Health economist, interrupted
The statistics are staggering. According to one study, the average office worker is interrupted every 11 minutes and takes 25 minutes to return to the original task. Another estimate is…
Is it time for NICE to revise its threshold?
By Mary Gabb (mary.gabb@rxcomms.com) “There just isn’t, and never will be, enough money to provide every possible service” – a reminder to participants of the NICE Citizens Council (November 27–29,…
2009 brings a move toward ending pharma freebies
By Mary Gabb (mary.gabb@rxcomms.com) January 1, 2009 – typically a day of new beginnings – marked the beginning of the end of SWAG (stuff we all get, or freebies) for…
Medical tourism: way of the future or flight of fancy?
By David Woods (hmi3000@comcast.net) The European Union is moving to strengthen rights of EU patients to seek care in countries other than their own, while the UK government has stated…
Is it time for a government-run national health system in the US?
By David Woods (hmi3000@comcast.net) With healthcare in the US consuming about 16% of GNP, or around 2 trillion dollars a year, and still leaving an estimated 47 million people uninsured,…
Tough choices about expensive drugs
By Mary Gabb (mary.gabb@rxcomms.com) The UK ‘s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has recently ruled that four drugs used to treat advanced kidney cancer are not effective…
“Moving and Improving Concepts and Evidence for Healthcare Decisions” – the latest ISPOR congress
By Ruth Whittington (ruth.whittington@rxcomms.com) Rx Communications has just returned triumphant from the 11th annual European Congress of ISPOR. ISPOR is a great place to meet old friends, find new ones,…
Access to medicines: Ranking the social responsibility of pharmaceutical companies
By Julie Stauffer (julie.stauffer@rxcomms.com) Pharmaceutical companies produce hundreds of life-saving drugs every year. Yet each year, millions of people in developing countries die from preventable and treatable illnesses – diseases…
American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Annual Conference 2008
By Robert Hand (robert.hand@rxcomms.com) Under the title “Setting the Pace,” the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) held its 68th Annual Conference on October 23–25 in horse country, Louisville , Kentucky…
Drug makers gift disclosures: the ethics issue
By David Woods (david.woods@rxcomms.com) Drug company Eli Lilly has said that it will start disclosing the amounts of money over $500 that it pays to physicians – and other firms…