Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Worthwhile Stuff to Read

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving holiday. Here are a few interesting articles for your reading pleasure.

As always, I welcome links to interesting stories from Drug Channels readers.

AmerisourceBergen's Scrimp-and-Save Dave (Business Week) – Ever wonder about the glamorous life of a Fortune 28 CEO? Then read this Business Week article about Dave Yost, President and CEO of AmerisourceBergen (ABC). He “answers his own phone, flies economy class, and rarely strays beyond a shortie turkey hoagie with provolone from the local deli near his sterile industrial park headquarters in Valley Forge, PA.” Dave apparently conducted the interview from “a 1970s-era plaid chair … that looks like a yard sale find.” Interesting article, but I wonder if cost-cutting is the same as efficiency.

Pharma Ponders a Track-and-Trace System (RFID Journal) – A review of this year’s NACDS/HDMA RFID Track & Trace Healthcare Summit from an unabashed pro-RFID booster, i.e., the editor of RFID Journal. The following conclusion caught my attention: “At the meeting, I got the feeling many attendees were there to hear the latest regarding which regulation is in the offing, and that they were happy to learn that no regulation is imminent. There was little discussion of the potential business benefits of employing RFID and 2-D bar codes for track and trace.” Yikes!

Knockoff Report – A fascinating blog devoted to collecting stories about counterfeit goods of all types, including: pharmaceuticals, liquor, DVDs, tires, Madonna tickets, condoms (?), and just about anything else you can imagine. Fun but scary reading. Hat tip to Pharmacoma.

1 comment:

  1. Agreed, being frugal and being efficient are never the same.

    Anyone that follows RFID knows the industry is not at all wanting to do this. The visibility beyond the manufacturer to what really goes on with drugs is intimidating. Even pharma manufacturers don't want to know!
    -A

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