Fundamentals of Pharmacy BUS 345

This week I learned a lot about the chemistry of drugs as well as the research and development of drugs. On average, it takes about 10-15 years for a drug to come to market. I briefly had learned about this in my diseases and drug therapy class when we had a whole unit on the FDA and drug development. Something new to me I learned was bout the Placebo effect within pharmaceuticals. I already knew what the placebo effect was, but I wasn’t familiar with the fact that all drugs when being tested must be compared with a placebo drug. Placebos act as the dummy treatments, injections, pills procedures, surgeries etc. Many people experience drug effects when they believe they have taken a drug but have not. Data suggests that placebos work 30% of the time. When someone takes a placebo drug they think happy thoughts that they’re going to get cured; and when they think these happy thoughts they release hormones that aid in healing immune response, otherwise known as endorphins. These pla...

Questions for 9/21 1. How do scientists decide which medical conditions they want to create treatments for? What are the determinants? 2. How do companies makeup the billions of dollars they lost in trying to create a drug that wasn't able to come to market? 3. How close are we to discovering a treatment for HIV or cancer? Is it possible? 4. What are the legal implications if someone were to do in clinical testing? Are the drug and research companies held responsible?

Updated Week 3: This week, thanks to Beth Welch, I learned about the differences between pharmacists, physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals etc. I also learned about the current economies of all these positions. It was interesting to hear about the history of these position and how far they’ve come along. For example, back in the day in the mid 1900’s, pharmacists weren’t even allowed to speak to the patients. If the patient had a question about their diagnosis, treatment, diseases, etc. the pharmacist couldn’t answer the question, they had to refer them back to their physician. Now we know that times have changed, and patients are highly encouraged to speak with their pharmacists if they have questions regarding anything health wise. Another important thing I learned was that the difference between an occupation and a profession.   Someone with a profession holds authority and special privilege. There are other differences as well, such as that professions r...

1. Are universities doing anything to draw in more males for physician roles? 2. Can the government limit how many specialized doctors there can be and direct attention at gaining more general practitioner's? 3. What do you think has to be done to improve the doctor shortage?

What I learned week #3 I think the biggest thing that I took away from this week was on the topic of healthcare economics. I learned that the healthcare industry is NOT a competitive market; and this has its pros and cons. One major reason that healthcare isn't a free market, is something that I have already read upon; that pharmaceutical and medical-device firms use patent monopolies, granted to foster innovation, to impose huge price premiums on their life-saving products, giving those companies the highest profit margins in the world. While they're at it, they use the same patent monopolies to charge high prices for things that aren't so innovative. Another interesting thing I learned is that everyone pays for health insurance, no matter the industry. For example, you buy a pack of gum for $1.99; some percentage of that price factors in the health insurance cost that the company has to pay its employees; so if the company didn't have to grant its employees heal...

Questions for 9/7/17 1. What problems do you see unfolding in the future related to healthcare? 2. What are your opinions on switching to a national healthcare system? 3. Do you believe their should be stricter regulations for prescribing pharmaceuticals? For there seems to be a increase in prescriptions around the board? 4. How will the discovery of cures for popular life threatening chronic diseases can our healthcare system?

Questions for 9/5/2017 1. What other ways can pharmaceutical companies extend their patents? 2. What drugs are considered biological drugs? And why do they have a stronger patent protection? 3. What is the success rates for new drugs entering the market? 4. How well do advertised drugs do vs  do better than non advertised?

What I learned this week The main thing I learned this week about the pharmaceutical industry is that they are trying to shift into a value based system.   Companies are also trying to engage with consumers through technology i.e. apps to have them more involved, BUT the health industry is behind other industries when it comes to technology. I also learned the challenges with our changing health care system in the US. For example, in the U.S adults can stay on their parent’s health insurance until the age of 26, after you turn 26 you are expected to get on your own healthcare insurance plan; but young adults are not following. Young adults do not feel the need to pay high premiums and monthly rates for health insurance they most likely won’t be using frequently. In addition, three years of sustained pressure on the biopharmaceutical industry’s drug pricing practices may lead to new pricing restrictions in 2017. Another interesting topic I learned about this week is...