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Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare in America

by Jeff Hagen

What follows is a generic business plan that I’ve laid out for the purposes of demonstrating the goals of a typical pharmaceutical company as I see them.

First, a great quote…

“The market functions wonderfully when we want to sell more cereals, cosmetics, cars, computers, or any other consumer product. Unfortunately, it does not work in health care, where the goal should hardly be selling more heart bypass operations. Instead, the goal should be to prevent disease and illness. But the money is in the treatment – not prevention – so the market and good care are at odds.” – Donald L. Bartlett and James B. Steele

Pharmaceutical Company Business Plan

• Design products to treat long term symptoms of a condition rather than cure a condition outright. This will transfer far more money from user’s pockets to company’s pockets.
• Design products to be paid for by insurance plans and government agencies. Users will come to depend on their use of the products especially when they do not feel the pinch of paying for them. Once this cycle is established, large amounts of money will transfer regularly from government and insurance agency coffers to company pockets. Use all available lobbying prowess to establish laws and regulations promoting this cycle.
• Identify product side effects and engineer conditions to be solved by those effects. If product is a hammer, users must be made to believe they have many unseated nails.
• Design products with patent extension in mind. Example: Design and patent new product, BaknoPain. After original patent runs it’s course, patent and release “new” product, BaknoPain E.R. extending patent cycle.
• Doctors who relieve symptoms by means other than through our products must be viewed by the public as inadequate. This should be achieved through normal F.D.A. methods using our influence inside the organization.
• Develop and maintain U.S. lawmaker interest in support for our products. Remember, the strongest lobbying group in Washington belongs to the pharmaceutical industry.

Why Israel?

by Jeff Hagen

Elected Officials Support Israel But Rarely Say Why

There is a lot of confusion and misunderstanding when it comes to the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, particularly on my part. For years now, I’ve been hearing campaigning U.S. politicians telling me of their support. Far fewer are the number of instances of their being up front as to why. The general line goes something like this, ‘As your commander, I will strongly support Israel as the only Democratic regime in Middle East.’ at which point the topic of the conversation usually changes.

Hillary, Please Keep Quiet

by Jeff Hagen

Alright Hillary, I’ve listened to your reference to the killing of Bobby Kennedy a number of times now. I can find no reason to mention the event whatever unless, of course, you are making allusion to the fact that Hubert Humphrey was able to sew up the nomination that year. If this is your logic then please, spare us the gibberish and get out.

Note: Had I not later seen your ‘I’m right, your wrong, but I still apologize’ type apology, I’d never have written this.

Obama/Clinton? Oh Jeez

by Jeff Hagen

The debate is as to whether an Obama/Clinton ticket would be a good one. There are certainly points to be made on both sides. Prior to January of 2009, this ticket would likely be a winner.

Senator Clinton has been very strong with certain voting blocks, women and low income whites being examples. In my opinion,however, Senator Clinton pushed any values that she may have had to the side while endlessly maintaining a position in the Democratic primary well beyond when it had become clear she’d lost any chance to win. Can we forgive her for that? I can. But I’d never consider voting for her.

Senator Obama, on the other hand has been very strong with his overall message of unity in government. Mrs, Clinton portrays this message as a grossly unachievable ‘Love Your Fellow Partisan’ type vision that will not and can not survive in Washington.

U.S. Manufacturing Strength

One of my major concerns with the United States is the dealing or, better stated, lack of dealing with the flight of our manufacturing base, the most obvious price of which is the loss of well paying jobs. While this does get some occasional attention from the media, unless you are watching Lou Dobbs, it usually does not take precedence over the 2008 election cycle, the President’s latest exhibition in incompetence, or the undying fiasco in Iraq. Keep in mind that while our economy is losing, many others, particularly those of Asian states, are gaining. Rapidly.

Hu’s On First

I wish that I could take the credit for this little gem of history. Very funny…