Good Stuff to Read

Here are a few interesting articles that I come across but don’t have the time or inclination to blog about. Enjoy!

As always, I welcome links to interesting stories from Drug Channels readers.

Better Scripts for Drug-Retailing Story – According to this article in Barron’s, the folks at Credit Suisse see early signs of improving fundamentals in the drugstore industry and view both CVS Caremark (CVS) and Walgreen (WAG) as “attractive value opportunities.” Before you invest, just remember the following confession from Barron’s: “The shares of 108 companies that were the focus of bullish articles in Barron's last year showed an average decline of 29.4%, versus a drop of 25.9% in the relevant benchmark indexes.” (source) Caveat investor!

NHS bridges gap in medicines tracking – The European pharma industry continues to move forward with serialization and track-and-trace initiatives. This article describes the Pharma Traceability Pilot, which reportedly tracked 15 different drugs from their manufacturing origin in Ireland and the Netherlands to a British pharmacy. Apparently, UK pharmacists are not yet opposed to serialization like their counterparts in the ex-colonies.

How Do Hospitals Get Paid? A Primer – This New York Times story, written by famed healthcare economist Uwe Reinhardt, provides a brief and understandable summary of the bizarre economics behind hospital reimbursement and pricing. After reading it, you may even come to believe that the pharmaceutical supply chain seems simple. True wonks, such as your faithful blogger, will surely enjoy the full Health Affairs article subtitled "Chaos Behind A Veil of Secrecy." Awesome!