drugs
GAO to study FDA's post-approval review process
Prompted by calls from Sen. Charles Grassley, the Government Accountability office has set plans to review the current method by which the FDA approves some drugs, including challenged medications... Read more...
Trend: Hospitals move to cut high-alert drug errors
The public got an unpleasant reminder of how devastating drug errors can be late last year, when the newborn twins of actor Dennis Quaid faced death due to a heparin overdose. It wasn't a freak... Read more...
Study: More expensive placebos work better
Here's an interesting testimony to the power of mind over body--and the way people perceive value. Researchers have found that a $2.50 placebo works better than one which costs only 10 cents. This... Read more...
SPOTLIGHT: FDA plans to issue more early warnings
The FDA is planning to get a lot more aggressive about communicating with consumers about side effects generated by drugs already on the market. The agency's leaders say they're taking this step... Read more...
WI database tracks painkiller prescriptions
A Wisconsin county has taken steps to establish a database allowing area doctors to determine whether a patient has been "doctor shopping" to obtain multiple prescriptions of painkillers. Doctors... Read more...
Trend: States try to counter pharma drug marketing
As we reported last year, a small but growing number of advocates have begun working to provide their own brand of drug education to doctors--without the sales message that pharmaceutical companies... Read more...
Transplant surgeon defends actions in court
A transplant surgeon accused of speeding up his patient's death to harvest his organs got his initial day in court yesterday, with his attorney arguing that the doctor acted properly given the... Read more...
FDA rules on off-label article distribution issued
The FDA may soon be loosening its guidelines for distribution of journal articles discussing unapproved uses of approved drugs and devices, a move which some consumer advocates (and some legislators)... Read more...
Caremark to pay $38.5M settlement
Pharmacy benefit manager Caremark Rx has agreed to pay a total of $38.5 million to 28 states and the District of Columbia to settle charges that it manipulated doctors into changing prescriptions... Read more...
Spinal treatment costs skyrocket, to little effect
Despite spending a dramatically higher amount than before on treatments for spinal pain, Americans aren't getting great results, according to a new study. The study, which appears in the Journal of... Read more...
