INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

The long-awaited breakthrough for follow-on biologics may be close at hand.

Prompted by a far more supportive President and the growing crisis in healthcare funding, Congress has again taken up the call for a bill that would create a regulatory pathway for FDA approval of generic versions of biologically-engineered drugs. And with the strong affirmation of President Obama, who has campaigned for such an approval pathway, the newest iteration of the bill stands a far better chance of passage than previous attempts in the House and Senate.

In a week where too much was made of MinuteClinic’s seasonal closings, Take Care Health Systems’ announcement that it will focus on providing greater year-round services is not only a nod to the strong future of the clinic model and its further expansion, but also its expanded role in healthcare reform.

It also should be noted that Take Care Health continues to open up clinics at a very "Walgreens-like" clip; in fact, new clinic openings are announced nearly every day.

The last few weeks have seen a lot of acquisition activity among large pharmaceutical companies.

First, Pfizer announced in January that it would acquire Wyeth for approximately $68 billion. This month saw three more mergers: Merck & Co.’s $41.1 billion purchase of Schering-Plough Corp., Roche’s $46.8 billion purchase of Genentech and Gilead Science’s purchase of CV Therapeutics.

First and foremost, this bill as well as others supported by the voice of community pharmacy — the National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Community Pharmacy Association — stand as testimony to the overarching value pharmacy brings in the delivery of America’s healthcare.

This week another force emerged from the private sector to take the lead on health information technology, a coalition of more than 50 pharmacy operators, healthcare companies and technology vendors known as the Health Information Trust Alliance.

When one of the retail pharmacy industry’s best-known merchandising gurus is pulled away from the front end of the store and put in charge of purchasing and new cost-saving efficiency programs behind the pharmacy counter, you know big changes are afoot.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America released a report Thursday showing a record number of stroke and heart disease medications in clinical trials or awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval, with more than 300 this year, compared to 146 in 2005.

Behind the decision by United Drugs and Associated Pharmacies to merge is one overriding theme: a national, integrated cooperative of more than 2,000 pharmacies all rowing in roughly the same direction is a force to be reckoned with.

In today’s economic maelstrom, it may also mean the difference between success and failure for many of the independent pharmacy operators operating under the combined United-Associated umbrella.