Stanford Report, June 15, 2005

New issue of Stanford Medicine examines nation's growing drug habit

“America the pharmaceutical”

Nearly half of the U.S. population takes at least one prescription drug a day. "That's a phenomenal statistic," says the medical school's dean Philip Pizzo, MD, in the latest Stanford Medicine magazine.

The Summer 2005 issue of the medical school's magazine, which came out this week, examines "America the pharmaceutical," exploring America's love/hate relationship with pharmaceutical drugs. While drugs are one of society's greatest assets, the public's faith in their reliability is in jeopardy of late. "That's troubling because it strikes at the core of our health-care system," says Pizzo.

Revelations of pharmaceutical company deceptions and the government watchdog agency's inaction make consumers nervous. Direct-to-consumer drug advertising amps demand for the quick-fix drugs promise. And the power of drugs, such as steroids, to make good-enough even better is sparking societal angst.

Among the contents in the special report are:

  • An in-depth look at America's pharmaceutical drug habits and their implications.
  • An answer to the question: Is it ever ethical to test drugs on kids?
  • A numerical snapshot revealing the pharmaceutical industry's powerful place in society.
  • A Q & A with futurist Faith Popcorn predicting the surprises pharmaceuticals hold in store.
  • Analysis of the government's system for assuring drug safety, featuring insights from Stanford faculty and former Food and Drug Administration commissioner and Stanford president Donald Kennedy.
  • The story behind the national effort to nail down kid-safe dosages for drugs designed for adults.
  • An explanation of the process that results in multifarious names for the same drug—and why so many include the letters X, Y or Z.
  • An insider's perspective on the FDA panel on Cox-2 inhibitors
  • A fanciful take on America's love of drugs, told in rhyme.

    • The issue also offers medical center news, research updates and two profiles. The first is a portrait of medical school alumnus William Northway, MD, winner of the medical alumni association's distinguished alumnus award. He's a pediatric radiologist at Stanford whose discoveries changed the way premature babies with lung disease are treated worldwide.

    The second profile is about professor Halsted Holman, MD, long-time Stanford rabble-rouser and architect of the school's Department of Medicine.

    Look for the magazines in departmental offices and online at http://mednews.stanford.edu/stanmed/2005summer/. To obtain copies, please send e-mail to sharknes@stanford.edu.