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Editorial: Medication Use in the United States in 2011

A number of interesting trends were published in 2012 by the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics in its report for 2011. We will also provide information for 2012 when it is published this year (2013).

An Executive Summary has the following statements:

• Overall per capita utilization of medicines declined in 2011, as patient office visits and non-emergency room hospital admissions dropped, and older Americans reduced their retail drug use.
• Young people, aged 19-25, increased their use of prescription drugs as many were able, for the first time, to remain on their parents' health insurance, while seniors, aged 65 and over, reduced their volume of prescriptions.
• The average copay for about 75% of all prescriptions covered by commercial insurance plans was $10 or less, but as much as $40 on average for branded drugs.
• Total healthcare system spending on medicines reached $320Bn in 2011, increasing on a real per capita basis by 0.5%.
• Declining use of branded drugs and greater availability of lower-cost generic products offset price increases and higher spending on new innovative medicines.
• With generics currently representing 80% of dispensed prescriptions, spending in this segment grew by $5.6 Bn in 2011.
• Nearly one-third of total spending was concentrated in five therapy areas�.These included medicines for cancer, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and mental health medicines for psychoses or bipolar disorders.

FDA Inspecting a Second Massachusetts Pharmacy
The FDA is inspecting another Massachusetts pharmacy similar to New England Compounding Center (which is blamed for the national fungal meningitis outbreak that has sickened more than 660 people and killed 40). Inspectors from the FDA recently joined state officials in their ongoing surprise inspections of compounders to inspect one pharmacy because the regulators determined the company's actions fell under federal jurisdiction, Dr. Madeleine Biondolillo, director of the state's Bureau of Health Care Safety and Quality, said in an interview.

Biondolillo did not name the pharmacy or discuss the precise reason the FDA stepped in. She said that the FDA has authority over certain things and if they feel this registrant is performing business practices in their domain, that's their call. She also said that the surprise inspections of sterile compounding pharmacies, ordered in October by Governor Deval Patrick, are nearly complete.

She reported that 38 pharmacies in Massachusetts have identified themselves as doing sterile compounding. At least four of the sterile compounding companies have been issued cease and desist orders, including one that was temporarily closed.
http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/2013/01/08/fda-quietly-steps-inspect-second-massachusetts-pharmacy/hcT1UMfm8mpY6SNEbJTkpO/story.html

Massachusetts to Implement Stricter Control Over Compounding Pharmacies
New laws to strengthen state control of compounding pharmacies were proposed in hopes of preventing another public health disaster like the current outbreak of meningitis caused by a contaminated drug made in Massachusetts. The laws will be among the strongest in the country, reported a law professor at Boston University and a member of the expert panel that advised the state on how to curb abuses by companies like the New England Compounding Center. The legislation includes the establishment of strict licensing requirements for compounding sterile drugs; letting the state assess fines against pharmacies that break its rules; protecting whistle-blowers who work in compounding pharmacies; and reorganizing the state pharmacy board to include more members who are independent of the industry and fewer who are part of it. One of the most important parts of the new legislation is the requirement of a license for sterile compounding.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/05/us/massachusetts-plans-stricter-control-of-compounding-pharmacies.html?_r=1&

Former Internet Pharmacist Sentenced in Fake Drug Case
A Canadian Internet pharmacy pioneer, Andrew Strempler, 38 years old, was sentenced in U.S. federal court in Miami to four years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud in connection with the sale of foreign and counterfeit medicines to U.S. customers. His companies sold cheaper, foreign drugs from price-controlled markets such as Canada and the U.K. through websites such as RxNorth.com. However, a crackdown by drug makers forced him and other pharmacists to look for supplies further afield. Eventually, he obtained drugs that turned out to be counterfeit and shipped them to online customers in the U.S.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324442304578232133556180830.html?_nocache=1357851581049&user=welcome&mg=id-wsj

China Again Cutting Prices; More than 400 Drugs Affected
China will be cutting prices of about 400 drugs for respiratory diseases, fever, and pain by up to 20% in February in a move to make medicines, including some products from Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, and Novartis, more affordable. This is the fourth price cut since 2011. Health Minister Chen Zhu told a health conference that health care was still too expensive and there was still inadequate control over the improper use of drugs. China has an ageing population and is overhauling its health system. It provides a basic universal medical insurance system and heavily subsidizes a growing list of essential drugs.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/08/us-china-health-drugs-idUKBRE90708E20130108?rpc=401&feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNewsMolt&rpc=401

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�that it's interesting that we are guaranteeing health care for everyone when we cannot even handle the current flu epidemic we are experiencing? Just an observation�!

Share with your politicians!

• Common sense is the ability to detect values.
• Good health and good sense are two of life's greatest blessings.
• Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done.
• Common-sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
• In Burma, a lady was having some wiring installed by a native electrician. Again and again he would come to her for instructions and finally, in exasperation she said: "You know what I want done. Why don't you use your common sense and do it?" He bowed and said, "Madam, common sense is a rare gift of God. I have only a technical education."

Prickly pears
Are picked for pickles,
No peach picks
A face that prickles!
      Burma Shave