Volume 3, Issue 2 ClientSide ClientSideMississauga, Ont. L4W 5K2 General Inquiries: 905-214-8699 Fax: 905-214-8693 ... control (acupuncture points). In the early stages of develop-ment,

Carlson Marketing Group Canada Ltd. is a relationship marketing company with inter-national capabilities that span 22 countries. Carlson Market-ing began operations in 1955 and is now Canada’s leading Relationship Marketing agency, and employs over 400 market-ing professionals with offices in Toronto and Montréal. The Company helps global Fortune 1000 clients improve their sales and profits by designing marketing strategies which build better relationships with the audiences that clients depend on for their success: employees, channel partners, and consumers. The Carlson Marketing Group understands that in today’s increasingly complex market-place, one thing is clear - relationships always drive business results. The company offers well-designed relation-

ship marketing strategies and helps clients optimize their marketing through the design and delivery of custom solutions. They are committed to helping organizations foster long-term, loyal relationships, influence-purchasing behaviors, retain their best customers, and improve the bottom line. Carlson’ Values

• Known for our people

• Attract, develop, and retain the best

• Value the quality of life and enjoy what we do

• Take pride in our work and challenge ourselves to excel

• Responsible of ensuring that we are easy to work with

• Respect individuality yet succeed as a team

Client Profile:

Spring 2004Spring 2004 Volume 3, Issue 2 Volume 3, Issue 2

Client Profile: Carlson Marketing Group

1

Canadian Drug Price Increases

2

Lasers in Dentistry 2

Seasonal Allergies 3

Claimsecure Update —Our new eligibility system

3

Inside this issue:

“Carlson Marketing began operations in

1955 and is now Canada’s leading

Relationship Marketing agency, and employs

over 400 marketing professionals…”

• Manage a successful busi-ness

• Conduct ourselves with integrity

• Deliver what we promise

For more information contact: Carlson Marketing Group Canada Limited 2845 Matheson Blvd. E. Mississauga, Ont. L4W 5K2 General Inquiries: 905-214-8699 Fax: 905-214-8693

ClaimSecure is pleased to profile our client, Carlson Marketing Group. They are the nation’s leading relationship marketing company, whose unique marketing strategies are focused on loyal, long-term relationships that drive business results.

ClientSide ClientSide

World Leader in Relationship Marketing

launched in the marketplace. This is mostly to the credit of provincial drug program price freezes and Patent Medicine Pricing Review Board (PMPRB) rules.

In the early 1990’s, Provincial Governments faced budget constraints while experiencing unprecedented growth in drug program costs. In addition to many cost containment strate-gies, both Ontario and Quebec chose to freeze the 1993 formulary prices, a policy

which still stands today. At the federal level, PMPRB allows the drug manufacturer to increase only at the rate of CPI.

Motivated by the growing popularity of cross-boarder shopping and Internet phar-macy sales, a number of manu-facturers have increased the prices of their products in the past 8 months. Examples of commonly prescribed drugs and their price increases are as follows:

Canadian Drug Price Increases

Over the last decade, Canadian drug prices have remained stable, and pharma-ceutical companies typically have not increased the prices once their drugs have been

“Motivated by the growing popularity of cross-border shopping and Internet pharmacy sales, a number of manufacturers have increased the prices of their products…”

Linda Lin, B.Sc.Phm.,MBA

ClaimSecure

Page 2 C l i en tS ide Vo lume 3 , I s sue 2

Drug Indication % Price Increase (approximation only)

Lipitor Lowering cholesterol level 4%

Paxil Antidepressant 3%

Flovent Asthma 2%

Biaxin Antibiotic 5%

Zithromax Antibiotic 8%

The Quebec government has allowed price increases on a case-by-case basis. Under the Ontario Drug Benefit program, the price increase is typically absorbed into the pharmacy’s markup. How-ever, if the increase is substan-tial, the pharmacy may obtain

payment from ODB for the higher acquisition cost. There is considerable pressure from the Pharmacy Associations and the drug manufacturers on the provincial drug program’s price freeze policy.

ClaimSecure along with other

third party adjudicators recog-nize the higher acquisition cost as well as the pharmacy markup. As a result, it is expected that these price increases will be an important factor when looking at the drug plan rate of inflation in 2004.

form a number of procedures with different types of lasers. “Hard” or “hot” surgical lasers can do procedures such as removal of overgrown tissue, control bleeding, vaporization of carious lesions (decay), vaporization of soft tissue, shaping of canals in root canal therapy, and bleaching of

teeth. “Cold” or “soft” lasers are used predominately for low level laser therapy (LLLT) such as wound healing, nerve regeneration and chronic pain control (acupuncture points).

In the early stages of develop-ment, one would need a differ-ent wavelength of light for each specific procedure with a

Lasers in Dentistry

Advancements in laser technol-ogy now allow dentists to per-

Mark Donnelly, D.D.S Dental Consultant

(cont’d on page 3)...

