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examination of over-priced drugs. It contains a Physicians as Leaders M
detailed explanation of how the drug industry Who, How and Why Now? E
takes billions of dollars from society each year Mindi K. McKenna and Perry A. Pugno D
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healthcare policy and society to offer a wide-
Reimbursement N
ranging account. now and the future D
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It is invaluable for all healthcare professionals, facing the challenge
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and general readers with an interest in medical Théodore H. MacDonald y
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expenditure. Communication Skills that Heal O
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a practical approach to a new M
NORMAN J. TEMPLE AND
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‘The more serious landmine in the road ahead is professionalism in medicine N
Barry Bub J
healthcare fi nance, which will be in full-blown . ANDREW THOMPSON
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crisis sometime early in the next decade. That’s Home Visits EM
a return to the classical role of the P
why this book is timely. Until we learn to talk L
physician E Foreword by Merrill Goozner
openly and honestly about what constitutes A
Alfred E. Stillman N
good health, good healthcare, and the best and D
The AIDS Pandemic A
most cost-effective way of achieving both, we’ll N
the collision of epidemiology with D
never have an affordable healthcare system.’ R
political correctness E
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Merrill Goozner, in the Foreword James Chin
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rad_Temple_1206.indd 1 3/1/07 10:27:39 am
Excessive Medical Spending
Facing the challenge
TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk
Excessive Medical Spending
Facing the challenge
Edited by
Norman J. Temple
AthabascaUniversity
and
Andrew Thompson
UniversityofOregon(retired)
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2007 by Norman J. Temple and Andrew Thompson
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Version Date: 20160525
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-138-03068-8 (eBook - PDF)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. While all reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, neither the author[s] nor the publisher can accept any
legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. The publishers wish to make clear that any views or opinions expressed in this book by individual editors, authors or contributors are personal to them
and do not necessarily reflect the views/opinions of the publishers. The information or guidance contained in this book is intended for use by medical, scientific or health-care professionals and is provided strictly as a supple-
ment to the medical or other professional’s own judgement, their knowledge of the patient’s medical history, relevant manufacturer’s instructions and the appropriate best practice guidelines. Because of the rapid advances in
medical science, any information or advice on dosages, procedures or diagnoses should be independently verified. The reader is strongly urged to consult the relevant national drug formulary and the drug companies’ and device
or material manufacturers’ printed instructions, and their websites, before administering or utilizing any of the drugs, devices or materials mentioned in this book. This book does not indicate whether a particular treatment is
appropriate or suitable for a particular individual. Ultimately it is the sole responsibility of the medical professional to make his or her own professional judgements, so as to advise and treat patients appropriately. The authors and
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ToMichaelandGillian
–Norman
Tomywife,Marie-Anne,forputtingupwithme
–Andrew
TThhiiss ppaaggee iinntteennttiioonnaallllyy lleefftt bbllaannkk
Contents
Foreword ix
Authoraddresses xii
Introduction xiv
1 Thecostofmedicalcare:howmuchistoomuch? 1
AndrewThompsonandNormanJ.Temple
2 Thenutsandboltsofmedicalresearch 9
NormanJ.TempleandAndrewThompson
3 Conflictofinterest:amajorprobleminmedicalresearch 20
JoyFraser
4 Drugregulation:twoparadigmsinconflict 36
