According to new IMS data, Medicare Part D has increased sales of cholesterol-lowering statins by 7 percent.
That increase represents more people being appropriately treated for a chronic health problem (in this case hyperlipidemia) that, when appropriately treated, stops them from progressing to more serious acute health conditions (heart attack, stroke, etc.).
And that, dear friends, saves not only lives, but money -- lots of money. This demonstrates once again the prescience of the underlying philosphy behind the MMA -- catch disease early, treat it chronically, reduce acute care costs, enhance and prolong the lives of our citizens. And not necessarily in that order.
And remember, "appropriate" care means the care a physician deems best for the patient -- not "payor permitted" care -- that which is least expensive. Clearly there are many issues at stake here, not the least of which is forced switching of medicines such as (yes, you guessed it) statins.
The facts, the evidence is becoming clearer every day -- "cost-centric" care is penny-wise and pound foolish when compared to "patient-centric" care -- the real evidence-based medicine.
That increase represents more people being appropriately treated for a chronic health problem (in this case hyperlipidemia) that, when appropriately treated, stops them from progressing to more serious acute health conditions (heart attack, stroke, etc.).
And that, dear friends, saves not only lives, but money -- lots of money. This demonstrates once again the prescience of the underlying philosphy behind the MMA -- catch disease early, treat it chronically, reduce acute care costs, enhance and prolong the lives of our citizens. And not necessarily in that order.
And remember, "appropriate" care means the care a physician deems best for the patient -- not "payor permitted" care -- that which is least expensive. Clearly there are many issues at stake here, not the least of which is forced switching of medicines such as (yes, you guessed it) statins.
The facts, the evidence is becoming clearer every day -- "cost-centric" care is penny-wise and pound foolish when compared to "patient-centric" care -- the real evidence-based medicine.
