Healthcare - Articles

The NGP union, held in the Netherlands last week saw over 50 visionaries gathered for the Supreme Court verdict against Myriad Genetics given on March 29th. They voted against their patent claims and a storm is brewing in the biotech community. The Court ruled that the patents should have never been granted because genes are a law of nature. With the majority of industry outsiders in agreement, how will the pharmaceutical world react?
The NGP union, held in the Netherlands last week saw over 50 visionaries gathered for the Supreme Court verdict against Myriad Genetics given on March 29th. They voted against their patent claims and a storm is brewing in the biotech community. The Court ruled that the patents should have never been granted because genes are "a law of nature." With the majo…

Since the moment of the NHS’s very inception in 1948, complementary medicine has formed an accepted and often-used element of the country’s national health service. Thousands of Brits swear blind by the efficacy of homeopathic treatments and rates of patient satisfaction are often far higher at the country’s homeopathic hospitals than they are on standard NHS wards. Yet while many patients claim a strong appreciation of the benefits of homeopathy, the science tells another story.
Since the moment of the NHS’s very inception in 1948, complementary medicine has formed an accepted and often-used element of the country’s national health service. Thousands of Brits swear blind by the efficacy of homeopathic treatments and rates of patient satisfaction are often far higher at the country’s homeo…

We often use them to make decisions about what products we buy and which we keep buying…except for pharma’. Yet more than that, he makes a coherent and convincing argument for how these kinds of services could ultimately end up benefiting the pharma industry itself. Indeed while information from a single person on the internet might be far too subjective to be of use, the sophistication of the crowd is arguably much greater.
For decades GPs stood as the lonely guardians of patient opinion. Computers were still the exclusive preserve of scientists and government officials at the Pentagon and the inventors of Google were still at school. With a distinctly limited arrange of options then, the closest people got to ‘crowd sourcing’ was a ten minute chat with their next door neighbours and your…

Urgent meetings are being held by the financial leaders of American Healthcare companies in the wake of Obama’s Healthcare Reform being passed 219 – 212 in the House of Representatives.
The introduction of this policy heralds a transformation in the fabric of American society, and the way U.S citizens receive medical care has suddenly been revolutionalised in a direction which healthcare CFO’s cannot afford to ignore. Obama himself states: “[It] answers the prayers of every American who has hoped deeply for something to be done about a healthcare system that works for insurance companies, but not for ordinary people.” As miraculous as this sounds, the campaigns against the bill have been vehement, and during these unstable economic times not everyone is content with Obama’s changes. CFO…

Back in December it was all but a question of time. More or less every pundit was concerned with ‘when’ and not ‘if’ and an increasingly divided nation was finally bracing itself for the very real possibility of comprehensive healthcare reform. The debate had been more or less exhausted and the Republican strategy continued along the lines of obstructionism pure and simple.
Since then a lot has changed. In Massachusetts, Republican Scott Brown defeated the less than convincing Democratic candidate, Martha Coakley in a Senate special election, sending shockwaves through Washington and a causing near-paralysis for the process of reform. The 60-vote Democratic super-majority had been lost and with it the guarantee that any bill would once again find favour in the Senate. And while still to thi…

Research and development is the bread and butter of healthcare innovation. For decades the world’s pharmaceutical companies have treasured and protected this simple maxim, pouring billions of dollars into research and development and creating hundreds of groundbreaking new drugs in the process. Yet since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2007, big pharma has begun to ask some very difficult questions of its research commitments.
Research and development is the bread and butter of healthcare innovation. For decades the world’s pharmaceutical companies have treasured and protected this simple maxim, pouring billions of dollars into research and development and creating hundreds of groundbreaking new drugs in the process. Yet since the onset of the global financial crisis in 2007, b…

Assessing the use of Point Of Care Testing in Clinical Trials - the policies and procedures involved, the benefits Point Of Care can bring to clinical trials and the advantages over the conventional laboratory approach.
Point of Care Testing Point of care (POC) testing is diagnostic testing performed promptly and conveniently in the vicinity of the patient, avoiding the often lengthy procedure of sending samples to be processed in a central laboratory. This gives rise to the alternative names of near-patient and bedside testing. The requirement for POC testing is increasing, with the global POC testing market predicted to rise from $12.8 billion in 2008 to $17.8 billion in 2014 (Life Science Intelligence, 2009) POC testing can be implemented using disposable testing kits, such as dipsticks…

