Editorial
Welcome to the first homepage edition of i2P for 2012.
In many ways it has been a slow start to the New Year because of having to deal with the “leftovers” from 2011.
One of those items for i2P was that a third-party provider to the site did not advise of a code change to the security section in our subscribe panel, creating a range of frustrated subscribers not able to get on board.
We apologise to all those potential subscribers who were unable to register with us in the second half of 2011, but if you try once more you should have no problem.
Columns
Rollo Manning: Pharma-Goss
Linda Bryant: Inside NZ
Loretta Marron BSc: Health Watch
Barry Urquhart: Marketing Focus
Mark Neuenschwander: I`ve been thinking about...Recent Comments
Past Editions
Volume 1 Number 1
Volume 1 Number 2
Volume 1 Number 3
Volume 1 Number 4
Volume 1 Number 5
Volume 1 Number 6
Volume 1 Number 7
Volume 2 Number 1
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Volume 2 Number 4
Volume 2 Number 5
Volume 2 Number 6
Volume 2 Number 7
Volume 2 Number 8
Volume 2 Number 9
Volume 2 Number 10
Volume 2 Number 11
Volume 3 Number 1
Volume 3 Number 2
Volume 3 Number 3
Volume 3 Number 4
Volume 3 Number 5
Volume 3 Number 6
Volume 3 Number 7
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Volume 3 Number 10
Volume 3 Number 11
Volume 2012 Number 1
Health Politics
Neil Johnston: Friends of Science in Medicine
Peter Sayers: Confessions of a Frustrated Pharmacist
James Ellerson: $75.5 million in 5CPA lying idle. Why is it so?EPublications
Generic Drugs Potential
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Editing and Researching news and stories about global and local Pharmacy Issues | |
"This off-patent drug market is very big, growing fast and has margins better than anyone thought" says a recent commentator, Pfizer executive David Simmons, at a New York Health Conference.
He was commenting on Pfizer's plan to push for a number of partnerships with established generic drug manufacturers.
This move is designed to lessen Pfizer's dependence on brand name medications.
When such a big name drug manufacturer does an "about-turn" to prop up a declining market share in blockbuster molecules as they come off patent there has to be a balancing effect.
With no new molecules in the research pipeline to take their place, this move by Pfizer must signal an enormous future change process.
For more of this story go to smh.com.au
Pfizer eyes partnerships, acquisitions in generics
"Pfizer, the world's biggest drugmaker, is seeking deals with generic pharmaceutical manufacturers to increase sales of medicines that have lost patent protection.
Pfizer plans to expand the number of generic drugs it sells through internal growth, licensing agreements and acquisitions, David Simmons, president of Pfizer's established products unit, said today at the Goldman Sachs Healthcare Conference in New York. Pfizer is among major pharmaceutical makers hunting for deals with generic makers preparing to introduce cheaper drug copies as $US10 billion worth of medicines lose patent coverage this year.
The drugmaker is trying to lessen its dependence on brand- name prescription medicines as it braces for the end of patent protection on its top-selling medicine, the Lipitor cholesterol pill, with $US12.4 billion in sales last year. Since March, Pfizer has bought the rights to sell more than 150 generic pills and injections from two Indian drugmakers, Aurobindo Pharma and Claris Lifesciences.
"This off-patent drug market is very big, growing fast and has margins better than anyone thought," said Simmons. "We are committed to making this business unit grow."
Daiichi Sankyo of Tokyo paid the equivalent of about $US5 billion for Ranbaxy Laboratories of India in October and London-based GlaxoSmithKline Plc expanded an agreement last month with South African generic-drug maker Aspen Pharmacare."
The effect of these generic drug company partnerships with big business can only mean an increase in drug prices because of the lessening of competition.
Perhaps with mark ups not to the level of branded drugs, but significant nonetheless.
There is a benefit to Australian pharmacists to the extent that the free fall in generic reimbursement under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, may flatten out and provide some stability in the preservation of margins.
Negotiators under the Fifth Agreement between community pharmacy and the federal government will need to be mindful of these market movements.
Research Reports
Dr Andrew Byrne & Associates: Tranquillizer use rife amongst OTP subjects world-wide, most legally prescribedPractice Development
Neil Retallick: Are the discounters impacting community pharmacy beyond margin erosion? | open full screen
Kay Dunkley - BPharm, Grad Dip Hosp Pharm, Grad Dip Health Admin, MPS, MSHPA: Support services for pharmacists and doctors in the United Kingdom – Part 3 Royal Medical Benevolent Fund | open full screen
Staff Writer: Catch the early wave in 2012 and secure your valuable CPD Credits at the Guild Pharmacy Academy – NSW Convention | open full screen
Information Technology
Dr David More: Australian Health Information Technology LinksIndigenous Health
Preventive Medicine
Gerald Quigley: It’s Time!If any difficulty is found in subscribing, please use the "Contact Us" panel found in the navigation bar with the message "subscribe" and your email address.
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