Highlights of the important and the interesting from the world of healthcare:
Medical tourism–where to go: About 800,000 Americans per year are medical tourists–that is they leave the cozy confines of the good ol’ US of A to seek medical treatment in cheaper locales. But where’s the intrepid medical tourist to go, and for what procedures? BankRate.com steps in to fill the void with a guide, suggesting that Costa Rica and Brazil are the destinations for a hip replacement that could save you $7,500. Looking for an angioplasty or mitral valve replacement? Head to Singapore, Thailand or South Korea and save $6,000 to $25,000.
Will the Pope take on private equity? In an open letter, a Boston religious group is asking the Pope to block the sale of Catholic hospital chain Caritas Christi Health Care to Cerberus Capital Management. And they’re asking from the Chair of Peter, so you know it’s serious. “Prayerfully and with loyalty to the teachings of our Messiah, we ask you from the Chair of Peter to call for the cessation of all negotiations with Cerberus, and to renew our diligent commitment to retain the essence of what we, as laity, have obtained from the true meaning of Caritas Christi.”
Withheld clinical trial data: Results from fully one third of the clinical trials of five classes of drugs never see the light of day, according to a recent study.
OT for sales reps: Do pharmaceutica sales reps deserve to get paid overtime? The Department of Labor thinks so.
Mandatory calisthenics in China: The Chinese government has reinstated a twice-daily mandatory calisthenics program for state-company employees. The program began in 1951, but was phased out three years ago in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.
Big layoffs at CareFusion: A year after being spun-off from Cardinal Health, San Diego’s CareFusion announced plans to lay off 700 workers. The company’s fourth-quarter revenues were up, but profits fell.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Photo from flickr user dno1967