Diabetes mellitus – more commonly known as just diabetes – is a chronic metabolic condition that occurs as a result of either the pancreas’ failure to produce normal insulin levels, or as a result of the body’s inability to make use of the insulin that it does produce.
Diabetes mellitus – more commonly known as just diabetes – is a chronic metabolic condition that occurs as a result of either the pancreas’ failure to produce normal insulin levels, or as a result of the body’s inability to make use of the insulin that it does produce. The most common form of diabetes – type 2 diabetes – accounts for between 90% - 95% of all diabetes cases globally and occurs when normal insulin levels prove inadequate in provoking the necessary insulin response in the body’s fat cells. This disorder is kno…

A recent research study, which was undertaken as part of medical research charity, Kidney Research UK’s ABLE programme, investigated the impact of national guidelines for the management of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), on referral patterns between South Asian and white European patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
A recent research study, which was undertaken as part of medical research charity, Kidney Research UK’s ABLE programme, investigated the impact of national guidelines for the management of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), on referral patterns between South Asian and white European patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). With support from The Big Lottery Fund, the ‘Patient Pathway’ study commenced in 2006 and examined referral patterns to hospital-based diabetes and…

At 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010, the small Caribbean island nation of Haiti was dealt another cruel blow: a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck at the heart of the nation - just over 15 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince. With the already traumatic history of this poor yet historic nation in mind, the events of January 12 represented yet another devastating hit to the already fragile foundations of this young nation.
At 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010, the small Caribbean island nation of Haiti was dealt another cruel blow: a massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck at the heart of the nation - just over 15 miles west of the capital of Port-au-Prince. With the already traumatic history of this poor yet historic nation in mind, the events of January…

Hardly a week goes by without Alzheimer’s being in the news – scientists discovering more about what causes it, developing a greater idea of how we can prevent or treat it, or another step being taken towards a cure.
Hardly a week goes by without Alzheimer’s being in the news – scientists discovering more about what causes it, developing a greater idea of how we can prevent or treat it, or another step being taken towards a cure. It does seem to be an exciting time for Alzheimer’s and this becomes more apparent when you look back twenty or thirty years to what life was like for Alzheimer’s sufferers then. We have come a long way from the days when little was known about Alzheimer’s, when the attitude was taken that ‘granny’s gone a bit mad’, and knowledge of how to help and make life eas…

Washington is famous for its lobbyists. Make no mistake, of all the industries currently making themselves heard on Capitol Hill, the healthcare lobby is one of the largest and the loudest. Indeed, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the pharmaceutical industry had almost 1700 registered lobbyists in Washington as of late 2009. Unsurprisingly, then, the pharmaceutical industry has a considerable degree of pull on The Hill.
Washington is famous for its lobbyists. Make no mistake, of all the industries currently making themselves heard on Capitol Hill, the healthcare lobby is one of the largest and the loudest. Indeed, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, the pharmaceutical industry had almost 1700 registered lobbyists in Washington as of late 2009. Unsurprisingly,…

This is the second of two articles written by Caroline Lock and Spencer Marsh at Only Medics Recruitment Ltd. In the last edition they looked at Recruitment 2010 and in this article they discuss Career Planning 2010.
Career Planning 2010 At the individual level, a fresh approach is needed for career planning as organisations gear up in 2010 and place yet more emphasis on finding the right ‘fit’ of individual for each role. Many physicians have been heard to say they have secured every job they have applied for. This may be true in a primary or secondary care setting but in the pharma sector it’s more competitive, Organisations, especially after the economic gloom of the past year, now take a tougher line with hiring decisions to ensure they offer to the right candidate. So what is a…

