July 12, Andrew Mulcahy
A massive lawsuit filed in May by 44 states accuses 20 major drug makers of colluding for years to inflate prices on more than 100 generic drugs, including those to treat H.I.V., cancer and depression. If true, the alleged behavior is not just a violation of antitrust law, but also a betrayal of the government policies that created and defended the entire generic drug industry.
July 11, William Bestermann
Twenty-one years of follow-up comparing usual care with a protocol-driven team-based intervention in diabetes proved that healthy life in humans can be prolonged by 8 years—at a lower per patient per year cost. Researchers have been confident that we will soon be able to prolong a healthy life. This landmark study shows that the ambitious goal can be achieved now with lifestyle intervention and a few highly effective proven medications.
July 16, Hans Duvefelt
A woman complaining of chest pain and her husband refused to leave the hospital after being seen by a doctor. But in this age of school, workplace, and church shootings, we are always reminded not to bring people inside the “secure” areas of our clinics who don’t have an appointment or a true medical emergency. Dr. Duvefelt wishes the world wasn’t the way it has become in just a few years, with more concern for bolted doors, gun violence, and mass shootings than simple customer relations.