Skin & Allergy News articles from June 2005

Skin & Allergy News archives from June 2005

Topical compounds implicated in deaths.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... Maui, Hawaii -- Two young women died recently in separate incidents after applying topical anesthetic creams in preparation for laser hair removal procedures. Both were college students who obtained compounded anesthesia creams from...

Foreign Restylane batches linked to allergic reactions: physicians lured by import's cheaper price.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... PHOENIX, ARIZ. -- Dermatologists buying cheap batches of Restylane from abroad run the risk of using an outdated and inflammatory formulation that was not approved for use in the United States, Arnold W. Klein, M.D., warned at a clinical...

Multifaceted approach may stunt recurrent MRSA.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Portland, Ore. -- Recurrent infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are common in children, and the effectiveness of the available treatments is "modest at best," Sarah S. Long, M.D., said at a conference sponsored by the...

Professional courtesy on decline.(News)
June 1, 2005... Key Biscayne, Fla. -- Slightly more than half of dermatologists provide free medical cave to other physicians, according to the results of an online survey. However, most of the 127 dermatologists responding to the survey, 90%, believe...

Avoid misdiagnosis of Spitz nevi as melanoma.(News)
June 1, 2005... Phoenix, Ariz. -- Difficulty in distinguishing Spitz nevi from melanoma should not drive clinicians to overdiagnose malignancy as a precaution, Clay Cockerell, M.D., advised at a conference on clinical dermatology sponsored by Medicis. ...

Silicone implants could see conditional return: the FDA panel's recommendation for approval of the silicone breast implants came with nine conditions.(News)
June 1, 2005... Gaithersburg, Md. -- After more than a decade, silicone gel--filled breast implants could soon be back on the market and widely available for women undergoing reconstructive, augmentation, and revision surgery. Last month, the Food and Drug...

Bacteria from computer keys contaminate hands.(News)
June 1, 2005... Los Angeles -- Computer keyboards and keyboard covers harbored vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus for more than 24 hours, during which time the bacteria easily spread to bare, and in some...

Alcohol rubs reduce germs on stethoscopes.(News)
June 1, 2005... Los Angeles -- One in five stethoscopes used by hospital physicians was contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus, including one that harbored methicillin-resistant S. aureus, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Society...

Oral desensitization effective in gout patients.(News)
June 1, 2005... Destin, Fla. -- Oral desensitization appears to be a safe and effective alternative for patients who are allergic to allopurinol and who cannot take other urate-lowering drugs for gout, Adel G. Fam, M.D., reported at a rheumatology meeting...

NSAIDs halve oral cancer in heavy smokers.(News)(Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Anaheim, Calif. -- Long-term use of NSAIDs results in a 50% reduction in oral cancer in heavy smokers, according to a population-based, nested, case-control study, Jon Sudbo, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for...

CMS projects 4.3% cut in physician pay for 2006; if reimbursements are reduced as expected, physicians may stop accepting Medicare patients.(News)
June 1, 2005... Physicians could face a 4.3% cut in their Medicare reimbursements next year due to the rising cost of medical spending, Mark McClellan, M.D., administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, announced during a press briefing...

Aging baby boomers may be burden on medical system.(News)
June 1, 2005... San Francisco -- The baby boomers might do more than bankrupt Medicare--they could break the entire medical system, members of a panel said at the annual meeting of the American College of Physicians. With 76 million baby boomers starting...

Virulent outbreaks worry experts: new epidemic strain of Clostridium difficile has been isolated in nine states and Canada.(News)
June 1, 2005... Los Angeles -- Discussion about the spread of a highly toxic new strain of Clostridium difficile dominated a recent meeting of infectious disease specialists and hospital epidemiologists, who cautioned that widespread reports of the aggressive...

Hand gels linked to C. difficile outbreaks.(News)
June 1, 2005... Los Angeles -- The use of alcohol-based hand-cleaning gels has burgeoned in hospitals, where physicians, nurses, and other medical staff members have enthusiastically embraced them as a quick and convenient alternative to soap and water hand...

Derm layspeak.(Under My Skin)
June 1, 2005... The man's complaint came as no surprise. "Doctor, can you look at my molds?" This is a common request that has minor variations. For instance, patients from the former British Commonwealth ask me to check their moulds. "Did you...

