Lawmakers Challenge Pricing
Four members of Congress have asked URL Pharma to justify its price for Colcrys (colchicine), a treatment for gout flares that was approved in 2009. The Philadelphia-based drug maker charges nearly $5 per pill, whereas the colchicine products that Colcrys replaced – never approved by the Food and Drug Administration – used to cost about 10 cents. In a letter, Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) asked the company's president for the cost of the clinical trials that led to the approval of Colcrys, how the initial list price was established, how much the company spends to market and manufacture the drug, and the expected profits. A spokesman said the company welcomes the inquiry and intends to cooperate fully. In a statement, the company said it had invested tens of millions of dollars in research on safe dosing of the drug, and that it is striving to make Colcrys more affordable through patient-assistance programs. For example, a patient with a family of four and a household income of $88,000 a year can get a 30-day supply of Colcrys for $5, the company said.
Multispecialty Groups Pay Better
Specialists working in multispecialty practices had higher starting salaries last year than did those in single-specialty groups, according to new data from the Medical Group Management Association. Multispecialty groups paid a median $258,677 in guaranteed compensation, whereas single-specialty practices paid $240,598 to specialists. But the opposite was true in primary care: The median first-year guaranteed salary of $172,400 in single-specialty group practices, while multispecialty groups paid $165,000. The median annual compensation for rheumatologists during their first year after residency, including physicians in fellowships, was $190.000. “First-year” compensation for rheumatologists, excluding those just out of residency or in fellowships, was $205,000. The figures come from the association's Physician Placement Starting Salary Survey.
Arthritis Patients Lack Support
Many arthritis patients, especially women, feel that they don't get much sympathy, according to a survey sponsored by supplement maker Flexcin International. In the April online survey of 1,350 arthritis sufferers, 78% of women said they receive little or no support from their families. In contrast, 65% of men said they were satisfied with the level of support they received. “There can be a great divide in the way men and women communicate, which includes listening,” Flexcin CEO Tamer Elsafy said in a statement. The 12-question survey was open to patients with various types of arthritis, gout, lupus, and other joint-related pain, illness, or disability. About 65% of the respondents reported that they had arthritis, osteoarthritis, psoriatic arthritis, or septic arthritis.
Older Americans Doing Just Fine
Older Americans beat out all other age groups on various measures of well-being, with higher scores on healthy behaviors, work satisfaction, and access to necessities, according to a Gallup poll. Americans older than age 65 years scored 69 out of 100 on a well-being index, which measures physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Adults aged 18-29 years scored 68, those aged 30-44 scored 67, and people aged 45-64 trailed with a score of 65. The survey report indicated that seniors tend to be less sad and depressed than any other age group, although they fall slightly behind others in physical health.
Agency Seeks Biosimilars Advice
The FDA asked the public for its input on imposing user fees on makers of generic biologic products, or biosimilars. The agency is fulfilling a requirement under the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009, which became part of the Affordable Care Act. Under the law, the FDA is due to submit its recommendations to Congress in January 2012. User fees would be collected beginning in fiscal 2013.
State is Tipping Toward Tech
More than half of California primary care physicians now use electronic health records, with groups of more than 50 physicians significantly more likely than smaller practices to use EHRs, according to a report from the California Healthcare Foundation. Only 20% of solo practices reported using EHRs, compared with 80% of practices with more than 50 physicians. In all, 40% of the state's primary care physicians said they routinely order lab tests and track results electronically. Similarly, electronic prescribing technology was available in 42% of practices, the report said. Fewer than half of primary care physicians communicate with patients by e-mails. Although 40% of practices had implemented e-mail systems, only 30% of physicians said they routinely use e-mail to communicate with patients and 44% said they never do. The foundation pulled data from several national and state surveys that were taken in 2008–2011.