Websites
April7
The key websites related to my beat:
• http://scienceblogs.com/drugmonkey/
• http://www.news-medical.net/default.asp
• http://www.forbes.com/healthcare/
• http://www.pharmaceutical-business-review.com/home.asp
• http://www.topix.com/business/pharmaceuticals
• http://www.in-pharmatechnologist.com/
• http://www.drugs.com/news.html
• http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/pharma_industry/
• http://www.biospace.com/news.aspx
• http://www.bizjournals.com/industries/industries/health_care/pharmaceuticals/
• http://www.nih.gov/
• http://www.fda.gov/
• http://www.pfizer.com/home/
• http://www.novartis.com/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pharmaceutical_companies
• http://www.bayer.com/en/Homepage.aspx
• http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/
• http://www.nvic.org/
• http://www.immunizationinfo.org/
Prescription Med Hot Topics
April7
There are almost too many to list, but for the purposes of my blog, I will be focusing on a few specific issues.
The Marketing and Advertising of Prescription Drugs. Seriously, what is the deal? You can’t turn on the television without being bombarded with commercial after commercial for one vague pharmaceutical after another. It’s comical at times, but a lot of people are sick and tired of the deluge and are trying to do something about it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GXb7-efd4M]
http://stopdrugads.org/learn_more.html
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/102816.php
http://www.commercialalert.org/issues/health/drug-marketing
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2008-02-29-drugs-main_N.ht
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-02-29-drugs-inside_N.htm
New Bills and Legislation. With all the hoopla over prescription drug ads and cases of adverse side effects, there are numerous public initiatives to persuade Congress to pass legislation that will create some parameters. On the flip-side, there are countless Americans who say they can’t get the prescriptions they need because our health care system is so convoluted and costly. These people are pushing for legislation that will allow them to get their medication at more affordable prices.
http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/02/where-the-bills-are-hot-topics-among-states/
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/bills/?chamber=S&keys=prescription&start=1
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-drugads11feb11,1,6259449.story
http://www.prwatch.org/node/6886
Adverse Side Effects and Abuse. The biggest problem with America’s obsession with prescription medications is the fact that scads of people are abusing them, taking them incorrectly, or both. The untimely passing of actor Heath Ledger is one of the most recent examples of what happens when a person has too many doctors prescribing too many potent medications.
http://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/76961/
http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugPages/PrescripDrugsChart.html
http://www.nida.nih.gov/ResearchReports/Prescription/Prescription.html