Health Care Sector Investment

In a well-written informative Morningstar article dated 4/15/09 (click the title above for the link), "Health Care on the Defensive", John Gabriel lists issues affecting investors' interest in the Health Care Sector. He observes that the paucity of details of Obama's plans for health care reform and policy change makes investors skittish. He describes and explains his concerns about investments in the pharmaceutical industry. Among other issues, Gabriel addresses pharmaceutical/drug imports.

My concern about drug imports is quite different from his: Congress historically has not given the Food and Drug Administration adequate funds to have sufficient personnel and facilities to investigate and monitor foreign pharmaceutical companies' manufacturing and quality practices. Manufacturers close to the United States (i.e., the Caribbean) and in other continents (i.e., China) require careful and responsible administrative monitoring to guarantee that imported drugs are safe and effective for drug indications which are recognized in the United States. If Congress talks the talk, but provides inadequate funding for the FDA, we will get imported drugs which are unsafe and dangerous.

I suggest that my readers check-out Gabriel's article. It provides a balanced look at issues relevant to our health system.