Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 02-28-2005

 Good morning !

 Conventional Wisdom

Taking some time away from the routine of our normal work lives has a way of reinvigorating. Be it a professional convention or corporate retreat, these activities make us stop and reflect on how we have done things in the past and can point us in a better direction. I just came back from 4 days with about 470 of my “close” business associates. We spent the time at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando. Before you get too envious, most of the time we were in a convention center or hotel room or other indoor corporate function. We spent some time on how things have been but much more on how things can be. Not all the answers were given but we were encouraged to explore new ways. The “hired hands” (in the form of consultants) facilitated sessions in which we could explore several new paradigms. (There… I used the word “paradigm” once this year and now have to wait until 2006 to use it again). One concept I particularly liked had to do with the amount of information I should bring to people at different levels within different corporations. For the Executive level (where the decisions are made) I should bring LESS data and more distilled information. The decision makers want to know WIIFM (what’s in it for me) and not the details of how certain programs work. They assume that you have all of the details worked out or you wouldn’t be making the offering. Hence, the EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.

The people at the implementation level will need to know the details and the ins and out of day to day operations. This level of detail will take a lot more time (and paper) to flesh out.

This simple concept, although intuitive, will remind me to bring the proper message to the proper functional areas, internally and externally, if I want to change behavior. The time invested in the off campus event was well spent and should provide rewards. I’ll be able to stand up and present the appropriate information in the right format as soon as the “Rock and Roll Roller Coaster” whiplash heals.  (Yeah… we did have some fun!)

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ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Magical"  --- Paul who presented at the conference

1) How many of you would like auto prices to be capped?

The linked poll finds that many “Americans” want drug price controls.

Polling is subjective at best. So much depends on the questions as formulated and results may thus be manipulated. Most people will answer the questions based on how they expect the results would immediately affect them. Long-term effects have to be considered by legislators (hopefully they think beyond the next election and don’t fall into populist thinking.) At least SOMEONE is being honest enough to speak about price controls directly and not hide behind the Canadian price controls. I don’t agree with the controls but at least they can be discussed. One more question…. Should there be WAGE CONTROLS too?  (You may not be able to have one without the other)

 http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=594&u=/nm/20050224/hl_nm/health_drugs_dc&printer=1

2) “A drug by any other name” might actually be taken by the intended patients.

Glaxo’s brilliant move is to make the low cost, humanitarian versions of its anti-AIDS drugs look different. Maybe the drugs intended for Africa can be used in AFRICA instead of ending up in Europe via the black market. (what a concept!) This is akin to the old practice of printing SAMPLE on capsules intended for free use.

http://yahoo.reuters.com/financeQuoteCompanyNewsArticle.jhtml?duid=mtfh05419_2005-02-21_11-50-42_l21482811_newsml

 3) What does the Pope think of the new religion called “Health”?

Faced with all of the health problems that he has endured you might expect a different approach… I didn’t.

http://www.pharmacyonesource.com/members/work/daily_news/article.asp?category_id=30&record_id=141636

 4) Kids may not skip any meals but here is something they do skip….

Yes… you guessed it… their medications. Specifically asthma medications. We know that if these drugs are taken regularly, these kids will have fewer exacerbations, ER visits, and lower health care costs. We can try to teach the kids all we want but the parents need to be THE ENFORCERS.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=594&ncid=594&e=14&u=/nm/20050221/hl_nm/asthma_kids_dc

 5) The Marlboro Man isn’t saying anything but…

Global smoking pact effective 2-27-2005. World Health Organization (WHO) claims that the world's first international public health treaty could save millions of lives through strong warnings on cigarettes and through bans on tobacco sponsorship and advertising. (by the way… the man who played the Marlboro Man is now dead… of lung cancer http://www.theexaminer.org/volume7/number5/dead.htm ).

 http://www.reutershealth.com/en/index.html

 6) Generics with a CAPITAL “G”

Swiss company, Novartis, will now be the largest generic manufacturer in the world after acquisition of EON of the States and Hexal of Germany. This just could add credibility to generics as something other than the “scum at the bottom of the barrel” (as my Aunt used to call them.) Generic have become more acceptable as the differences in price compared to brand drugs grow and the FDA certifies bioequivalence. (http://www.fda.gov/cder/about/whatwedo/testtube-17.pdf )

 Article on acquisition - http://money.cnn.com/2005/02/21/news/international/novartis.reut/index.htm

 7) Law against stupidity?

FDA faces an idiotic suit that would force them to regulate table salt! Because of the health hazards of too much salt the complaining parties want sodium chloride regulated. If you think that caffeine, nicotine, or cocaine are habit-forming……. try a week on a low salt diet.  Don’t expect this to get too far in the legal system.

 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=534&ncid=534&e=6&u=/ap/20050224/ap_on_re_us/fda_salt

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