A recent Duke University study identifies the cause of drug shortages and proposes potential solutions. Free markets, which limit profits from generic medications, weaken the supply pipeline. Adjustment in those incentives through regulation can boost …
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Following our Duty of Care
(Download a PDF Copy of this Document) The principle of “Duty of Care” is a pivotal framework that governs the conduct and responsibilities of healthcare providers. This obligation extends beyond ethics, constituting a legal mandate …
Continue readingFor Want of a Nail…
The old proverb “For Want of a Nail,” having numerous variations over several centuries, reminds us that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences. Two inexpensive cancer drugs, costing under $25 …
Continue readingDefinition of Health Insurance: Confusion, Obfuscation, Bewilderment
The 2023 Kaiser Family Foundation Survey of Consumer Experiences with Health Insurance revealed a mixed report on patient views on their health insurance. The survey polled persons covered by employer-sponsored plans (ESI), Medicare, Medicaid, and …
Continue readingDeadly Medication Shortages: Time for a Fix
(Download a PDF of this article) The United States is currently grappling with a critical issue that threatens the health and well-being of its citizens: a shortage of essential medications. This crisis has been escalating …
Continue readingLook to the EU for Generic Versions of Expensive Brand Name Drugs
U.S. Patent protection for drugs lasts 20 years, although most pharmaceutical companies only get the medication to market after as much as half of that time has already elapsed. This exclusive period to sell the …
Continue readingMedications Are a National Security Issue
Over the past several years, patients experienced medication shortages that included cancer drugs, antibiotics for sepsis, and, most recently, over-the-counter pediatric analgesics. Worried parents with children suffering from RSV or the flu are purchasing $4 …
Continue readingHealthcare’s Groundhog Day
We all know about Groundhog Day, February 2, when Punxsutawney Phil emerges from hibernation and predicts whether we will have six more weeks of winter. But there is a second Groundhog Day, which is January …
Continue readingCrazy U.S. Healthcare: How Did We Get Here?
According to the Commonwealth Fund the U.S. has the lowest life expectancy among the ten highest income OECD countries. We have the highest chronic disease burden and our obesity rates are twice the average of …
Continue readingCOVID-19: Lessons from Smallpox
Although achieving herd immunity is critical to ending the pandemic, it makes sense to look at this task regionally, rather than by country or state.
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