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Editorial: Independence Day
I remember celebrating July 4th, or Independence Day, as a child by popping firecrackers, etc., but it wasn’t until I was in school that I learned what it was all about; and it goes something like this.
In the U.S., Independence Day is a federal holiday where we remember and celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain.
It was a rebellious and costly act but one that was necessary for the young nation to remove itself from dependence upon and foreign control by Great Britain.
Great Britain controlled some of the countries of the world and the U.S. was a country they also hoped to control and to obtain its riches, taxes, etc.
However, the citizens were not going to idly stand by and be taxed by a government for which they basically received nothing in return.
By signing the Declaration of Independence, these men were risking everything they had, including their lives.
Their desire was to build a nation of free men with no “outside control or influence by a foreign government” and with “minimal intrusion by a national or federal government.”
Their goals were to have more localized “state” governments to do what was necessary for a civil society.
Today, Independence Day is celebrated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, worship services, memorial services, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the U.S. Decorations (e.g., streamers, balloons, clothing) are generally colored red, white, and blue, the colors of the American flag.
Parades often are in the morning, while fireworks displays occur in the evening at such places as parks, fairgrounds, or town squares.
A salute of one gun for each state in the U.S., called a “salute to the union,” is fired on Independence Day at noon by any capable military base.
We honor all who have served and are currently serving to help maintain our free nation.
Loyd V. Allen, Jr., PhD, RPh
Editor-in-Chief
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Who Owns a Patent from Federally Funded Research?
To help answer the question of who owns patents that are generated by federally funded research, the U.S. Supreme Court has asked the U.S. Solicitor General to offer an opinion.
Stanford University is pitted against Roche over HIV test kits. Roche is fighting Stanford, which sued Roche in 2005 for patent infringement over technology to detect HIV levels in blood using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology.
A federal appeals court ruled in late 2009 that Stanford lacked standing to sue Roche for patent infringement.
Roche states it is a co-owner of the patent since one of the original researchers had transferred his patent rights to Cetus; Roche later purchased Cetus.
Roche argues the Bayh-Dole Act does not negate a co-inventor’s right to assign his shared interests in an invention and that Stanford has never produced the actual funding agreement with the federal government that allegedly bears upon the inventions at issue in this case.
Stanford has asked the court to decide whether a university’s patent rights can be terminated unilaterally by an individual inventor through a separate agreement purporting to assign the inventor’s rights to a third party.
Pharmalot.com: Patent Ownership And Federally Funded Research
Bill Introduced for Pharmacists to Help Patients Manage Their Meds
A new bill where Medicare and Medicaid patients with chronic conditions will be able to review their medications in one-on-one sessions with pharmacists has been introduced.
The Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Expanded Benefits Act would also reimburse pharmacists to follow up and educate patients about their medication regimen.
Currently, about 13 percent of seniors in the Medicare prescription drug program with multiple chronic illnesses are eligible to participate in MTM programs.
This new bill would allow seniors with only one chronic illness to participate in the program at pharmacies, hospitals, and other entities that distribute pharmaceutical drugs and provide MTM services.
By encouraging local MTM services, the bill is hoped to improve public health and reduce healthcare costs by helping patients to take their medications appropriately and avoid complications with their drug therapies.
TheHill.com: Hagan introduces bill to help patients manage their meds
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