JoelLexchin
5 Themarketingofdrugs:howdrugcompaniesmanipulatethe
prescribinghabitsofdoctors 53
AudreyBalay-Karperien,NormanJ.Temple,andJoelLexchin
6 PricingpharmaceuticaldrugsintheUSA 63
DonaldW.Light
7 Potentialsavingsfromtherapeuticsubstitutionof10ofCanada’s
mostdispensedprescriptiondrugs 80
AlanCasselsandJoelLexchin
8 Statins:isthenetbeingthrowntoowide? 93
AndrewThompsonandNormanJ.Temple
9 ModernWesternmedicine:lotsofbucks–where’sthebang? 101
NormanJ.TempleandJoyFraser
10 Genetics,genomicmedicine,andachievingbetterpopulationhealth:
aflawedstrategy? 110
PatriciaA.BairdandNormanJ.Temple
11 Issuesinscreeningforcancer 112
LucBonneux
12 TheCanadianNationalBreastScreeningStudy:sciencemeets
controversy 121
CorneliaJ.Baines
13 Screeningforbreastcancer:benefitsversuscosts 125
AndrewThompsonandNormanJ.Temple
14 ScreeningforcervicalcancerbyPaptests 131
AndrewThompsonandNormanJ.Temple
viii Contents
15 Payingforwhatworks:theReferenceDrugProgramasamodel
forrationalpolicy-making 139
AlanCasselsandNormanJ.Temple
16 Diseaseprevention:theneglectedalternative 152
NormanJ.Temple
17 Promotingthehealthofthemedicalprofession:environmentalism
andcommercialisminmedicaleducation 166
IahnGonsenhauser,DannyGeorge,andPeterJ.Whitehouse
18 Aproposednewgrandstrategy:anintegratedhealthsystemfor
the21stcentury 177
NormanJ.TempleandAndrewThompson
Index 187
Foreword
Everyindustrializedsocietyintheworldisagingrapidly.Withlifeexpectanciesat
all-time highs and birth rates near all-time lows, the Baby Boom generation is
closing in on retirement – a time when healthcare needs escalate rapidly – with
relativelyfeweryoungpeoplearoundtopaythebills.Whilemostdiscussionsabout
thefiscalproblemscausedbyagingsocietieshavefocusedonpensionsandincome
security,themoreseriouslandmineintheroadaheadishealthcarefinance,which
willbeinfull-blowncrisissometimeearlyinthenextdecade.That’swhythisbook,
ExcessiveMedicalSpending:FacingtheChallenge,istimely.Untilwelearntotalkopenly
andhonestlyaboutwhatconstitutesgoodhealth,goodhealthcare,andthebestand
most cost-effective way of achieving both, we will never have an affordable
healthcaresystem.
The current practice of medicine, which is dominated by pharmaceutical and
medicaldevicecompanies,hospitalchains,physicians’guilds,and,inthecaseofthe
USA,largeinsurers,isdesignedtoavoidaskingsuchquestions.Evencountrieswith
single-payer national healthcare systems have been stymied in their attempts to
curbtheinfluenceofthespecialinterests.Theresultisthatinmostindustrialized
countries healthcare spending is growing two or three times faster than the rest
of the economy. The USA is leading the charge into healthcare bankruptcy by
spendingnearly15%ofitsgrossdomesticproductonhealth,alevelnearly50%
greaterthananyothernation.FormerlygreatindustrialpowerhouseslikeGeneral
Motors and Ford are now threatened by economic collapse because of their
escalatinghealthcarecosts.
Sothetimehascometoasksomehardquestionsaboutwhatwearegettingfor
our large and growing investment in health. Yes, we are living longer, but are
medical interventions the reason? To an extent they are, but are they adding as
muchtoourqualityoflifeastheyaretoitsduration?Aretheresomehealthcare
interventions that are simply not worth the price? And are there better ways of
addressingunderlyinghealthcareproblemsthatnotonlyextendlife,butdosoat
lower cost and with better outcomes in terms of our ability to enjoy our extra
monthsandyears?
Inordertoanswersuchquestions,weneedanewlanguagefortalkingabouthow
wespendourhealthcaredollars.Takeheartdisease,forexample.Thoughitremains
aleadingkillerinvirtuallyeverywealthynation,deathratesfromcardiovascular
diseasehavebeenedgingdowninrecentdecades.Whataccountsfortheimprove-
ment? Can it be attributed to advances in diagnostics, drug therapy, and im-
plantable devices such as stents and defibrillators? Or has it largely been due to
publichealthcampaignstocombatsmoking,poordiets,andlackofexercise?And
now that we are facing an alarming situation where some of those gains may be
reversedbecauseoftheobesityepidemic,whatisthebeststrategyforpreserving
andextendingourgainsagainstthisfeareddisease?
As the studies here show, physicians seeking guidance for their treatment
decisions will not get an objective review of the evidence when they go to the
medicalliteratureorreadclinicalpracticeguidelines.Drugcompaniesanddevice
