Electroceuticals – A new paradigm in medicine? May 15th, 2013Some of the largest pharmaceutical companies and research institutes are turning their attention to the next revolution in medicine, electroceuticals, a type of therapy that uses targeted electrical impulses to regulate the body’s organs and functions. The use of electrical impulses to treat disease is not an entirely new concept. The first implantable pacemaker was introduced in 1959. Defibrillators are routinely used to treat patients in cardiac arrest. However, the modern field of electroceuticals, also known as bioelectronics, is different in two key ways: (1) it has the potential to treat a wide range of diseases, and (2) it focuses on nanotechnologies that could be effective at the cellular level. (read more…) |
Surgeon General Koop – the maverick who never kept his beliefs “cooped” up May 6th, 2013By admin  No Smoking Here! To some, he was an icon; to others, he was an activist. Many even considered his views and positions rather outlandish during the 80’s. The truth is Charles Everett Koop, who died on February 25, 2013, was a talented pediatric surgeon determined to make people’s lives better. This may be nothing new for a physician, but what made Dr. Koop unique was his ability to influence public opinion about an array of social and health issues, such as: smoking, HIV, homosexuality and sex education. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan appointed him to the post of surgeon general and, for the next seven years, Dr. Koop, with his navy blue uniform and trademark bushy white beard, was a man on a mission – to change public attitudes and policies about major health issues. (read more…) |
Closing the Balcony – RIP Roger Ebert April 29th, 2013By Neil Hochman
Most of us recall Ebert from his movie review television show with “rival critic,” Gene Siskel. The two reviewers would comment on a movie’s strengths or weaknesses – sometimes agreeing, often arguing. But Ebert actually began his cinematic commentary in print at the Chicago Sun-Times nearly five decades ago, and it was in those pages that he began to shape how America sees the movies. (read more…) |
Costco Enters the Realm of PBM (Pharmacy Benefit Manager) April 23rd, 2013By admin  Chanelle buys her pistachios in bulk To kick start 2013, Costco made an announcement in its monthly newsletter that its new health program offers employees of small and mid-sized companies discounted prescription medicines through Costco’s in-warehouse pharmacies. Costco has reached out to its network of 64,000 independent pharmacies, and negotiated prices of certain drugs in hopes of benefiting the public while increasing its membership, as well as increasing purchases from those walking through its aisles to get to the pharmacy. With these prices in place, participants will reap significant savings of 10 to 15 percent over other drug prescription plans. Since Costco is one of the leading wholesale superstores, PBM category leaders such as CVS Caremark will likely pay close attention to Costco’s next moves, as well as how this move pans out. (read more…) |