Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Kathleen Jaeger, JD Given the tremendous savings that generic drugs provide their patients, you would think doctors would know to turn to generics, but that is not always the case. To help educate them, some health care companies are turning to what is called counter detailing. Kathleen Jaeger, president and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about counter detailing efforts by the generic drug industry, health plans and others as a way to spur more interest in cheaper medications.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Kathleen Jaeger, JD Some physicians are still skittish about prescribing generic drugs, but the manufacturers of these less expensive medicines say they are increasingly important and there is less need to worry about their quality and safety than ever before. Kathleen Jaeger, president and CEO of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the generic industry's assurances of quality, as well as regulations that have helped this cause.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Kathleen Jaeger, JD Some of the most expensive drugs in the country are derived from biotechnology. But there is no law or regulatory pathway at the Food and Drug Administration to allow for cheaper biotech drugs such as those derived from chemicals like cholesterol pills or arthritis tablets with which doctors and their patients have become so familiar. Kathleen Jaeger, president and chief executive officer of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the state of the debate over a pathway for cheaper generic biotech drugs.

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD Where do we stand with stem cell research, and what does the future hold for this controversial field of investigation? Host Dr. Bruce Bloom discusses stem cell research with Dr. Ophir Klein, of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco.

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD What are the mechanisms behind animal tooth regeneration, and what can tooth stem cell research tell us? Your host, Dr. Bruce Bloom and Dr. Ophir Klein, of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco discuss stem cell research and the potential clinical applications pointed to by the study of the mouse incisor.

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Ophir Klein, MD, PhD Dr. Ophir Klein, of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program at the University of California, San Francisco discusses his research on the mouse incisor and its continual growth correlated with stem cells, with your host, Dr. Bruce Bloom. Listen in as the Dr. Klein explores the world of stem cell research on the mouse incisor as related to overall and specific organ development.

Host: Gary Kohn, MD Guest: Merrill Goozner As Massachusetts moves to authorize a mandate on individual health insurance, are these efforts hamstrung by state-level conflicts of interest? Will similar conflicts arise on the national level? Merrill Goozner, director of the Integrity in Science Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, addresses several obstacles to universal health care, including our need for comprehensive, independent sources of medical information. Dr. Gary Kohn hosts.

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Owen J. Dahl, MBA Have you thought about speaking out, taking action to help reform our healthcare system? What can you do? Where do you begin? How can you make a difference? In this segment medical practice management consultant Owen Dahl talks to host Dr. Larry Kaskel about the steps a physician can take and the specific channels he can use to make a difference in health care policy.

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Owen J. Dahl, MBA What are the greatest challenges in your practice? Is it collections? Or possibly conflicts between your staff? Most likely the greatest challenges don’t have to do with doctoring. Is it time to call in a consultant to help you manage costs effectively and move on? Join host Dr. Larry Kaskel with practice consultant Owen Dahl as they discuss the role of a consultant, the project cycle, and a few tips you and your office manager might use to streamline operations in your practice.

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD Guest: Jawed Fareed, PhD The FDA has issued an extensive recall on several contaminated heparin products, problems which have been traced back to ingredients from China, which were so similar to heparin that the contaminants fooled standard quality testing. Dr. Jawed Fareed, professor of pathology and pharmacology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, details the standard quality test process with host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill. How we can prevent future deception with these tests? Further, understanding that the contaminated ingredients came from China, is it fair to ask whether the United States is outsourcing too much of the drug production process?