ppp 01-29-07

Quote of the day: Conceal a flaw, and the world will imagine the worst.

Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor

Most resumes contain at least one exaggeration or half truth. Were you really "in charge of a multi-million dollar project" or just one of many who worked on the project? Is your "5 year plan" really to be only one step up from where you are now? Have you covered any "mysterious gaps in employment" by stretching dates of employment?

Employers are getting more wary of candidate claims and are employing outside help to do background checks. A friend of mine had passed several first interviews with flying colors but no offers were received. She eventually received a copy of her background check to find that one employer had mistakenly reported her dates of service by one year. Her account of employment on her resume did not match the former employer's so the new company assumed that she had misrepresented herself. When she found out what had happened she contacted both the old employer and her potential new employer to straighten things out. She was offered a position at the new employer but one above that for which she had applied. The new company was an insurance company and saw value in the persistence and determination displayed in righting a wrong.

Breaking trust just once is enough to ruin your reputation for a long while… no one will know if and when you will break their trust in you again. Same thing goes for pharmaceutical companies. Break trust once and pay the price in the court of public opinion, the courtroom, and maybe even spend time in a cell. Do the right thing even when under pressure to "bend" any rules and you will be rewarded for your integrity. It may not happen all at once but the trust you build will be something to take to the bank.

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Cold!" ... a Texan, not Minnesotan, during the recent cold snap... in Texas.

pps. The thread that binds the items are the first 7 ammendments (Bill of Rights).

ppps. Occasionally, some of the links require FREE registration.... I'm sure you can handle THAT slight inconvenience.

Pfizer's lawyers argue that dissemination of peer-reviewed article of off-label use are ok… no matter how the FDA sees it. If this argument is accepted then journals will see even MORE pressure to publish off-label drug studies. The best journals, like JMCP*, will hold to the highest standards… will other journals be tempted by the big bucks???

FDA advisors vote in favor of a children's vaccine already approved in Canada and across the pond. Pentacel, for the five diseases that it vaccinates against, could see approval soon (first link) although FDA questioned the efficacy data (second link).

The 3rd Amendment says that citizens are not required to quarter soldier. Appears that Uncle Sam will have $265 billion more (over 10 years) after seeing the lower cost projections for the Medicare Part D benefit.

Potential exists for an implantable electronic device to deliver electrical impulse to the brain when the first signs of a seizure are detected in order to stop it from spreading to the whole brain. Years from approval but "Scotty" would be intrigued.

Abuse resistant OxyContin? Remoxy would be a gel cap form that can not be crushed and snorted. If approved, I'm sure that addicts will find SOME way to abuse it and wind up hearing the Miranda warning. Note: OxyCOntin's patent was upheld so generics were taken off the market as of 1/1/07.

Pristiq, a new antidepressant, may receive FDA approval if Wyeth cleans up problems at its manufacturing site. The new drug, desvenlafaxine succinate, caused nausea in about half of test subjects during the trial so I hope its effects are worth the side effects. If the drug name sounds familiar it is because it is a congener of venlafaxime, Effexor.

Sale of data on drug prescriber patterns is at issue in New Hampshire. Drug companies have had access to data on high prescribers of their drugs even though no patient data is ever disclosed. If they are unsuccessful in overturning the law then they will just have to guess… (ie not target certain physicians for promotion but "target" them ALL).

* Disclaimer: Dr Pepin is on the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy.

Disclaimer: "Pepin's Pharmaceutical Prattle" (AKA "The Prattle") is the property of PHARMWORKS, LLC and Steven M. Pepin, Pharm. D, BCPS. The opinions expressed are those of the bald-headed author. To start or stop any drug without the advice and supervision of your physician would be stupid. So don't do anything based upon what you read here without professional advice. To be added to or removed from the distribution list please e-mail your request to spepin@pharmworks.com . All insightful comments from readers are thoughtfully considered (the rest are callously discarded). Copyright 1998-2007 PHARMWORKS, LLC all rights reserved.

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