Day: 11/27/2014
Marijuana Overdoses Kill 46 In Oregon During First Week Of Legalization
http://thatoregonlife.com/2014/11/marijuana-overdoses-kill-46-oregon-first-week-legalization/
“Jesse Pinkman, a former methamphetamine dealer from New Mexico, and victim of the strain White Widow, came to Oregon to clean up his life. According to witnesses, Jesse did not realize just how potent Oregon marijuana was…”
The seriously messed-up ugliness of per se laws
http://www.drugwarrant.com/2014/11/the-seriously-messed-up-ugliness-of-per-se/#comments
Even though another driver caused the accident, it was the Island Lake father who faced up to 14 years in prison. He was not impaired at the time, but Shirey, now 52, was charged two months later after a blood test showed traces of marijuana in his system from — according to his attorney — smoking it a month beforehand.
“Nothing can possibly illustrate this idiotic law more than the Scott Shirey case,” defense attorney Patrick O’Byrne said.
6/28/2013, OxyContin a gateway to heroin for upper-income addicts
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/15/heroin-crackdown-oxycodone-hydrocodone/1963123/
“As bad as oxycodone is, heroin is worse…”
“The bottom line: Vermont’s stratospheric heroin increase is happening where the money is, and the national drug abuse trends suggest that the same thing is happening across the country.”
Out of the Closet
11/25/2014, By studying immigrants, book provides a new view on social media and political movements
The immigrant-rights movement, for instance, has used an approach developed by the gay-rights community, in which immigrants “out” themselves as undocumented residents in YouTube videos, Tumblr posts, street signs, and more. In so doing, they are attempting to humanize what can be an abstract debate.
“It’s a real human being saying, ‘It’s me, I’m a person, and if we’re going to have a real conversation, you need to look me in the eye so we can talk about it,'” Costanza-Chock observes.
http://www.420magazine.com/forums/new-mexico-mmj/232586-out-closet.html
Arizona Pot Researcher Sacked for Politics Finds Home in Colorado
http://www.tokeofthetown.com/2014/11/arizona_pot_researcher_sacked_for_politics_finds_h.php
“Monday, the state of Colorado announced that they will put $10 million toward medical research – including $2 million going towards Sisley’s study.”
10/25/2014, Cardinal Health Rival Lands Growth Vehicle in Europe
http://www.columbusceo.com/content/stories/Dispatch/2013/10/cardinal-health-rival.html
“Cardinal Health rival McKesson announced it has reached an agreement to purchase German distributor Celesio for $8.3 billion, a deal that is expected to create repercussions throughout the drug-distribution industry.”
10/18/2013, Dublin to gain jobs as Cardinal Health closes New Mexico facility
“Cardinal Health will cut about 175 jobs at its Albuquerque, N.M., operations in phases and close the facility by September 2014.”
9/2014, Pharmacy Implementation of the Drug Supply Chain Security Act
Click to access DSP_DrugSafety_DCSCAFactsheet_v2.pdf
“The Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA)* of 2013 created a national system in which companies involved in pharmaceutical distribution work together to safeguard the U.S. pharmaceutical supply and protect consumers from compromised or counterfeit drugs.”
1/2006, New Wholesaler Model Will Affect Hospital Pharmacies
http://www.pharmacypracticenews.com/ViewArticle.aspx?d_id=53&a_id=2982
The “Big Three” pharmaceutical wholesalers are changing the way they do business—and hospital pharmacies are likely to bear part of the cost.
In the past, McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen made a significant portion of their money by buying drugs as an investment and selling them when prices rose—a technique called “buy and hold.” But a new fee-for-service model is emerging in which wholesalers earn their keep by charging manufacturers—and eventually pharmacies—for what they do….
Adding to the quandary of the GPOs is increased competition from wholesalers. Some experts believe the two industries are deliberately trying to put each other out of business by taking on each other’s roles.
“The epic battle is between GPOs and wholesalers,” said Mr. Johnson. But McKesson’s Mr. Felton said his company was not out to compete with GPOs and that “there is not an epic battle from McKesson’s perspective…”
His own guess is that in three or four years, “GPOs will be less powerful and wholesalers will be a lot more powerful.” Mr. Johnson said that the GPOs and wholesalers might fight until only one side remained, or else they might “merge and consolidate.” Government action might introduce a new factor. Dr. Hartmann suggested that if wholesalers continued to move into the sphere of GPOs, government oversight may result.
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Looks like Mr. Johnson and Dr. Hartmann were prescience: McKesson is a wholesaler and has become more powerful. The war on pain patients provided the government action that “might introduce a new factor.” Government oversight resulted.
“The DEA is closely monitoring production and distribution patterns… Such actions send a loud signal to drug wholesalers. One company, McKesson, said it is reviewing orders and setting thresholds to prevent drug diversion.”
2/11/2011, Getting pills a pain even for legitimate patients
“Are all these efforts having any impact on the street trade? Law enforcement officials say they haven’t seen any dramatic slowdown in traffic.”
All Things Chronic 