blogster comments

zurcroniumToday  03:46 pm JST

CA is in lockdown mode as well and number of infections is skyrocketing. You son is better off in NZ

despite the risk of flying. USA has 2000 new cases just yesterday. NZ has 155 total yesterday.

Half the cases are in New York; just '5% are in California. California is about 50% bigger than New Zealand. Hiding out in a hotel room in California is just as good as hiding out in your house back home, minus the risk of travel.

As someone who works in the industry, the pharma companies are merely bloviating, releasing nothing but hot air. Japan is the second largest pharmaceutical market in the world with an ageing demographic which has a growing rate of chronic diseases which require ongoing treatment. You really think they are going to check out? Where are they going to go? What would they tell their shareholders?

It's ironic that the American industry spokesperson, apparently from a country that promotes capitalism (in reality profit maximisation), is concerned about the ultimate outcomes of such measures (i.e., greater competitive pressures).

Countries around the world (Australia, the UK, New Zealand) tie drug cost-effectiveness to ultimate decisions about listing a drug, the level of subsidy and the patient groups that will be eligible for treatment. Ageing populations in advanced economies is a worldwide problem and credit to the Japanese Government if this actually happens. I hope it is happening for all drugs being assessed.

I note some of the details, however, "ICER, already used in countries such as Britain, considers how much it costs to give a patient one additional year of healthy life compared with existing alternatives. If that exceeds 5 million yen, for example, the government may insist on a lower price, according the policy draft."

The UK Government's drug evaluation arm, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has a incremental cost-effectiveness (ICER) threshold of approximately 30,000 pounds per QALY (i.e. one additional full year of life in perfect health); the Japanese Government's proposed threshold is therefore 15% more generous.

The problem with the Japanese medical industry is the power of clinicians - they are remunerated based on the number of contacts they have with patients.

It would appear that a significant part of the problem (that which is in the ability of the Japanese to remedy) is their tendency to look inward and not see beyond this. This impacts their desire to encourage tourism in the first place, to understand the outside perspective (how they use star power) and how infrastructure and society are set up. It represents a clash between Japanese ways and ways that while they may diminish the traditions and Japanese-ness will have positive impacts on the economy and its long term survival. But I fear Japan will be unnecessarily, overly, stubborn.

too old. beautiful, but many much younger, fresher and youthful women around.

yakuza front?

cleoJan. 20, 2014 - 04:48PM JST

Spare me the sanctimony and self absorption. Men are now increasingly understanding that in marriage they generally have a great deal to lose from marriage than women. Many men from western societies are now all too familiar with the horror stories of divorce and the raw deal men get from family and divorce courts. I've read and heard of too many accounts of men's marriages being wrecked because of a wife being vaguely 'unhaapppy' and dissatisfied with the man, no matter what he does, or worse, 'trading up' when something better comes along.

And before you say 'Not All Women Are Like That!' or try to re-direct the blame back on men, the reality is there are a sufficient number of cases for it to be a risk worth considering for a man before entering marriage.

Stating your intentions up front is simply letting the other know where you stand. Laying a guilt trip on men for wanting to do so really only speaks of your self interest as a woman.