A wrinkle-free ride to dermatologic happiness.(Guest Editorial)
June 1, 2005... My journey to becoming a cosmetic dermatologist was a transforming one. My training in dermatology and in fact, in medicine, was classical and conservative. After completing my undergraduate education as an A.B. Duke scholar at Duke...

Black box warnings questioned.(Letters)(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... It is important for readers and their patients to understand that in clinical studies, neither Elidel nor Protopic has been associated with an increased risk for systemic infections or malignancies ("Black Box Warning to Be Added to Elidel and...

Dealing with insurers, one by one.(Letters)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... We doctors have been complaining for years about the stress, frustration, and cost of all the lawsuits brought against us by patients ("Class Actions Against Some Insurers Now Closer to Reality," May 2005, p. 62). And here we are, bringing...

Pain relievers.(Opinion)
June 1, 2005... "You have a suspicious-looking mole. It's shaped like Nixon!"

Pain-relief options available for cosmetic procedures.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... Wailea, Hawaii -- Ice, vibrators, "talk-esthesia," and sundry topical anesthetic creams and gels were advocated as safe and effective options for relieving pain during a mini-symposium at the annual Hawaii dermatology seminar sponsored by the...

KTP equals pulsed light for photodamage.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Potassium titanyl phosphate laser treatment)
June 1, 2005... Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- Potassium titanyl phosphate laser treatment can provide results comparable to and perhaps even better than intense pulsed light that is now considered the preferred method for treatment of photoaging, according to data...

Radiesse efficacious as soft tissue filler.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... Miami Beach -- Calcium hydroxylapatite can effectively fill wrinkles, correct acne and other scars, and augment lips, although there is a learning curve with lips, David J. Goldberg, M.D., said at a symposium sponsored by the Florida Society of...

Laser technique zaps focal areas of excess fat.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- Laser lipolysis without fat suction appears safe and effective for the removal of small volumes of focal fat, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery....

Photopneumatic device shows early promise.(Dermatologic Surgery)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- An experimental light technique using pneumatic pressure treats unwanted hair, photodamage, and pigmented and vascular lesions with greater efficacy and safety than do comparable techniques, according to research...

Long-term improvement in acne seen with laser Tx.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- Treatment with an erbium:glass laser can safely reduce moderate to severe acne lesions by as much as 80% up to 1 year after therapy, according to the results of two studies presented at the annual meeting of the...

Use Mohs surgery selectively for invasive skin ca.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... Phoenix, Ariz. -- Locally invasive skin cancers with histologies amenable to frozen section are candidates for Mohs surgery, Neil A. Swanson, M.D., said at a clinical dermatology conference sponsored by Medicis. But the exacting technique...

1,320-nm and 810-nm lasers compared in saphenous vein Tx.(Dermatologic Surgery)
June 1, 2005... Lake Buena Vista, Fla. -- Endovenous saphenous-vein obliteration with a 1,320-nm laser produces results comparable to those of radiofrequency, the preferred method, and better than those of 810-nm laser treatment, Girish Munavalli, M.D., said...

Infection type should dictate antibiotic choice.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... Miami Beach -- There are many options for antibiotic treatment of uncomplicated and complicated skin infections, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, according to a presentation by Richard K. Scher, M.D., at a symposium sponsored by...

Sunflower oil.(Cosmeceutical Critique)
June 1, 2005... The sunflower plant is cultivated on a large scale worldwide. Native Americans have cultivated and used Helianthus annuus for centuries for dietary, medicinal, cultural, and ornamental purposes. Traditionally, they applied the seed's oil to the...

New washing oil relieved atopic dermatitis in children.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- Atopic dermatitis in infants and children appears to improve with the use of a novel French product--a washing oil containing sunflower oleo distillate. The purpose of a washing oil is to wash and leave lipids on the skin...

Adalimumab advised for recalcitrant psoriasis.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- Adalimumab appears to be an extremely effective treatment for both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, producing improvements of up to 80% in body surface area affected, Jennifer Cather, M.D., reported in a poster at the annual...

Simple acid test can diagnose sensitive skin.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... Phoenix, Ariz. -- Sensitive skin complaints in the absence of a recognizable skin disease or irritation in female patients should not be dismissed, Albert M. Kligman, M.D., said at a clinical dermatology conference sponsored by Medicis. ...

Sequential therapy one way to go in psoriasis.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- Sequential therapy is a great way to get quick, effective control of chronic psoriasis while keeping costs down and minimizing the patient's exposure to potentially toxic systemic agents, John Koo, M.D., said at the annual...

