News From Around the Web
> A $12 million grant will allow
> The Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Center of Excellence at Brandeis University has issued a report recommending that medical insurers use prescription monitoring data to reduce the overdoses, deaths and healthcare costs associated with abuse of opioids and other prescription drugs. "At a time when the misuse and abuse of prescription opioids has reached epidemic levels, it's important that third party payers be able to use states' prescription monitoring data to make sure these drugs are prescribed appropriately," Peter Kreiner, principal investigator of the report, said in a statement. Announcement
Provider News
> For physicians, good body language conveys a lot more than friendliness--it can play a role in whether a doctor gets sued, according to research conducted by a Stanford University professor in 2002. Article
> If you don't want to depend on a hospital to fund a major technology or equipment purchase and can't quite pay out of pocket, a loan can be a viable option, Gray Tuttle, a principal with Rehmann's Healthcare Management Advisors, recently told Renal & Urology News. In many cases, financing may be the most affordable option, he added, when you consider factors such as income tax on practice profits and your expected return on investment compared to interest rates. Article
> Florida's House of Representatives passed a measure that would allow doctors to increase the number of physician assistants (PAs) they supervise from four to eight, despite concerns from some lawmakers that it would result in less physician oversight and supervision. Article
And Finally... Cat's out of the box. Article