drugs
SPOTLIGHT: FDA can't manage foreign drugmaker inspections
A new report from the Government Accountability Office has concluded that the FDA doesn't have the resources to properly inspect foreign companies that manufacture drugs or drug ingredients. At... Read more...
ALSO NOTED: FL hospitals spend $2.35B on uncompensated care; MN HMO gets $6 million bailout; and much more...
> Florida's hospitals have tagged their uncompensated care tab for 2006 at $2.35 billion. Read more...
ALSO NOTED: Minn. health plans lose money; ASCs struggle with EMRs; and much more...
> Minnesota health plans lost money last year, which suggests that premiums will rise faster in coming years. Article > A... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: Progress on comparative effectiveness program
Deciding whether one treatment really does work better than another is one of the thorniest problems faced by providers. Now, it's beginning to look like one proposed solution to the... Read more...
Joint Commission issues warning on child med errors
As we reported earlier this week, a new study found that one of 15 hospitalized children... Read more...
ALSO NOTED: FDA investigates Roche, Novartis transplant drugs; Maryland hospital fined for radiation errors; and much more...
> The FDA has started to investigate whether Roche's CellCept and Novartis' Myfortic, similar drugs used in transplants to prevent organ rejection, cause an often-fatal neurological disease. Read more...
Study: One of 15 hospitalized children harmed
A study using new methodology for detecting errors points up an alarming discrepancy between the level of potential harm children faced in hospitals, and what may actually be happening. The study,... Read more...
Schizophrenia glitches unique to each patient
According to an article in the Washington Post, a recent study found that "patients with schizophrenia are three to four times as likely as healthy people to harbor large mutations in genes that... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: Study: Last-minute drug approvals less safe
When FDA reviewers cram, do they perform poorly on the test? A new study concludes that yes, when drugs are approved right on deadline, they're more likely to cause safety problems later. The... Read more...
CA auditing drug programs for health professionals
Last year, the Medical Board of California shut down its confidential addiction treatment program for doctors after a series of audits concluded that the program wasn't working. The program, which... Read more...