Etanercept: safe Tx for psoriasis plus hepatitis C.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- Etanercept appears to be a safe therapeutic option in psoriasis patients with concurrent hepatitis C, according to the results of a retrospective case series. It may even benefit the patient's underlying hepatitis, Erin J....

Enbrel relieved psoriatic arthritis for up to 2 years.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- Psoriatic arthritis patients receiving etanercept reported sustained clinical benefits for up to 2 years, according to data from an open-label extension study. Patients treated with the drug reported inhibition of disease and...

Valacyclovir reduces oral herpes shedding.(Dermatologic Therapy)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- Treatment with once-daily, high-dose valacyclovir caplets significantly decreases the duration and quantity of oral herpes simplex virus-1 shedding associated with recurrent herpes labialis, according to data from a randomized...

Infliximab and leflunomide show promise for cutaneous sarcoidosis.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... Key Biscayne, Fla. -- Although antimalarial agents are first-line treatment for cutaneous sarcoidosis, infliximab and leflunomide are showing promise and may be appropriate for refractory patients, Theodore Rosen, M.D., said at the annual...

Clindamycin, tretinoin combo gel effective in acne vulgaris treatment.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- A combined formulation of clindamycin (1%) and tretinoin (0.025%) in an aqueous hydrogel improved acne vulgaris significantly faster than did either drug alone or vehicle, James Leyden, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at...

Combo drug therapy is best for crusted scabies.(Dermatologic Therapy)
June 1, 2005... Kohala Coast, Hawaii -- Attack hyperkeratotic scabies both topically and systemically or your treatment will fail, Timothy G. Berger, M.D., said at a conference on clinical dermatology sponsored by the Center for Bio-Medical Communications Inc....

Parental atopy often shared by offspring.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... San Antonio -- A finding of atopy in a parent is a clue to the increased likelihood of atopy in his or her child--even if the child is as young as 1 year of age, according to a new study. But the specific allergies may differ between...

The sun as an immunosuppressant: why sun-induced skin lesions make excellent targets for immune response modifiers.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Medical science has long recognized that exposure to solar radiation in the ultraviolet (UV) range, especially UVA and UVB, results in suppression of the skin's immune function. (1) This is generally a good thing--failure of this mechanism can...

See eye to eye with pediatric dermatology patients.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Key Biscayne, Fla. -- Children and adolescents require adroit handling in a dermatology practice because they are not merely "miniature adults," Ira L. Skolnik, M.D., said at the annual meeting of the Noah Worcester Dermatological Society. ...

Skin leiomyomas may portend severe syndrome; skin lesions tend to predate other manifestations of the disease by 5-10 years, boosting their relevance.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Florence, Italy -- Multiple skin leiomyomas may be the first sign of multiple cutaneous and uterine leiomyomatosis, a hereditary disease that can include highly symptomatic uterine fibroids and, in a small percentage of cases, aggressive renal...

Pancytopenia underappreciated in methotrexate treatment for RA.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Birminghan, England -- Methotrexate-induced pancytopenia among patients with rheumatoid arthritis is more common than is generally appreciated, and vigilance is required to identify this potentially lethal adverse event, Anita Y.N. Lim, M.D.,...

Autonomic neuropathy tied to treatment with metronidazole.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Savannah, Ga. -- Brief metronidazole treatment has been associated with a case of reversible autonomic neuropathy in a 15-year-old girl, Lisa Hobson-Webb, M.D., reported in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American Association...

First aid for venomous marine stings: think heat: venoms induce lysis of the red blood cell membrane, and heat application reduces the hemolysis.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Miami Beach -- Because marine venoms and contact toxins are heat labile, applying heat at the site of envenomation can provide effective symptom relief and impede the physiologic response to the toxin. Taking a hot shower, immersing the...

Boniva, Hyzaar.(New & Approved)
June 1, 2005... Boniva (ibandronate, Roche) A once-monthly oral formulation of a bisphosphonate for treating postmenopausal osteoporosis. The third bisphosphonate and the first monthly formulation marketed in the United States for osteoporosis. *...

Panel: simplify adverse events reporting for Rx.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Rockville, Md. -- Panelists on the Food and Drug Administration's Pediatric Advisory Committee strongly urged the FDA to overhaul MedWatch, its voluntary safety information and adverse event reporting program, to make the system less onerous....

