Adult-vaccination center opened
To promote adult vaccination against such illnesses as hepatitis B, German measles, chickenpox, and influenza, the Dr. Victor R. Potenciano Medical Center (VRPMC) in Mandaluyong City recently inaugurated its adult-vaccination center in partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The center makes available not only adult vaccines but also vaccine-related educational materials.
VRPMC's adult-vaccination program seeks not only to make vaccines available to adults but also to promote disease awareness and education, especially among those in the hospital's neighboring areas. "People who are more informed about the complications of vaccine-preventable diseases are more likely to inquire and seek medical attention and have themselves vaccinated," the hospital said. It noted that most Filipinos are not aware that adults also need vaccination to keep them protected from infectious diseases.
Cipriana Tan, head of VRPMC's medical ancillary division, said the center will offer vaccines to the hospital's corporate and walk-in clients from different areas of Metro Manila.
CDUH gives hepa-B vaccine at birth
Cebu Doctors University Hospital (CDUH) adopted in January a program giving hepatitis-B vaccines to all babies delivered in the hospital no later than 12 hours from birth. The project is spearheaded by pediatricians Guillermo Blanco, Cleta Roselle, and Ronald Lim-Chiu, and endorsed by the Cebu chapter of the Philippine Pediatric Society.
Hepatitis B can be transmitted from mother to child, and vaccinating the infant 12 hours from birth would help prevent transmission of the virus.
Blanco said viral hepatitis remains a significant public-health problem in the Western Pacific. "Immunization of infants is the main strategy to prevent these infections and reduce the prevalence of chronic infection," he said. "The service is made available at CDUH and its affiliate, Mactan Doctors Hospital, in keeping with their image as baby-friendly medical institutions in their area."
The new policy hopes to help prevent the spread of infections and to reduce significantly the risk of children becoming chronic hepatitis-B carriers.
The Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, meanwhile, has endorsed a congressional measure to make hepatitis-B vaccination within 12 hours after an infant's birth mandatory. In support of this, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Philippines is making hepatitis vaccines more accessible. GSK has also spearheaded an adult-vaccination campaign.
Pharmacoeconomics is BASIC
Therapharma's pharmacoeconomics program shifts to high gear this year with the launch of its Pharmacoeconomics is B.A.S.I.C. campaign meant to instill in the minds of both health professionals and patients that there is more to pharmacoeconomics than the price of drugs.
Contrary to what many people associate pharmacoeconomics with, it is not just about affordability, according to Therapharma vice president and general manager James Dio.
"Basic," to Therapharma, means more than just being vital, essential, or necessary. Medical practitioners and patients should make pharmacoeconomics a fundamental consideration in the choice of medication, especially for cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.
In the context of pharmacoeconomics, B.A.S.I.C., stands for Bioequivalence and Affordability Sustain Intervention and Compliance.
"While a pharmacoeconomic drug should be affordable, it also has to be bioequivalent so that the patient would be able to sustain and comply with long-term medication," explained Dio. He added: "Drug efficacy is a major consideration in the treatment, for instance, of hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. And exactly the same generic drug may not produce exactly the same effect. This is why in prescribing and buying medicines, the most important consideration is bioequivalence."
Bioequivalence means that a generic drug has the same efficacy as the originator drug based on tests. A low-priced drug that is not bioequivalent and is not able to treat a medical condition efficaciously cannot be considered pharmacoeconomic, Dio added.
In Therapharma's view, pharmacoeconomics allows doctors to prescribe their patients alternatives to the more expensive drugs while enhancing patient compliance. It also makes patients active participants in the treatment and management of their condition, in the process generating a more lasting and significant change.
Running parallel to the Pharmacoeconomics is B.A.S.I.C. campaign is Club Pharmaco, a patient-support program that not only educates patients about their disease but also helps ensure success of treatment through better patient compliance.
Club Pharmaco is a partnership among doctors, patients, and Therapharma to help patients effectively deal with chronic disorders like hypertension and diabetes, and encourage sustained compliance with treatment.
J & J's child-care center
In line with its commitment to provide programs and services responsive to employees' needs, Johnson & Johnson Philippines has established the J & J Child Care Center for its employees' children inside the company's facilities.
"We wanted to provide an appropriate place for new mothers to continue breast-feeding their newborns and provide a special area to express their milk," said Ruiz Salazar, J & J human-resources director. "In addition to that, we also wanted to provide [our employees] a safe and friendly place for bonding with their preschool children during breaks."
Salazar said that with the set-up, J & J employees bring their kids to work and leave them at the center while they focus on their work. During lunch or coffee break, they spend time with them.
"We want our employees to have alternative means for child care so they can manage the daily challenge of work-life balance," she said.
Johnson & Johnson partnered with the Little Dipper Learning Center in February 2004 to develop a curriculum based on early-childhood care and development (ECCD).
Ning Villa, director of Little Dipper, who acts as administrator of the center, said there are six themes in a program year with various topics on ECCD that benefit the children and their parents. "Among these topics are family and home, matter and its forms, and community helpers. Every month, an evaluation report of the child is given to the parents so that they can better appreciate their child's development," Villa explained.