For over 75 years now, numerous Democratic Congressmen – and indeed several Presidents – have tried to pass something remotely resembling meaningful healthcare reform. For 75 years, they have failed. Back in 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton’s failed ‘HillaryCare’ died with a whimper in the Senate and Mrs. Clinton was denied her chance at a second attempt by Mr. Obama in the Democratic primaries.
For over 75 years now, numerous Democratic Congressmen – and indeed several Presidents – have tried to pass something remotely resembling meaningful healthcare reform. For 75 years, they have failed. Back in 1993, Bill and Hillary Clinton’s failed ‘HillaryCare’ died with a whimper in the Senate and Mrs. Clinton was denied her chance at a second attempt by Mr. Obama in the Democratic primaries. In Nov…

Weekly Swine Flu Update for the Week Ending December 11th.
Despite the near-recent emergence of the second wave of pandemic H1N1, the past four weeks have proven increasingly positive in the global fight against the virus. Here in the UK, numbers have fallen steadily. In the week leading up to December 3rd, the number of cases fell from 46,000 to an estimated 22,000. The previous three weeks also witnessed a considerable fall in the number of new cases, with the numbers amongst young adults and children taking a significant hit. After several months of increasing concern and rising national and international casualties, the news comes as a reminder of the sheer unpredictability of the virus in question - for good or for worse. For those frontline NHS staff gearing up to face the busy Chr…

‘You really need some more experience’. Perhaps the most ubiquitous phrase in modern day recruitment, thousands of graduates are now at the mercy of this one requirement as increasing competition in the job market leads to rising standards. Perhaps twenty, or even ten years ago, an undergraduate degree and a forceful sense of charisma might well have been enough to net you your first role in an industry.
‘You really need some more experience’. Perhaps the most ubiquitous phrase in modern day recruitment, thousands of graduates are now at the mercy of this one requirement as increasing competition in the job market leads to rising standards. Perhaps twenty, or even ten years ago, an undergraduate degree and a forceful sense of charisma might well have been enough to net you your first role…

Keynes called it an ‘inducement to invest’. In this instance, the most recent financial crisis has called for many of the same approaches used in the 1930s to stimulate the economy and bring industries back to their feet. Today more than ever, we realize that education is one of the most decisive facets of any successful stimulus.
A Call to Arms: Keynes called it an ‘inducement to invest’. In this instance, the most recent financial crisis has called for many of the same approaches used in the 1930s to stimulate the economy and bring industries back to their feet. Today more than ever, we realize that education is one of the most decisive facets of any successful stimulus. That’s why, alongside a whole host of other policies and schemes, the Economic Challenge Investment Fund (ECIF) manag…

At what point does a conflict of interests occur? Last year – and for many years before that – U.S. drugs companies paid out tens of millions of dollars in payments and gifts to physicians and academics. Earlier this year, the Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) released a revised, and somewhat toughened, code of practice.
Some Background: At what point does a conflict of interests occur? Last year – and for many years before that – U.S. drugs companies paid out tens of millions of dollars in payments and gifts to physicians and academics. Earlier this year, the Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) released a revised, and somewhat toughened, code of practice. Their attempts to target the flow of payments and gifts to doctors has resulted…

Over the past year or so, the system for issuing VISAs and work permits in the UK has changed dramatically. A knowledge of the practical implications of the new system will be vital for anyone hoping to bring their skills to the pharmaceutical industry in this country
Over the past year or so, the system for issuing VISAs and work permits in the UK has changed dramatically. A knowledge of the practical implications of the new system will be vital for anyone hoping to bring their skills to the pharmaceutical industry in this country. For years the system was governed by separate sets of rules for everyone. Be it a doctor, a banker or a student, there were different and complex sets of rules for each and every profession - with over 80 different pathways in total.After several years in the ma…

The phrase Halcyon days is a literary commonplace in the English language English language and culture, signifying ideals of prosperity, bonhomie, joy, liberation, or tranquility. I can testify to experiencing all these sentiments having worked in Clinical R&D for nearing 30 years. I'm not so certain we'll ever return to the same again though.
The phrase Halcyon days is a literary commonplace in the English language English language and culture, signifying ideals of prosperity, bonhomie, joy, liberation, or tranquility. I can testify to experiencing all these sentiments having worked in Clinical R&D for nearing 30 years. I'm not so certain we'll ever return to the same again though. We face continuing readjustment for another 12 months for sure as industry realigns portfolios and merge…