"Turkish 'promoted' by categories"
(Il Sole 24 Ore: page 31 – 12 January 2008)
According to a survey by Sole 24 Ore Sanità, the Minister of Health Livia Turco receives an overall rating of '6 and a half' from the world of Health for the first 20 months as Minister. The maximum vote of '10 cum laude' comes from the drug distributors, the lowest '2' from the leaders of the Anpo union. However, the cross-section of a healthcare full of uncertainties emerges and still awaits too many answers.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15336
"Three new orders for Healthcare"
(Il Sole 24 Ore: page 31 – 12 January 2008)
A new Decree Law from the Ministry of Health should establish 3 new Orders for the 550,000 non-management healthcare workers. The current Colleges of nurses, midwives and medical radiology technicians will be transformed into Orders. All the other profiles will flow into these Orders, each with its own specific Register. The scheme of the Decree also leaves room for the establishment of a fourth Order, only if the profession that requires it has at least 20,000 members and is present with a minimum of 500 operators in at least 18 Regions.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15335
"Doctors: the prize is not denied to anyone"
(Il Sole 24 Ore: page 5 – 12 January 2008)
The evaluation of doctors is an illusion. Everything takes place under the banner of self-referentiality with regional criteria that are absent on average in the 60% of Italian healthcare companies and failures almost do not exist. According to an analysis by Aran, the government agency that deals with public contracts, the problem is that the evaluation bodies are made up of internal or external subjects appointed by the political body to which they answer. A possible solution for new contracts: evaluate not only the individuals, but also their activity within the operating unit to which they belong and also analyze the structural results.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15334
Change of management in hospitals in Lombardy
(Corriere della Sera Milan: page 5 – 12 January 2008)
The leaders of the 44 hospitals and local health authorities in Lombardy are changing. The appointment of the Health and Administrative Directors by the General Managers in office since 1 January 2008 is expected by 21 January.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15333
"Antitrust beacon on medicines"
(Il Sole 24 Ore: page 18 – 12 January 2008)
According to the Antitrust, buying drugs with 'package' tenders guarantees great discounts for local health authorities and hospitals that get advantageous prices, but generic companies, which offer a discount on individual products but who have little opportunity to maneuver on prices compared to the original drug manufacturers, risk being penalised. The Antitrust therefore proposes an 'open to competition' prescription to obtain the maximum discount from everyone: yes to separate packages – patent and off-patent drugs – only if it is indispensable; otherwise green light only to separate tenders that group active ingredients that share the same therapeutic function.
http://www.aboutpharma.it/notizia.asp?id=15332
"San Donato buys the Villa Erbosa hospital"
(Free market: page 14, I
