Readers of the newsletter will be interested in the details of the February 2011 call for manuscripts on pharmaceuticals and the health of the public. Details are shown below.

THE DR. FRANCES KELSEY SPECIAL ISSUE OF MEDICAL CARE: PHARMACEUTICALS and the HEALTH of the PUBLIC

The past two years have marked important anniversaries in the history of public health-oriented medical care. First, 2009 was the 35^th anniversary of Silverman and Lee’s seminal work Pills, Profits and Politics. Second, 2010 marked the 50^th anniversary of Dr. Frances Kelsey’s distinguished service award for her decision to thwart the marketing of thalidomide, which averted an impending disaster for drug-exposed fetuses. Such milestones spurred the Drug Policy and Pharmacy Services Committee of the Medical Care Section to mark these occasions with a special edition of the Journal.  The special edition will feature clinical and health policy research advances related to medication prescribing and use.  Specifically, we are seeking manuscript submissions to support sound medication use, as well as the societal and professional practices and policies to guide this objective. The Medical Care Section of APHA is committed to a mission to assure that the U.S. health care system provides access to an affordable, quality health care system.  Appropriate use of medication is integral to that mission.

Manuscripts are sought within any of the following topic areas:

·         Effectiveness and comparative effectiveness, including observational studies from large databases and secondary analysis of data from clinical trials.

·         Drug safety in community populations. 

·         Regulatory sciences, for example: the impact of boxed warnings on utilization, cost and safety of pharmaceuticals; the impact of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA); the legacy of the Joint Commission on Prescription Drug Use; recent FDA panel decisions and impact on drug utilization.

·         Drug safety studies with AERs data, the FDA Sentinel Initiative or other models.

·         Impact of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising on utilization, cost and safety of pharmaceuticals.

·         Medication error, and systems to reduce its incidence and improve outcomes.

·         Strengths and weaknesses of the U.S. drug development system.

·         The role of government in assuring the health of the public with a focus on pharmaceutical efficacy, effectiveness, safety and access.

·         Off-label prescribing practices and policies, both in the United States and in other health systems.

·         Global health: ethics and regulation from a global pharmaceutical perspective.

·         Disparities (regional, racial, ethnic, and vulnerable populations) in medication utilization patterns.

·         Medication persistence or adherence;  consumer/ patient medication education.

·         Impact of Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act and similar legislated mandates for effectiveness and safety of pediatric medicines.

·         Cost of illness, cost-effectiveness, and insurance coverage of pharmaceuticals.

·         Comparative international approaches: NICE guidelines in the U.K. vs. U.S. medical specialty guidelines.

·         Technology assessment and drug insurance coverage.

All manuscripts should be submitted through Editorial Manager by July 31, 2011.  A Letter of Intent should be submitted by March 31, 2011.