State of the Union
The speech raised a number of healthcare issues, but offered no new programs or policy insights.
For a time-line summary you can check CNBC. Nothing better than the Washington Post for checking the facts (many important statements were stretches or false ).
Three issues are particularly noteworthy.
The President’s attack on Medicare for All garnered applause from some moderate Democrats.
Some House members chanted “HR-3” when Trump said he would sign a drug price control bill. HR-3 was the House Bill to address that issue; it has been held up in the Senate.
The President said he will protect health insurance for pre-existing conditions. However, as noted by most news media, the Republicans have favored complete ACA repeal (which includes such protections) as well as sponsored “skinny” insurance plans which give insurers the right to refuse people with prior illness.
About pharma
Google's dropping third-party cookies. Will pharma marketers need to adapt?:”Google says it will phase out third-party cookie support within two years…
The pharma industry, which has to work within strict privacy and regulatory boundaries, may be better positioned than others. Pharma marketers already use plenty of non-cookie tactics…
Some of those already-in-use pharma strategies include geotargeting, contextual advertising on specific websites, reaching consumers through keyword buys and the use of newer media channels, such as connected TV, that don't use cookies.”
41 brand-name drugs slated to lose patent exclusivity this year: Among the drugs are Enbrel and Byetta. Since some of these listed medicines are biologicals , it may take a while before generics are available.
Physician and Patient Adjustment to Reference Pricing for Drugs: “Under reference pricing, the employer’s or insurer’s payment is limited to the price of the least costly product in each therapeutic class.” “Reference pricing may shift the mix of drugs dispensed from those offering the highest rebates to the pharmacy benefit manager to those offering the lowest prices to the employer and employee…In this study, reference pricing was associated with a combination of lower prices paid by employers and lower cost sharing by employees but with a time lag in prescribing habits by physicians.”
About the public’s health
WHO says Wuhan coronavirus outbreak is not yet a pandemic: Update on the corona virus.
U.S. expands use of coronavirus diagnostic test: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday granted emergency use approval for state public health laboratories to start testing for the new flu-like coronavirus from China using kits developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)…Previously, states had to send samples to the CDC for testing. “
Non-Infection-Related And Non-Visit-Based Antibiotic Prescribing Is Common Among Medicaid Patients: “We measured the frequency with which all filled antibiotic prescriptions were associated with infections and in-person visits for Medicaid patients in the period 2004–13. We found that among 298 million antibiotic fills (62 percent for children) for 53 million patients, 55 percent were for clinician visits with an infection-related diagnosis, 17 percent were for clinician visits without an infection-related diagnosis, and 28 percent were not associated with a visit… Large fractions of antibiotic prescriptions are filled without evidence of infection-related diagnoses or accompanying clinician visits. Current ambulatory antibiotic stewardship policies miss about half of antibiotic prescribing.”
Overprescribing of Opioids to Adults by Dentists in the U.S., 2011–2015: ”Twenty-nine percent of prescribed opioids exceeded the recommended morphine equivalents for appropriate management of acute pain. Approximately half (53%) exceeded the recommended days’ supply. Patients aged 18–34 years, men, patients residing in the Southern U.S., and those receiving oxycodone were most likely to have opioids prescribed inappropriately. The proportion of opioids that exceed the recommended morphine equivalents increased over the study period, whereas opioids exceeding the recommended days’ supply remained unchanged.” Dentists are a clear target for educational programs about using opioid alternatives.
About emerging technology
Fungi That 'Eat' Radiation Are Growing on the Walls of Chernobyl's Ruined Nuclear Reactor:The fungi use the radiation as an energy source. If the chemistry can be better defined, the technology can be used to reduce contamination. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory is also looking at the possible implications to reduce the effects of increased ambient radiation for astronauts.
Step aside CRISPR, RNA editing is taking off: CRISPER editing technology has garnered the majority of attention in genetic manipulation therapies. But problems with this process have caused investigators to look at some previous technology- editing RNA in order to influence protein synthesis. This article is a really good summary of this method.
About healthcare quality
The nation's top 22 patient-recommended hospitals: The list was gathered from the latest HCAHPS scores. These hospitals scored at least 93 percent to the choice: "Yes, I would definitely recommend the hospital."