MDs Not Sleeping Enough
Physicians are not getting the sleep they need to function at their best during the day, and their current work schedules could be to blame, according to a survey from the American College of Chest Physicians. In the survey, 70% of physicians reported needing at least 7–8 hours of sleep to function at their best. But on average, physicians reported sleeping 6.5 hours a night, and 43% of physicians indicated their current work schedule did not allow for adequate sleep. In addition, 22% reported not feeling refreshed upon waking at least a few nights a week. Almost all physicians (93%) reported drinking at least one caffeinated beverage a day, compared with 81% of the general population, but 84% of physicians said they are in very good or excellent health, compared with 56% of the general population. The survey included responses from 581 physicians.
Woodcock Named CDER Head
Dr. Janet Woodcock has been named director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. Dr. Woodcock, a rheumatologist, served as director of CDER once before, in the 1990s, and has served as acting director since October 2007. The drug industry's chief lobbying group, PhRMA, welcomed the appointment. Dr. Woodcock “has demonstrated willingness to work with diverse partners, including researchers, Congress, the White House, patients and pharmaceutical research companies,” said a statement from the group. But Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of Public Citizen Health Research Group, said in an interview that he's “not terribly hopeful” that Dr. Woodcock will lead the center well, because she doesn't like conflict and controversy. “I don't think she's the kind of CDER director we need right now,” Dr. Wolfe said. “She's aware of a number of drugs on the market that should be taken off the market, but I don't think she has the fortitude to do something about it.” CDER is charged with assuring that safe and effective drugs, including prescription, over-the-counter, and generic products, are available to Americans.
CMS Finds Improper Payments
More than $371 million in improper Medicare payments was collected from or repaid to health care providers and suppliers in 2007 as part of a demonstration program that used recovery audit contractors in California, Florida, and New York, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced. Almost all the improper payments (96%) identified in 2007 were overpayments collected from providers, while the remaining 4% were underpayments that were repaid to providers. Most of the improper payments occurred when providers submitted claims that did not comply with Medicare's coverage or coding rules, and more than 85% of the overpayments collected and almost all underpayments refunded were from claims submitted by inpatient hospitals. The demonstration program began in 2005 and was expanded to include Arizona, Massachusetts, and South Carolina in 2007.
NYC Implementing EMRs
New York City is in the process of computerizing the medical records of patients for hospitals, community health clinics, and private physicians in a project that has cost about $60 million to date, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said. More than 200 health care providers—serving more than 200,000 city residents—already are online, putting New York on track to reach its goal of signing up 1,000 providers by the end of the year, Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement. “That will make our city home to the largest community network of electronic health records anywhere in the country,” he said. “And it will allow New Yorkers to spend more time with their doctors, and less time filling out paperwork in the waiting room.” The new system, a software package developed with funding from the city, state, and federal governments, will integrate patients' medical histories, lab results, and pharmaceutical records.
Trouble Paying for Rx
Four in 10 Americans—and half those regularly taking at least one medication—reported that they have trouble paying for drugs, skip prescriptions, or cut pills because of the cost of their prescriptions, a poll jointly conducted by USA Today, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health showed. People were most likely to report one of those three issues if they lack drug coverage, if they have low incomes, or if they take four or more drugs regularly. The survey found that while the public values the products drug companies produce, they do not like what they charge and are suspicious of their motivation. Nearly 80% of Americans said that the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable, and about 70% said pharmaceutical companies are too concerned about making profits and not concerned enough about helping people. But at the same time, the public overwhelmingly believes that recent advances in prescription drugs provide benefits, the survey found.