Publisher Lisa Banket Editor Taren Grom Creative Director Marah Walsh Managing EDitor Denise Myshko Senior EDitor Robin Robinson features EDitor Kim Ribbink Contributing Editor Carolyn Gretton design associate Ariel Medel national account manager Cathy Tracy CIRCULATION Assistant Kathy Deiuliis Copyright 2010 by PharmaLinx LLC, Titusville, NJ Printed in the U.S.A. Volume Ten, Number One PharmaVoice (ISSN: 1932961X) is published monthly except joint issues in July/Aug. and Nov./Dec., by PharmaLinx LLC, P.O.?Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560. Periodicals postage paid at Titusville, NJ 08560 and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to PharmaVoice, P.O. Box 292345, Kettering, OH 45429-0345. PharmaVoice Coverage and Distribution: Domestic subscriptions are available at $190 for one year (10 issues). Foreign subscriptions: 10 issues US$360. Contact PharmaVoice at P.O.?Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560. Call us at 609.730.0196 or FAX your order to 609.730.0197. Contributions: PharmaVoice is not responsible for unsolicited contributions of any type. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, PharmaVoice retains all rights on material published in PharmaVoice for a period of six months after publication and reprint rights after that period expires. E-mail: [email protected]. Change of address: Please allow six weeks for a change of address. Send your new address along with your subscription label to PharmaVoice, P.O. Box 292345, Kettering, OH 45429-0345. Call us at 800.607.4410 or FAX your change to 937.890.0221. E-mail: [email protected]. Important notice: The post office will not forward copies of this magazine. PharmaVoice is not responsible for replacing undelivered copies due to lack of or late notification of address change. Advertising in PharmaVoice: To advertise in PharmaVoice please contact our Advertising Department at P.O.?Box 327, Titusville, NJ 08560, or telephone us at 609.730.0196. E-mail: [email protected]. The forum for the industry executive Volume 10 • Number 1 Letters Send your letters to feedback@pharmavoice.com. Please include your name, title, company, and business phone number. Letters chosen for publication may be edited for length and clarity. All submissions become the property of PharmaLinx LLC.
Moving Forward Ahhh… January, that magical month… the one month of the year where we resolve to do better and be better; the one month where we can start with a clean slate (and office, with any luck); and the one month when we take stock of what’s on the horizon for the coming year. Over the past couple of months, I’ve heard time and time again that 2010 will reflect the new reality: change is constant and the ability to roll with the punches will be ever-more important. On a more scientific front, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute’s Top 10 Health Industry Issues, healthcare cost control is at the head of the list as the overarching theme for the year ahead. The primary emphasis for all healthcare organizations will be on creating greater value in the health system, a focus that will have a domino effect from one sector to another and redefine roles, responsibilities, and relationships. According to PwC, this year’s top 10 issues are (drumroll please): No. 1. An intense effort to reduce healthcare costs — no stone will be left unturned. No. 2. The aftermath of health reform — healthcare organizations will be busy in 2010 absorbing the potential first waves of regulatory changes. No. 3. Government accelerates change through rewards and penalties — 2010 will be a double-bonus year for physicians who act quickly to take advantage of government incentives to adopt electronic medical records and e-prescribing. No. 4. Focus on fraud and mistakes — health reform is banking on as much as $1.6 billion in savings from healthcare fraud prevention and recovery to bend the curve on cost growth. No. 5. Technology and telecommunications sectors become leading players in healthcare — with a huge boost from the 2009 stimulus package, these companies are aggressively capturing a growing share of the healthcare business. No. 6. Big pharma joins the healthcare delivery team — the role of pharmaceutical and life-sciences companies will evolve from manufacturer/supplier to full partner on the healthcare delivery team as its focus shifts from lab-based outcomes to promoting prevention and patient outcomes. No. 7. Physician groups to rejoin health systems — the percentage of hospitals employing physicians has almost doubled since 1994, and PwC expects the trend will continue in 2010 as physicians seek greater stability and electronic connectivity. No. 8. Alternative care delivery models to emerge — traditional care delivery models will give way to alternative models of care outside of physicians’ offices and hospitals. No. 9. H1N1 elevates emphasis on readiness for public health outbreak — healthcare organizations, public health officials, and employers will need to re-evaluate readiness for a major public health outbreak. No. 10. Community health becomes new social responsibility — stimulus funding is providing grant money and other incentives for the development of evidence-based clinical and community-based prevention and wellness strategies to address chronic disease rates. A full copy of PwC’s Health Research Institute’s predictions, including implications for healthcare organizations, is available at www.pwc.com/us/top10. Here’s to 2010 — change is a-comin’. A Resolute New Year Ahead
