Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? We are just fine, thank you, and chugging along, as usual. The shortest of the short people has left for the local schoolhouse, the official mascots are snoozing on the official office furniture, and we are brewing another cup of stimulation in our coffee kettle. There will be plenty of brewing today since there is much to be done. No doubt, you may relate. So time to get cracking. Here are a few items of interest for you to peruse. Hope your day is a success and, of course, do keep in touch. We enjoy your notes …
Walmart, which is the world’s biggest retailer, is teaming with McKesson, the largest pharmaceutical distributor in the US, to purchase generic drugs, a move that will allow the companies to use their collective size to get better prices, Bloomberg News explains. Walmart has about $20 billion of annual pharmaceutical sales, including about $4 billion from generics, according to an investor note from Evercore ISI analyst Ross Muken.
The Laura and John Arnold Foundation awarded a $3.6 million grant to Bioethics International so the nonprofit can expand its Good Pharma Scorecard, which tracks clinical trial transparency. The first edition of the scorecard, released last year, ranked the 20 largest drug makers and their new medicines based on the degree to which clinical trial results were disclosed. “The process involves setting standards, benchmarking performance of the drugs and companies against those standards, recognizing best practices and providing incentives for reform,” says Jennifer Miller, who heads the nonprofit.
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In the interests of full disclosure, will ‘official mascot’ use of and any results from the Zoetis ‘anxiety over loud noises’ product be reported on Pharmalot?
Hello Observer,
While we use prescription medicines in the Pharmalot household, we never divulge specific treatments or protocols because we adhere to HIPAA requirements. We also do not wish to appear to endorse any medications, given our precarious status.
That said, if one of the officials mascots were to appear anxious, we would first attempt to calm the jangly nerves by playing soothing music and leaving treats around the campus. So far, though, we have not such concerns, because the mascots are generally as calm as the Pharmalot readers.
Thanks for writing in,
ed