TGIF

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that

President Trump said Friday he was preparing an executive order that would lower drug prices so that the federal government would pay no more than the costs paid by other countries. He said the action would focus on a “favored-nations clause,” which is generally a contract under which a seller gives buyers the same best terms it offers to others.

Bad idea.  Focus on the patent law problems instead. What's next? Will a public option be included in the President's healthcare plan which he plans to announce this Summer.

The Journal also reports that

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a record 43 new drugs last year through fast-track programs that skip or shorten major steps other drugs must pass, or 73% of total new drugs. That compares with 10 expedited drugs, or 38% of the total, approved 10 years ago. The proportion of new drugs receiving expedited approvals has been at least 60% for each of the past five years. It was below 60% in the previous five. 

The article assesses whether the additional speed to market outweighs the skipped research steps. It's evidently a mixed bag.

Here are a few items called to the FEHBlog's attention by his friends and relatives:

• A detailed Kaiser Family Foundation report on the case challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit will hear next Tuesday. 

• An American Pharmacists Association report on challenges facing U.S.  community pharmacists, who form an important part of our healthcare system.

• The FEHBlog's youngest kid, who works as a research coordinator at Penn Medicine, told him today that his primary physician investigator is studying for an advanced degree in translational research. Here is a link to an interesting UC Davis article on this area fo study which sounds like an insightful way to advance medicare care.