Remaking
Pharma
1).
Limit pharma’s activities to manufacturing of drugs, and thus eliminate the
sales related activities including advertising, lobbying, influence peddling, and
educational activities.
2).
The FDA and universities would be responsible for the basic research, clinical
trial for drugs.
3).
The FDA would be ran by university professors and researchers who would by
selected by their peers.
4).
Medical colleges would set and run basic research and clinical trials, and own
the result. Pharma’s role would be limited
to making suggestions.
5).
All Clinical trial results would be available for free over the internet
6).
For FDA approval, heads on-testing of the new drug to the most common
treatment, and also placebo controlled study when such is ethical. Similar requirement
for Phase 4 trials, which
are for side effects and new indications.
8) A system would be set up to
resolve important
questions about treatments and prevention.
9). All laboratory research and
trials would be available
over the internet in a format that would facilitate access.
10).
Long-term independent monitoring of side effects by independent researchers. His would include
open access to all data banks such as of
the Veterans hospitals, Kaiser Permanente, HMOs, and Medicare. Studies using
data banks cost less than 1/100th
that of a long-term clinical trial.
11).
Require the reporting of side effects with incentives and penalties, and have open
access to the data.
12) Because patents hinder competition
thus drive
up prices and promote secrecy in research, such patents would not be applied in
the domestic market.
13).
Universities and the FDA who do the research can patent the results and then
negotiate for a share of the profits from foreign sales.
14).
Key positions in the FDA be filled by researchers without ties to Pharma.
15).
Treatment guidelines would be established through medical colleges with the
goal of serving the public.
16).
The guideline proposal prior to establishment would be publish with a period of
open discussion.
17). Guidelines would include a cost analysis.
18)..
Enforce laws against price gouging and monopoly price fixing.
19).
Because of the fundamental conflict between corporations drive for profits and
quality, affordable health care all
hospital would be community hospitals (like there were 50 years ago), and there
would be a national single payer system.
20). All imported lots of drugs
would have quality
control testing before marketing and high tariffs to encourage US manufacturing.
21).
Medical colleges would not be operated as business, but rather as public
services. They would be run by their
faculty.
22).
Continuing education class ran by medical colleges.
23).
Special incentive for research into prevention and the dissemination of results.