Good news. Seems like Senator Barbara Mikulski (D, MD) agrees that doctors should be able to practice patient-centric (vs. cost-based) medicine. Here’s an exchange that took place between her and FDA Commissioner-designate Peggy Hamburg at the latter’s confirmation hearing:
Senator Mikulski: "As we take a look at reforming health care and improving access, one of the things that we have to be able to do is get value for what we pay for, which also goes to the efficacy of pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices. What role will you play in the health care debate to give us ideas and recommendations on efficacy?"
Dr. Hamburg: "I very much look forward to being involved in health care reform efforts around these important issues and making sure that drugs, vaccines, diagnostics and devices are as appropriately used as possible to make a real and enduring difference in health in this country.”
Senator Mikulski: "I hope you're at the table too and I hope FDA's at the table because I don't want ... what drugs the American people have access to determined by insurance company formulary gatekeepers. I would hope that it would be based on efficacy as well as safety so that a clinician when they were prescribing not only knows what is safe ... but also what has the greatest efficacy and therefore gets the most value for health care."
Bravo.
Dr.
Dr.
Glad that’s settled.
