Drug Trials May Are Often Affected by Decisions in DC

As the nation watches to see if the Republicans will make a move this week to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and implement a new plan, many consumers, doctors, pharmaceutical companies and sales people, and others involved in the health care industry wonder what the future will be like. From one side of the aisle to the other, it is difficult to interpret what the real implications will be. From the complicated clinical trials project management to the comparator sourcing projects that are already in process to the new research that many hope to explore, it seems like this is a week where many things hang in the balance.
Pharmaceutical blister packaging companies, nurse practitioners, average citizens alike look forward to the next step in healthcare. Although the industry has made many advancements in the last decade, the clinical research that is needed, including comparator sourcing and other approaches depend on the continued funding from the government, while at the same time battle the damage done by over pricing schemes that have made their way to the legal courtrooms in the last year.
Whether or not this next week brings major changes to the healthcare coverage in America, it is evident that as the population continues to age and become more and more dependent on needed medications the pharmaceutical industry will be called on to meet those needs.

• 48.5% of Americans report that they have used at least one prescription drug in the past 30 days.
• 75.1% of medical visits involve the prescription of some kind of drug therapy.
• $231.46 billion was the amount ot U.S. pharmacy and drug store sales in the year 2011.
• In the year 2010 alone, pharmacies and doctors ordered or provided 2.6 billion prescription drugs during or after physician visits.
• During all outpatient hospital visits in the year 2010, doctors provided or ordered 285.1 million prescription drugs.

The health of America and the cost of pharmaceuticals continue to be a concern of not only consumers, but also the politicians in Washington. Many are anxiously awaiting decisions by the current administration and are at the same time looking forward to or dreading any major changes to the current Affordable Care Act.