Volume 2 Issue 4 – March 2006
Reform of Drug Regulation – An NEJM Sounding Board Article
Reform of Drug Regulation
by W. A. Ray and C. M. Stein, NEJM, January 12 2006, Vol 354(2)
Recent withdrawals of high-profile drugs highlight the limitations of drug regulation by the FDA and safety testing by the pharmaceutical industry. Conflicting interests of manufacturers and the FDA afflict the current system. To avoid “drug disasters,” the authors propose increasing the availability of post-marketing data, curtailing the influence of manufacturers on drug release, and raising physician awareness of all available drug data.
Volunteering Overseas – An NEJM Audio Interview
A. J. Wolfberg, NEJM, February 2 2006, Vol 354(5)
Every year, thousands of physicians, including Senator Bill Frist, travel to developing countries to lend their skills and expertise. In the brief time away, these volunteer physicians focus on direct patient care, medical education, public health promotion, or improvement of the local health care infrastructure.
Home Testing for HIV – An NEJM Perspective Article
A. A. Wright and I. T. Katz, NEJM, February 2 2006, Vol 354(5)
Do-it-yourself HIV home test kits may be hitting over-the counter shelves sooner than we think. After two decades, the FDA has changed its position on HIV home test kits, citing home tests as excellent screening tools that may be a step forward in stopping the spread of the AIDS epidemic.
Ethnic and Racial Differences in the Smoking-Related Risks of Lung Cancer – An NEJM Original Article
C. A. Haiman et al., NEJM, January 26 2006, Vol 354 (4)
80-90% of lung cancer cases are attributable to cigarette smoking. However, the incidence of lung cancer varies greatly across race and ethnic groups. The Multiethnic Cohort Study finds that among cigarette smokers (who smoke less than 30 cigarettes per day), African Americans and Native Hawaiians are more susceptible to lung cancer than Japanese Americans, Latinos and white men and women.
Pathways Through Medicine: M.D.-M.B.A.s
The Third Installment in NextGen’s “Pathways Through Medicine” Series
Many medical schools are now offering joint M.D.–M.B.A. programs that train physicians to address problems at the intersection of medicine, business, and policy. In coming years, how will these physicians apply their skills to the big problems in health care?
Women in Medicine: Starting a Family
The First Installment of NextGen’s “Women in Medicine” Series
When should female physicians intent on starting families have children? How do these young doctors balance obligations to their medical professions and their families?
