Management of a mandibular molar with C-shape root canal using spiral computed tomography as a diagnostic aid

The aim of this article is to present the use of spiral computed tomography (CT) in endodontic management of a mandibular molar with an unusual morphology of C-shape canal. An accurate assessment of this unusual morphology was made with the help of spiral CT. This report extends the range of known possible anatomical variations to include teeth with an abnormal number of roots and canals. This report also highlights the role of spiral CT, over conventional intra-oral periapical radiographs, as an objective method to confirm the three-dimensional anatomy of teeth

The politics of EU health policy and the case of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs

Direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs (DTCA-PD) is currently banned in the EU, but the pharmaceutical industry (supported by key member states and DG Enterprise) made two major attempts to overturn it in the 2000s at the EU level and failed. What does this failure imply for the debates surrounding this policy area and EU health policy in general? To explore this question, this article will define DTCA-PD, examine its pros and cons, provide a brief overview of EU health policy and present a detailed review of the two recent attempts to overturn the ban. Following this, it will examine the five key elements of EU health policy, evaluate their relevance to the development of the EU's policy towards DTCA-PD and briefly speculate on the future of the ban

Constitutional asymmetry and pharmaceutical policy-making in the European Union

This paper offers a theoretical perspective on pharmaceutical policy-making in the European Union, and shows the lack of a single European market in medicines to be the result of a clash between the supranational free movement rules and national healthcare policy competencies. The paper considers the roles of the European Commission, the member states, the industry and consumer interests (patients) as the main stakeholders, and frames the discussion within an integrated macro- and meso-level approach. Here we draw on Wilson's ‘politics of (regulatory) politics’ typology, tying it to Scharpf's ‘constitutional asymmetry’ perspective on EU policy. This enables the development of a broad sphere of analysis, allowing us to make observations on the EU regulatory arrangement for medicines as a whole. Specifically, the paper shows the extent to which industrial rather than health(care) policy interests have driven the development of regulatory policy in the sector, and seeks to understand the political dynamics shaping the on-going evolution of the regulatory framework