The electromagnetic energy emitted from a laser has unique characteristics that are funda-mentally different from light energy emanating from a non-laser source. All of the photons emitted from a laser are: 1. Coherent (moving in the same direction & phase) 2. All of the same wavelength (colour).

This allows a practitioner to exert maximum power per unit area while simultaneously tar-geting a specific tissue element.

During laser interaction bacte-ria in the path of the beam are destroyed, as the water within the bacterial cell undergoes the same instantaneous phase

change (liquid to steam) as the water in the tissue being ablated.

The cost of a higher end qual-ity laser is in the $40,000.00 to $75,000.00 range. The high price tags have limited the use of lasers in the average dental practice.

Some procedures can be car-ried out without the need for a local anesthetic (freezing) al-though most procedures still require the use of a local anes-thetic.

In the future, the use of lasers will probably increase as systems become more refined in their focus of treatment.

different type of laser for each one.

More recently, a laser system has been developed which, with only one wavelength, can cut both hard and soft oral tissue using the hydrokinetic process. This involves the removal of tissue with YSGG laser energized water droplets. Hydrokinetic energy is pro-duced by gently combining a spray of atomized water with laser energy. The resulting hydrokinetic energy gently and precisely removes a range of oral tissue without generating heat or creating micro fractures of hard tissues such as enamel or dentine.

“Some procedures can be carried out without the need for a local anesthetic…”


Regardless of the season, there are a number of approaches to help you remain relatively symptom free.

The most important factor is environmental avoidance. If you are sensitive to house dust mites, this means ensuring that your home is regularly vacuumed and cleaned. Pillows and mattresses may be covered with a special slip-cover. The sheets and blan-kets should be regularly washed with hot, soapy water to prevent proliferation of the house dust mites. If your sen-sitivities are primarily to grasses and trees in the spring, leaving the house windows closed would be a good idea. Installing a HEPA filter on your furnace would also be helpful.

Once you experience

While many of us are looking forward to the coming spring and warmer weather, many others are equally dreading the return of a season of itchy, tearing eyes, runny or stuffed up noses, and coughing.

In the spring, exposure to trees and grasses, are the most common causes of allergies. In the winter, house dust mites and animal dander are the main offending allergens, leaving pollens from ragweed and goldenrod in the autumn.

symptoms of allergy such as itchy tearing eyes, runny or stuffed up nose, there are a number of treatment options. Some people benefit from de-sensitization treatment where they receive weekly needle injections. Specifically for rag-weed, there is a four-injection short course treatment re-ceived prior to the autumn season.

Oral antihistamines are very effective and many do not re-quire a prescription, although pregnant women or those who may be thinking of becoming pregnant should not be taking these medications. Hismanal, Claritin, Reactine, and Allegra are examples of such medica-tions.

There are also available newer topical antihistamines requiring a prescription that are directly

Seasonal Allergies

David Wong, MD Medical Consultant

(cont’d on page 4)...

Lasers in Dentistry (cont’d from page 2)...

“Regardless of the season, there are a number of approaches to help you remain relatively symptom free.”


Seasonal Allergies (cont’d from page 3)...

applied on the eye to help with the itching, tearing, and redness. Livostin and Patanol are such medications. Over-the-counter eye drops must be used with caution and only for short durations.

Similarly, over-the-counter nasal sprays are only for short-

term usage. Long-term usage may lead to a rebound effect with worsening of the symp-toms upon stopping the nasal spray. Prescription intranasal steroid sprays are very safe if used in the prescribed dosages for prolonged durations.

To paraphrase Shakespeare in

his play Hamlet, “to sneeze or not to sneeze, that is the ques-tion.” Regardless of how you choose to deal with your symp-toms, being symptom -free would help you feel much bet-ter than the “melancholy Dane” in order to enjoy your spring.

ClaimSecure – “ Update”

“Our new eligibility system”

We have almost completed the design phase of the project. In the next stage, we will get out our hammers and nails and move onto the construction of the eligibility screens… updates in the next newsletter.

http:/www.claimsecure.com

The articles contained herein are not meant to provide medical or other professional advice or opinions. Articles © 2004 ClaimSecure Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Your feedback is important to us. If there is anything you would like to see in this newsletter, or you have any suggestions or comments, please contact:

Editor: Ellen Trotman, Senior Manager, Client Services

1-888-479-7587 ext. 3014 Fax: 905-949-3029 [email protected]

Associate Editor: Rita Moxam, Client Services Representative

1-888-513-4464 ext. 2585 Fax: 705-673 5968 [email protected]

Visit our health library which has recently been updated.

Volume 3, Issue 2 ClientSide ClientSideMississauga, Ont. L4W 5K2 General Inquiries: 905-214-8699 Fax: 905-214-8693 ... control (acupuncture points). In the early stages of develop-ment,

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