Know the signs and use labs for Kawasaki Dx.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Portland, Ore. -- There's no specific diagnostic test for Kawasaki disease, partly because the etiologic agent remains unknown, but clinical signs and laboratory evaluation can help physicians make the diagnosis, Judith A. Guzman-Cottrill,...

Pediatric alopecia areata severity should guide Tx; physician awareness of age and gender issues key to offering patients appropriate psychological support.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Scottsdale, Ariz. -- Alopecia areata can be emotionally devastating for young girls and boys, so treatment should include psychological support, Dr. Ronald C. Hansen said at a pediatric update sponsored by Phoenix Children's Hospital. This...

Rising IgE levels driving allergy prevalence.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... San Antonio -- The prevalence of allergic disease has increased dramatically over the past 10 years, with dust mite sensitivity leaping furthest ahead, according (to a new study. "There have been numerous reports of increases in the rates...

Tinea vs. pityriasis amiantacea: know the difference.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Bal Harbour, Fla. -- Don't confuse pityriasis amiantacea with tinea, Amy Pallet, M.D., advised at the annual Masters of Pediatrics conference sponsored by the University of Miami. Although the condition, which some consider a psoriatic...

Testosterone replacement for male hypogonadism.(Drug Update)
June 1, 2005... Testosterone replacement therapy is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for men with hypogonadism resulting from the failure of the testes to produce testosterone. Men with true hypogonadism have symptoms of sexual dysfunction, low...

Necrotizing fasciitis.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Cases of necrotizing fasciitis caused by community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus are on the rise, Loren G. Miller, M.D., of Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, and colleagues reported. Of 843 patients whose...

Botox beats back pain.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Patients with low back pain who experience significant improvement in pain and function after one set of Botox injections are highly likely to respond to subsequent treatments, Bahman Jabbari, M.D., reported in a poster at the annual meeting of...

HSV-2 shedding risk.(Clinical Capsules)(herpes simplex virus type 2)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Hormonal contraception and two common genital tract conditions appear to be among the risk factors for genital tract shedding of herpes simplex virus type 2 in women. In a 12-month study of 330 women who were evaluated every 4 months,...

Decline in life expectancy?(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Life expectancy may decline because of the obesity epidemic, with important implications for the solvency of age-entitlement programs, said S. Jay Olshansky, Ph.D., of the University of Illinois at Chicago, and his associates. Obesity...

Needles may not be the future of immunotherapy.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... San Antonio -- Adults with dustmite allergy respond better to sublingual immunotherapy than they do to standard allergy medications, according to the results of a study conducted by Italian researchers. "The clinical efficacy of sublingual...

Look for acne vulgaris on the patient's trunk.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Miami Beach -- Be vigilant for acne vulgaris on the trunk because almost half of ache patients might have it on their shoulders, chest, or back, according to a presentation at a symposium sponsored by the Florida Society of Dermatology and...

Protect against colon polyps with calcium.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Anaheim, Calif. -- Long-term daily supplementation with 1,200 mg elemental calcium protects against the development of adenomas and hyperplastic polyps, John A. Baron, M.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer...

New scleroderma Tx underway.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... New York -- New revelations about the complex cellular processes underlying scleroderma suggest that manipulating the immune system with thalidomide may offer a new means of targeting the disease, Stephen J. Oliver, M.D., said at a rheumatology...

Sun protection now used by most adults.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Washington -- Most adults say that they always or nearly always use at least one method of preventing overexposure to the sun, according to a convenience sample of 1,269 adults aged 18-39 years living in Maryland in 2004. The most common...

Use of condoms can reduce duration of HPV infection.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Los Angeles -- Condom use does matter in human papillomavirus infections, because it is associated with a shorter persistence infection in females, according to a study of 57 sexually active female adolescents. The study, which followed...

Contraceptive sponge's return engagement expected over summer.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... More than a decade after it was taken off the market because of manufacturing issues, the contraceptive sponge has been cleared by the Food and Drug Administration and is expected to be available this summer. The Today Sponge, which is...

WHO should extend its 3-step 'analgesic ladder'.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... San Diego -- Add a half step and a new rung to bring the World Health Organization's three-step "analgesic ladder" into the 21st century, Joshua P. Prager, M.D., said at a psychopharmacology congress sponsored by the Neuroscience Education...

Study quantifies injury to bowel from NSAID use.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A study of 41 people aged 22-66 years found evidence of small-bowel injury on capsule endoscopy in 71% of those taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug for at least 3 months. By comparison, 10% of control patients not taking NSAIDs had...

