Project #1

Confronting Waste in Big Pharma

Everybody knows not to take drugs past the expiration date. In actuality, few are aware that the manufacturer’s “expiration date” and the actual shelf life of the medication can be years apart. The current law requires drug companies to prove that their products are safe and effective until a certain date. However, this date is chosen by the drug company and may not be anywhere near the time the compound begins to degrade. Moreover, drug companies often print very conservative shelf lives on medications in order to ensure high product turnover. In effect, I believe that Congress should pass legislation that makes expiration dates reflect drug stability rather than marketing by pharmaceutical companies.
In the process of researching this topic, I found the adverse ramifications of the current system staggering. With increased product turnover comes increased use of raw materials. Many medications are composed of plant products, crude oil derivates, minerals, and other finite, precious resources. Therefore, the waste of the drug companies is two-fold; more resources are being allocated for goods that will be disposed of prematurely. Another ugly problem bolstered by medication waste is minute concentrations of prescription drugs found in urban water supplies. The AP projects that hospitals and other health care institutions flush 250 million pounds of expired, unused, or unneeded pharmaceuticals and contaminated packaging annually.
The most tragic consequence of inaccurate expiration dates, however, is beyond our borders. Third World countries receive significant quantities of donated medications that were produced in the United States. The World Health Organization advises these countries to reject donations if they are within a year of the manufacturer’s expiration date. This means that many desperately needed drugs are squandered for no legitimate reason.
Another astonishing finding was the drug companies’ stance on this subject. They contend that extending expiration dates would be costly, time consuming, and ultimately slow the rate at which new products will be put on the market. Granted, having a products with shorter shelf lives keeps the money flowing, but the line must be drawn somewhere. Shorter shelf lives preys on the consumer while the drug companies can spend less time testing medication, less time worrying about liability, and enjoy inflated profits.
The little-known issue of drug expiration deserves national attention and congressional discussion. It has been more than 20 years since the FDA brought shelf life into the public eye with its enlightening research on extending the shelf life of military medicinal stockpiles. When it comes to taking action on the topic, the FDA avoids responsibility by stating that consumer interests are not of its concern. Similarly, the American Medical Association skirts the issue by urging the pharmaceutical industry to collaborate with consumers and the FDA to discuss what could be done. After doing my research, it seems to me that the notion of extending expiration dates is largely ignored because there is too much money tied to the pharmaceutical industry. Hopefully reform is on the horizon because this accelerated consumption and disposal of medications is not sustainable indefinitely.

Web Site: http://sites.google.com/site/expiredmeds/Home

Project #1 Idea

I want to advocate that congress passes legislation that requires drug companies to print expiration dates on medications that reflect when the drug begins to lose potency or become harmful.

The current law requires drug companys to prove that a drug is good until whatever date the company chooses to set. In effect, this date is more a reflection of marketing and product turnover rather than scientific data.

My audience would be all U.S. citizens of voting age. Prescription and over the counter drugs are ubiquitous in today's age and this is an important issue that all voters should be aware of.

Having expiration dates that are in the best interests of the drug companies is a gross waste of resources. The proposed reform would save consumers money in not having to throw away and replace "expired" medication. It would conserve the raw materials that go into medications like plant products and crude oil derivatives. Furthermore, these drugs are bought and sold all over the world.

My screenshot depicts me writing music using a composition program called Powertab. This program is extremely useful because it presents the work in standard musical notation, guitar tablature, and midi. Therefore, the guitar players in my band can deduce what to play by reading the notes, tabs, and listening to the song. Not only is Powertab provide a way to save your compositions, it is a great learning tool.

Composing music in a digital space definitely changes the way I tackle the project. Perhaps the most useful feature of Powertab is hearing what you have written played back to you with whatever tempo or tone you desire. This is especially useful when there are several tracks or you are trying to get some harmonies just right. Additionally, the simple copy and paste function make revisions quick and easy.

However, there are some important things to keep in mind when writing music on a PC. One must remember that real guitars sound much different than the midi playback and that the music needs to be tabbed out in player-friendly fashion. It is also much easier to lose sight of musical intent and level of difficultly using Powertab as opposed to the more traditional way of composing using an instrument.

One way to better understand how to compose music in the digital space is to couple software like Powertab with the traditional way of using an instrument. Using the program alone, you must formulate and arrange musical ideas in your head which is challenging and can lead to some of the previously mentioned difficulties. Using the instrument as the primary writing tool is probably the way to go so as to achieve the best composition.