practice guidelines on the prevention and management of high cholesterol in adults. The guidelines are the first major update from the NCEP in nearly a decade.

Sens. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and John McCain (R-AZ) have introduced the Greater Access to Affordable Pharmaceuticals Act, bipartisan legislation to improve access to generic drugs.

Kerri Botsonis likes to help people, and she likes to stay busy. Since joining Milwaukee, WI-based Schwarz Pharma Inc.'s sales team two and a half years ago, she has been national Rep of the Year twice. Before that, she worked to put herself through school, then spent five years as a stay-at-home mom. During that time, in addition to caring for her family, she was involved with the Bridge – Children's Advocacy Center, which provides services for abused children, the March of Dimes, the American Diabetes Association Amarillo Chapter and the PTA, among others. Said Botsonis, "You always try to help, but there's only so much financial assistance you can give. So volunteering your time is a way to give back to the community and say thank you."

Three steps to career success.

Information consumers find on Web sites is generally accurate, but usually incomplete and hard for many readers to understand, according to a report featured in the Journal of the American Medical Association (vol. 285, no. 20).

Whether you are a new or tenured pharmaceutical sales representative, missing-in-action doctors can put a cork in your flow of cash, bonuses and commission.

Aside from helping the prospects and customers succeed at what they do or want to do, salespeople are most interested in one specific behavior change: compliance to a request. In generating a positive response, six basic tendencies of human behavior take the stage: reciprocation, consistency, social validation, liking, authority and scarcity. The more of the six following persuasion influencers a salesperson uses in his or her presentation and selling approach, the greater his or her chances of closing the sale:

New drugs, the increasing use of drug therapies and the emergence of consumer healthcare education have profoundly affected healthcare delivery, according to "Managed Care Trends 2000," a 15-year study of healthcare industry benchmarks sponsored by Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Bridgewater, NJ.

The Nonprescription Drugs and Pulmonary and Allergy Drugs Advisory Committees of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have voted that the agency switch the allergy drugs Claritin® (loratadine), Allegra® (fexofenadine HCl) and Zyrtec® (cetirizine HCl) from prescription to over-the-counter status. The panel convened in response to a petition filed by Blue Cross of California, a subsidiary of Thousand Oaks, CA-based WellPoint Health Networks, requesting the switch.

Making the most of less than two minutes.

The art of reception.

A new study published in the journal Health Affairs (vol. 20, no. 3) warns that the nursing profession seriously lags when it comes to reflecting some racial and ethnic populations. A University of California review of registered nursing trends shows that gaps in educational attainment account for much of the nursing profession's lack of diversity, gaps that need to be addressed. The authors examined nursing and general educational attainment in California and reviewed 1996 demographic data from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses, evaluated the educational level attained by Californians according to racial and ethnic group, and examined degrees awarded to college students in the state.

FDA district offices may conduct site investigations to establish baseline information for sampling programs and tracking systems.

Driven by the quest for innovation, the intensity of competition, and the pressure to create megabrands and megamergers, pharmaceutical executives are exploring an influential force still untapped by most marketing and communication departments-the power of emotion.

MMRF is run more like a Fortune 500 company than a foundation. It is defined by a mission, short- and long-term goals, a business plan for growth, a board of directors, and a scientific advisory board. The mix works. Under Giusti's stewardship, MMRF has exceeded fundraising expectations while remaining a model of efficiency-less than 5 percent of capital raised has been spent on administrative costs.

Cancer makes neurology seem almost simple by comparison. Cancers come in a nearly infinite variety. Yet their mechanisms, scientists now surmise, may reside in the same place-deep inside the cell. DNA, genes, and cellular proteins play key roles in both disease areas.

Hosbjor, Norway-Away from the media glare in South Africa, a three-day workshop sponsored by the World Health and World Trade organizations sought to improve access to life-saving medicines in developing countries. Also backed by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and the Global Health Council, the workshop brought together 80 experts from 23 countries and highlighted the use of differential pricing as a means of improving access.

Driven by the quest for innovation, the intensity of competition, and the pressure to create megabrands and megamergers, pharmaceutical executives are exploring an influential force still untapped by most marketing and communication departments-the power of emotion.

Washington, DC-An FDA advisory committee voted overwhelmingly to recommend that Claritin (loratadine), Allegra (fexofenadine), and Zyrtec (cetirizine) be changed from prescription to over-the-counter products. Although the vote is not binding, FDA usually follows such panels’ recommendations.

The founder of five biotech companies rarely pauses, even to rest. "I can do a lot of work when the rest of my family is sleeping," he reports. "Early in the morning or late at night, there are no phones, so I needn't divert my attention." His affable tone seems contrary to the relentless drive needed to support a lifelong pursuit of excellence, but his achievements speak for themselves.

Berlin, Germany-Putting the US market at the heart of its bid to maintain double-digit growth, last month Schering began to relocate its therapeutics headquarters to an existing facility in Montville, New Jersey.

Buckinghamshire, UK-The pharma industry may be countercyclical, but it’s not immune to market trends. Nycomed Amersham recently postponed a partial US stock flotation of its life sciences company, ABBiotech, because of market weakness.