Revamped food pyramid draws mixed reviews.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... While experts are applauding the inclusion of exercise in the nation's revamped food guide pyramid, they also question the value of a national dietary icon that lacks details and requires the use of a computer to interpret. The new...

Sleep loss tied to impaired glucose tolerance.(Clinical Rounds)
June 1, 2005... Rancho Mirage, Calif. -- Healthy young adults who are chronic "short sleepers"--getting an average of about 5 hours of sleep a night--must secrete 30% more insulin than other adults to achieve a normal glucose curve. The finding, which...

Academic derms take the career path less traveled.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2005... New Orleans -- Careers in academia can offer dermatologists financial security and a rich personal life just like jobs in private practice, academic dermatologists said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. ...

Detector of adverse drug events has mixed results.(Practice Trends)(National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-Cooperative Adverse Drug Event Surveillance)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... A new national active surveillance system designed to detect adverse drug events is very good at picking up true cases, but not particularly sensitive--especially when it comes to detecting hypoglycemia due to diabetes medications and bleeding...

New AAD leadership.(Policy & Practice)(American Academy of Dermatology appointed Stephen P. Stone and William P. Coleman)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Members of the American Academy of Dermatology have elected new leaders. Stephen P. Stone, M.D., professor of clinical medicine at Southern Illinois University in Springfield, was chosen president-elect of the academy. He will assume the...

Campaign for psoriasis funding.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The National Psoriasis Foundation has launched a letter-writing campaign to lobby Congress for increased federal funding for psoriasis research. The Foundation added an online advocacy tool to its Web site--www.psoriasis.org--that allows people...

Plastic surgery growth.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... More than 9.2 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures were performed in the United States, an increase of 5% between 2003 and 2004, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). Minimally invasive procedures rose 7% in that...

E-prescribing standards.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Medicare should adopt a program-wide system of uniform national electronic prescribing standards for its new prescription drug benefit, according to the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA). A uniform national standard is key to...

Uninsured projections.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... The plight of the uninsured isn't likely to be resolved anytime soon. More than one in four American workers under the age of 65 will be uninsured in 2013--early 56 million people--driven by the increasing inability to afford health insurance,...

Unreadable privacy forms.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2005... Privacy forms used by major health care institutions are often lengthy and difficult to read, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (2005;293:1593-4). The Health Insurance Portability and...

Organization launches health records project: Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative is a not-for-profit group founded by 34 health care institutions.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2005... Bonston -- Three Massachusetts communities will soon be wired for electronic health record systems as part of a $50 million pilot project. The idea, being undertaken by the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, is to test out the...

Incremental changes key to health care reform.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2005... Washington -- Consumer-driven health care may be all the rage right now, but there's no single cure for the nation's ailing health care system, several experts said at a health care congress sponsored by the Wall Street Journal and CNBC. ...

Manage liability when making CAM referrals: a physician generally is not liable merely for referral to a specialist, but there are some exceptions.(Practice Trends)(complementary and alternative medicine)
June 1, 2005... La Jolla, Calif. -- When you refer a patient to a provider of complementary and alternative medicine, keep in mind five liability management strategies, David M. Eisenberg, M.D., advised at a meeting on natural supplements in evidence-based...

IOM calls on alternative care to meet conventional rules.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2005... Washington -- Complementary and alternative therapies should be held to the same standards as conventional treatments, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine. "Complementary and alternative medicine [CAM] use is...

Electronic records put new focus on accuracy.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2005... The long-held perception that medical records should never be altered at a patient's request is quickly becoming erroneous, according to health lawyer and ethicist George Annas. "We can delete [items from the record], as long as we note...

Can the public remedy health care? After studying why health reform efforts have failed, a U.S. senator decides to look outside Washington.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2005... Washington -- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) says that the answer to America's health care problem does not lie with Congress--at least, not initially. "I spent 2 years studying what went wrong in the Clinton debacle," he said at a meeting...

CMS eyeing Part D performance measures.(Practice Trends)(Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)
June 1, 2005... Washington -- Medicare intends to use performance measures to monitor cost, quality, and access issues related to the new prescription drug benefit, a research analyst said during a meeting of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. ...

PPAC members scrutinize Part B drug proposal.(Practice Trends)
June 1, 2005... Washington -- Members of a Medicare physician advisory group have reservations about the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' proposed new program for paying for physician-administered outpatient drugs under Medicare Part B. ...