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Editorial: Deceptive Practices

For years we have used various search engines, such as Google, on the Internet. One would reasonably think that the information obtained from these search engines would be unbiased, unconflicted, user-aligned, and reasonably trustworthy. However, in a Forbes article last week was the headline "Do No Evil? Google's Deceptive Practices Harm Consumers".

The harm inflicted upon consumers is that Google has misrepresented their "business," and this misrepresentation by Google continues. Google is an advertiser-aligned business model with serious undisclosed conflicts and biases in its search business by placing selected search results at the top and burying the rankings of some competitors. This is being investigated as an antitrust issue by the Federal Trade Commission.

One tends to rely on "brands," "branding," and "brand-names" in a self-regulated market like the Internet to protect oneself from fraud and harm; there is a consumer expectation that the best-known brands are less likely to misrepresent their business or hide serious conflicts of interest because we know that deceptive practices, fraud, and false advertising is illegal.

Another Internet icon that has been questioned is Snopes. Snopes is purportedly an independent, unbiased "checker of facts." This may be so, but their neutrality has been questioned in recent years. Despite the fact that a site continues to say they are unbiased, unconflicted, and telling the truth, it is very difficult to know for sure.

In summary, anything on the Internet should be questioned and, if it is critical, should be checked out by going to the business or person for a one-on-one discussion. As we all know, just because it is on the Internet, doesn't make it so! Unfortunately, this is also true of many of the pharmacy sites on the Internet.


Loyd V. Allen, Jr., Ph.D., R.Ph.
Editor-in-Chief

Valeant Plans on Becoming Top Company in Dermatologicals
Valeant Pharmaceuticals has plans to become the world's largest player in the skincare industry in about five years. It has started this quest with a string of mid-sized acquisitions in the highly fragmented but lucrative dermatology sector.

Valeant says it will pay $345 million to buy the skincare unit of Johnson & Johnson-owned Janssen Pharmaceuticals. This was the second such recent deal for Valeant; the other was its planned $425 million acquisition of Sanofi's Dermik skincare business. Valeant has about 5 percent of the $20 billion market and plans to continue making deals in dermatology as it looks to reach the top faster. When the recent deals close, the company will record about $1 billion in revenue from dermatology. Even though there is significant competition in the dermatology arena, Valeant will be facing smaller rivals, rather than the pharmaceutical giants.
www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/15/valeant-idUSL3E7IF25X20110715

New Senate Bill to Promote Generics in Medicaid Program
To help federal and state governments save money, a trio of U.S. Senators has introduced a bill to promote the use of generics in the Medicaid program. This effort comes as brand-name companies are working on Capitol Hill to fend off a proposal that would restore rebates for drugs taken by seniors who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare.

The Bill is called the Affordable Medicines Utilization Act of 2011 and would give states incentives to increase generic drug use by letting them keep part of the difference that the federal government receives between the cost of a generic and its brand-name counterpart. The senators make their case by citing a recent study by the American Enterprise Institute that maintained Medicaid needlessly spent approximately $329 million on brand-name drugs last year.

"Increasing choice and competition in the healthcare system is one of the best ways to drive down costs. This saves money for patients, the state, and injects more competition into the drug market which will help to lower costs overall," says Ron Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon, in a statement. The co-sponsors include Scott Brown (Massachusetts Republican), and John McCain (Arizona Republican).
www.pharmalot.com/2011/07/a-senate-bill-to-promote-generics-in-medicaid/

Tamiflu (Oseltamivir) Strength Standardized-New Concentration (6 mg/mL)
Healthcare providers should soon have only one strength of Tamiflu oseltamivir oral suspension. The company has changed the strength of Tamiflu for Oral Suspension from 12 mg/mL to 6 mg/mL, which is the same strength that results from following the new official instructions for compounding an oral suspension of oseltamivir from 75-mg capsules. In addition to a change in strength, the new version of Tamiflu for Oral Suspension has a 10-mL oral syringe marked in milliliters, not milligrams.

Genetech announced the suspension's new strength and started a return program for unused bottles of the old strength, which operates until August 31, 2011. The program accepts only product that has an expiration date in 2011 and was not bought for the Strategic National Stockpile. Genentech is offering credit for 90% of the product's wholesale acquisition cost plus $1.19 per bottle and the cost of ground shipping. Questions about the return program should be directed to a pharmacy's Genentech account manager or customer service at 800-551-2231.

The product's new labeling describes the preparation of a 6-mg/mL, not 15-mg/mL, suspension from 75-mg capsules. The formulation itself, however, has not changed.

The changes to the product label include: (1) a change in the concentration of Tamiflu from 12 mg/mL to 6 mg/mL because a lower concentration of Tamiflu is less likely to become frothy when shaken and will help ensure an accurate measurement, (2) a change in the measurements of the oral dosing device from milligrams to milliliters, (3) a change in the dosing table for Tamiflu to include a column for the volume (mL) based on the new 6-mg/mL concentration, (4) revised container labels and carton packaging, (5) revised compounding instructions for pharmacies to prepare a 6-mg/mL oral suspension from Tamiflu capsules in an emergency situation if the commercially manufactured Tamiflu for oral suspension is unavailable.
www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2011/021087s056_021246s039lbl.pdf
www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsfor
HumanMedicalProducts/ucm262432.htm

GSK to Recall Antibiotic-Containing Plasticizers in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has ordered pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline to recall Augmentin Tablets, which contained several plasticizers, including diisodecyl phthalate (DIDP), di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), and diisononyl phthalate (DINP), raising "quality concerns." The levels were considered "unlikely to cause acute harmful effects" if the antibiotics were taken according to the recommended dosage, the Department of Health said in a statement, but it said it would seek advice on possible legal actions against GSK.

GSK could not provide a satisfactory explanation on sources of the plasticizers; the drug firm said it had launched an "urgent and thorough investigation" to determine the source of the additives. Last month, Hong Kong's health watchdog ordered a recall of the antibiotic in syrup form after it discovered elevated levels of DIDP, warning that long-term consumption at high levels may have adverse effects on the liver.

China, South Korea, the Philippines, and Hong Kong have banned imports of certain food and drinks from Taiwan after some were found to contain plasticizers, which experts say can cause hormone problems in children. Taiwan prosecutors said last month they were seeking long jail terms for four people on charges of selling the banned chemicals to food makers, triggering the island's worst food scare in decades.
www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/19/idUSL3E7IJ0D020110719
www.khaleejtimes.com/displayarticle.asp?xfile=data/international/2011/July/international_July931.xml§ion=international&col=

�that even though there are some benefits, the costs of social networking may include personal and psychological effects to young people? Young people tend to be very trusting and are not aware that information provided on the Internet can be distributed throughout the world in a matter of seconds.

Discretionary Input
Be very careful what is input into a computer and especially onto the Internet. They are fantastic tools�but have ruined many people!