This report reviews the important role of medicines in health sytems, describes recent trends in pharmaceutical expenditure and financing, and summarises the approaches used by OECD countries to determine coverage and pricing.

One hundred years ago a series of seminal documents, starting with the Flexner Report of 1910, sparked an enormous burst of energy to harness the power of science to transform higher education in health. Professional education, however, has not been able to keep pace with the challenges of the 21st century. A new generation of reforms is needed to meet the demands of health systems in an interdependent world. The report of the Commission on the Education of Health Professionals for the 21st Century, a global independent initiative consisting of 20 leaders from diverse disciplinary backgrounds and institutional affiliations, articulates a fresh vision and recommends renewed actions. Building on a rich legacy of educational reforms during the past century, the Commission's findings and recommendations adopt a global and multi-professional perspective using a systems approach to analyze education and health, with a focus on institutional and instructional reforms.

The definitive guide to PACS — now with more clinically applicable material In recent years, the field of picture archiving and communications systems—PACS—and image informatics has advanced due to both conceptual and technological advancements. This edition of PACS and Imaging Informatics: Basic Principles and Applications addresses the latest in this exciting field. In contrast to the previous edition, this updated text uses the framework of image informatics, not physics or engineering principles, to explain PACS. It is the only resource that thoroughly covers the critical issues of hardware/software design and implementation in a systematic and easily comprehensible manner. To strengthen and update the book, the author: Emphasizes clinical applications of PACS and integrates clinical examples throughout the text Reflects the many changes in the field, with new chapters on Web-based PACS, security, integrating the healthcare enterprise, clinical management systems, and the electronic patient record Uses the framework of imaging informatics to explain PACS, making the book accessible to those without advanced knowledge of physics, engineering, math, or information technology Explains how PACS can improve workflow, therapy, and treatment With the most systematic and thorough coverage of practical applications available, this text is the complete guide for all those involved in designing, implementing, and using PACS. Professionals in medical and allied health imaging informatics; radiologists and their technical staff; surgeons and oncologists and their teams; medical and electronic engineers; medical informaticians; and fellows, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates will all benefit from this valuable resource. "An excellent book for people involved in the design, implementation, or simply the operations of PACS and an appropriate textbook." —From a review of the previous edition in IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology "The strength of the book lies in the vast experience of the author, who has implemented PACS at numerous institutions in the United States and abroad." —From a review of the previous edition in Radiology

Thanks to remarkable advances in modern health care attributable to science, engineering, and medicine, it is now possible to cure or manage illnesses that were long deemed untreatable. At the same time, however, the United States is facing the vexing challenge of a seemingly uncontrolled rise in the cost of health care. Total medical expenditures are rapidly approaching 20 percent of the gross domestic product and are crowding out other priorities of national importance. The use of increasingly expensive prescription drugs is a significant part of this problem, making the cost of biopharmaceuticals a serious national concern with broad political implications. Especially with the highly visible and very large price increases for prescription drugs that have occurred in recent years, finding a way to make prescription medicinesâ€"and health care at largeâ€"more affordable for everyone has become a socioeconomic imperative. Affordability is a complex function of factors, including not just the prices of the drugs themselves, but also the details of an individual's insurance coverage and the number of medical conditions that an individual or family confronts. Therefore, any solution to the affordability issue will require considering all of these factors together. The current high and increasing costs of prescription drugsâ€"coupled with the broader trends in overall health care costsâ€"is unsustainable to society as a whole. Making Medicines Affordable examines patient access to affordable and effective therapies, with emphasis on drug pricing, inflation in the cost of drugs, and insurance design. This report explores structural and policy factors influencing drug pricing, drug access programs, the emerging role of comparative effectiveness assessments in payment policies, changing finances of medical practice with regard to drug costs and reimbursement, and measures to prevent drug shortages and foster continued innovation in drug development. It makes recommendations for policy actions that could address drug price trends, improve patient access to affordable and effective treatments, and encourage innovations that address significant needs in health care.

KEY BENFIT:David's Strategic Managementoffers a skills-oriented, practitioner perspective that has been updated with modern cases to reflect current research and strategy. This text covers strategy formulation issues such as business ethics, global vs. domestic operations, vision/mission, matrix analysis, partnering, joint venturing, competitive analysis, and includes a brand new cohesion case on the Walt Disney Company. For management professionals, small business owners and others involved in business.