Doc-Patient Discussion * Wolfe's 7-Year Drug Rule * FTC Scrutiny of MMAs

[pharmaguy]

February 26, 2013

(Also see the Pharmaguy SM Pioneer Daily: http://bit.ly/pgSMdaily)

[Contents: Doc-Patient Discussion * Wolfe's 7-Year Drug Rule * FTC Scrutiny of MMAs]

Source acronyms: PMB=Pharma Marketing Blog * PMN=Pharma Marketing News * PMT=Pharma Marketing Talk * PMF=Pharma Marketing Forums * PGP=Pharma Guy on Pinterest

Docs Need More Incentives to Engage Patients

medpage today

As evidence accumulates that more engaged patients have better outcomes, more resources need to be invested in getting physicians and healthcare systems to increase patients' involvement in decisions about their care, advocates said here.

Much research -- including several studies published in the current issue of Health Affairs -- found that patients with the lowest activation levels had average costs 8% higher than those with the highest range on an activation scale.

But doctors still aren't using that information to their advantage and better engaging patients, panelists at an Institute of Medicine (IOM) workshop on patient engagement said.

"We just haven't spent enough time helping clinicians develop these skills," Eric Holmboe, MD, chief medical officer at the American Board of Internal Medicine, said.

Although some continuing medical education (CME) is already available for physicians who are learning about ways to increase their patient engagement and communication skills, more doctors should be taking advantage of it, suggested Sherrie Kaplan, PhD, from the University of California Irvine's Health Policy Research Institute. She also recommended offering patients some sort of official training and certification in patient engagement, whereby they can receive lower premiums as an incentive if they complete it.

A survey published in the Oct. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine found that among more than 5,000 patients who were able to view their doctor's notes, medication adherence increased from 60% to 78%, while between 1% and 8% reported the notes caused confusion, worry, or offense

To read the full article go here...

Listen to this related podcast:

• The Widening Patient-Physician Gap: How Can (Should?) Pharma Marketers Facilitate the Conversation Between Patients & Physicians – source: PMT

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Sydney Wolfe's 7-Year Drug Rule/Itch: Don't Prescribe or Imbibe Any New Drug for First Seven Years After FDA Approval

PMB

At the recent Selling Sickness conference in Washington, DC. Sydney Wolfe, MD (Public Citizen), gave a rousing keynote presentation. As I reported last week, Wolfe declared war on the medical-pharma-industrial complex (see here).

One of the main "weapons" Wolfe proposed to help win the war against what he sees as the dangers of FDA-approved drugs is his "Seven-year Rule for Safer Prescribing - No prescribing or imbibing any new drug, except true breakthrough drugs, for the first 7 years after approval."

[Wolfe’s presentation attached.]

Read the full article plus listen to Wolfe here...

Read this related article:

• FDA Caught Speeding. Puts Public Safety at Risk. – source: PMB

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FTC’s Interest in Mobile Apps Intensifies

FDA Law Blog

As reported in FTC Watch Issue No. 823 (Feb. 13, 2013), the Federal Trade Commission has plans to increase enforcement actions against mobile apps – including mobile medical apps (MMAs).

During a Consumer Protection Conference sponsored by the American Bar Association earlier this month, FTC Commissioner Julie Brill and the former head of the agency’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, David Vladeck, discussed the agency’s renewed focus on advertising and consumer protection, and the need for more aggressive enforcement action against health claims, social media apps, and medical apps.

For the full article go here...

Read this related article:

• Reigning in the "Wild West" of Mobile Health Apps – source: PMN (Subscription – Free – may be required.)

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(Also see the Pharmaguy SM Pioneer Daily: http://bit.ly/pgSMdaily)