Conceptualized as a major support program of J & J Work-Life Balance Program, the center is located at the company's Live for Life Gym. It has a rubberized play area with a playpen and outdoor playground where kids can work off those high energy levels and hone their motor skills. It provides educational materials such as computers, books and other learning tools to nurture the child's cognitive growth. The center also has a nap area with sleeping mats, a pantry with refrigerator, a baby changing area, separate restrooms for boys and girls and a common shower area. For mothers, the center also houses a nursery and breast-feeding area.
National health-care expo set
The Megatrade Hall and Image Plus Business Solutions (IPBS), an event-management group, have teamed up for the National Healthcare Expo 2005 (NHE2005) slated August 10 to 14 at Megatrade Hall 1, SM Megamall and on September 14 to 18 at Cebu Trade Halls 1 and 2, SM Cebu City.
NHE2005 will showcase health and fitness products and services to help raise public awareness about good health, and keeping fit. It provides not just a venue for the health-care and fitness industries to promote their products and services, but also a means for health-care and pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and health-care providers, manufacturers of health-care and fitness equipment, and consumers to interact.
The event brings an exciting mix of health-care products, equipment, and services with special emphasis on concern for babies and children, healthy living, alternative health care, first aid, and solutions for common health problems. There will be in-depth discussions on the latest trends in health care, launch of new health-care products, and presentations on healthy lifestyles.
NHE2005is supported by government and nongovernment health organizations and medical institutions. For details, call IPBS at +63-2-5322813, +63-2-5336038, +63-2-5344648, and +63-917-2815090 or imageplusevents@yahoo.com.
Rolex awards deadline
Entries to the 2006 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, the 30th anniversary of the international biennial initiative, will be accepted until May 31 next year. Enterprising individuals of any age, nationality, or background are invited to apply to the 12th edition of the philanthropic program created in 1976 to support groundbreaking projects in science and medicine, technology and innovation, exploration and discovery, the environment, and cultural heritage.
All projects must improve the human condition and, above all, demonstrate the candidate's unfailing spirit of enterprise.
Application forms may be downloaded from the Rolex Awards web site (www.rolexawards.com). Entries may be submitted online or sent to the Rolex Awards Secretariat (PO Box 1311, 1211 Geneva 26, Switzerland). Entries will be reviewed by the secretariat, which will make a short list for judging by an independent selection committee in early 2006. More information may be obtained from Andrew Herne (+852-25256156).
Pfizer earnings plummet 87%
NEW YORK
American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer suffered a decline in first-quarter earnings, following the pullout of erstwhile blockbuster drug Bextra.
First-quarter profits for the world's biggest drugmaker sank 87 percent from a year ago to US$301 million. Pfizer said its earnings also took a one-time hit due to taxes on repatriated earnings.
Revenues in the January-March period rose five percent to US$13.1 billion, better than most forecasts. The profit for the latest quarter included a number of items, including a charge of US$622 million related to purchase accounting for acquisitions, US$766 million in charges related to the suspension of sales of Bextra, and US$2.189 billion in tax expenses related to repatriated earnings.
A number of US companies are bringing back profits from overseas under a law allowing a one-time discounted tax rate. Pfizer will use this to repatriate US$28.5 billion.
"Several factors affected first-quarter results, including several unique to the quarter," said Alan Levin, chief financial officer. "Revenue growth benefited from strong performances of many major in-line medicines, as well as three additional days in our fiscal calendar compared to the first quarter of 2004," he said.
Pfizer forecasts adjusted earnings of US$1.98 per share for 2005. The company estimates the suspension of sales of Bextra will reduce adjusted and reported earnings by five cents per share this year.
AFP
Z-Vita cited for excellence
The Philippine Marketing Excellence Awards Institute, Sales and Marketing Magazine, and the Asian Institute of Marketing and Entrepreneurship named Z-Vita Syrup the most outstanding height-enhancement vitamin supplement last April 6 at the Westin Philippine Plaza in Manila.
Z-Vita Syrup received this honor for its outstanding marketing performance that led to its market dominance, goodwill, high level customer confidence, and acceptability.
Produced by Pediapharma Inc. (PPI) Z-Vita Syrup is a zinc-gluconate formulation with vitamin B1, B6, B12, and lysine to enhance zinc absorption.
A study by Dr. Lia Padilla of the Cardinal Santos Medical Center involving zinc supplementation in malnourished Filipino children showed that Z-Vita could increase height by 1.7 inches and weight by one kilogram compared with a control group after six months.
AstraZeneca posts record profits
LONDON
AstraZeneca posted a record 37-percent increase in pretax profits for the first quarter of 2005, boosted by strong sales growth and cost cutting. Pretax profits rose to US$1.486 billion dollars compared with US$1.084 billion dollars for the same period the previous year.
"These record profits derive from a strong sales performance, especially for our key growth products," said chief executive Tom McKillop. And it included "ongoing productivity improvements in research and development" and sales and general costs, he added. "This excellent start to the year has set us on track to deliver our financial targets for the year."
Sales for the period reached US$5.743 billion, a rise of 13 percent compared with the same quarter in 2004. Operating profit increased by 38 percent to US$1.453 billion.
|
