Clinical Psychiatry News articles from April 2006

Clinical Psychiatry News archives from April 2006

Personal resilience staves off PTSD.(posttraumatic stress disorder)(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Severe stress can have lasting effects, most dramatically in posttraumatic stress disorder. But many people undergo equally traumatic experiences--combat, natural disasters, imprisonment, torture--and emerge relatively intact. ...

Psychiatrists per 100,000 population.(VITAL SIGNS)
April 1, 2006... Psychiatrists per 100,000 Population Note: Includes child psychiatrists. Sources: 2004 data, American Medical Association, U.S. Census Bureau RICHARD FRANKI/ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS

Patch approval: 'big moment' in psychopharm: resistant depression patients may benefit.(licensing)
April 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration's approval of a transdermal patch containing selegiline, an irreversible monoamine oxidase inhibitor, for treating major depression could bring much-needed help to the large population of patients that has not...

Match day reveals slip in psychiatry fill rate.(admission rates)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... The fill rate for psychiatry positions dropped slightly for this year's resident match. But the number of available slots also increased, resulting in the same number of slots being filled this year as last year. This year, 1,037...

Will new meth law curb abuse?(legislative laws)
April 1, 2006... Over-the-counter drugs containing pseudoephedrine will go behind the counter beginning in late September under a new law passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in March. The Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005--passed as...

Views mixed on benefits of health savings plans.
April 1, 2006... As President Bush puts health savings accounts higher on his agenda, experts continue to debate whether they are a good idea for solving the problems of the uninsured. "The more I think about these proposals, the more troubling I find them...

Can juries be unbiased?(cases)
April 1, 2006... In the Enron case, lawyers for former bosses Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling tried for a change in venue, arguing that their clients could not get a fair trial in Houston. The judge in the case turned down their request and selected the jurors...

Crossing health care's quality chasm.(quality management)
April 1, 2006... The safety and quality of health care today are far below the level we can and should achieve. The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academies, is a private organization that offers advice and recommendations to policy makers,...

Too many migraineurs shortchanged.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... Although the trip-tans are now by far the most widely recommended medications for acute migraine treatment, barbiturates, opioids, and nonspecific sedative drugs are still widely used and are causing problems for some headache patients. ...

Details needed on adverse events.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... It would be very useful to get a bit more detail on the adverse events connected to the maternal use of citalopram during pregnancy reported to the Food and Drug Administration since 1998 ("Maternal Citalopram Treatment Prompts 228 Adverse...

Prescription: 'a dose of reality'.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I applaud Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman for his commentary on the relationship between physicians and the pharmaceutical industry ("Defending the 'Drug Man,'" Guest Editorial, February 2006, p. 9). I'm so sick of hearing how I should keep away...

My sentiments exactly.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... I appreciated Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman's comments in a recent issue ("Defending the 'Drug Man,'" Guest Editorial, February 2006, p. 9). I resent the assumption that without intrusive bureaucracies and uncountable numbers of regulations, I...

Drug reps: salespeople, not educators.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2006... Dr. Jerold J. Kreisman makes several misleading arguments in support of the pharmaceutical companies' relationship with physicians ("Defending the 'Drug Man,'" Guest Editorial, February 2006, p. 9). First is his assertion that most of the...

Depression and heart disease: link is clear.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
April 1, 2006... Despite mounting evidence that major depression is a major risk factor for heart disease, the American Heart Association has thus far refused to add the condition to its list of predisposing factors. This is a remarkable story. Studies in...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
April 1, 2006... An article in the March issue of CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY NEWS about the FDA's approval of a VNS device for treatment-resistant depression ("Report Casts Doubt on VNS Approval," p. 2) incorrectly reported the number of Americans with the illness....

Art and madness: new riffs on an old theme.(psychologiocal aspects of artists)
April 1, 2006... "The Devil and Daniel Johnston," a documentary film directed by Jeff Feuerzeig that begins screening nationwide this month, is about a multitalented but severely troubled man. Daniel Johnston is a compulsively prolific cartoon artist, pop song...

HIV/AIDS incidence falls among African Americans.(Human Immunodeficiency Virus)(Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome )(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... The annual incidence of HIV/AIDS among African Americans dropped significantly between 2001 and 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported. As a result of advances in treatment with highly active antiretroviral...

Diabetes dx may and depression.(care and treatment)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... Depression was nearly twice as common among adults who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, compared with adults who had either normal or impaired fasting plasma glucose levels and those with undiagnosed diabetes, Mirjam J. Knol said in a...

Isolation, depression hinder rehab.(care and treatment )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Both social isolation and depression hampered health behaviors in a study of 492 patients who suffered acute coronary syndrome events, reported Dr. Manual Paz-Yepes in a poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychosomatic...

Subtypes of MCI identified.(mild cognitive impairment )(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... The amnestic subtype of mild cognitive impairment appears to be a separate entity from the multiple cognitive domain subtype and is associated with hippocampal atrophy similar to that seen in Alzheimer's disease, James Becker, Ph.D., and...

Placebo effect in depression underappreciated: new research shows that patients' prior experiences with treatment can help predict future responses.
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The placebo effect in the treatment of depression is often viewed negatively or disregarded in clinical practice and trials, Dr. Helen S. Mayberg said at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. New research...

Expert shares tips for assessment of response evaluations.(tips and tricks)
April 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- Conducting an assessment of response style is tricky when the person being examined presents with mood or anxiety disorders, Randy K. Otto, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the American Neuropsychiatric Association. "We're...

Antidepressants often just a first step in PTSD: following initial SSRIs, adrenergic antagonists, anticonvulsants, atypical antipsychotics often used.(posttraumatic stress disorder )(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors )
April 1, 2006... Natural disasters, terrorism, and war make headlines against a day-to-day background of criminal violence and childhood abuse, and a substantial proportion of trauma victims go on to develop lasting symptoms, making posttraumatic stress...

Virtual reality exposure touted for PTSD Tx: at 6 months, 78% of Vietnam veterans who participated in the therapy had good functioning.(posttraumatic stress disorder)(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... SAN JUAN, P.R. -- Virtual reality exposure therapy shows promise for relieving symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in Vietnam veterans, according to a study. Based on those findings, the principal investigator is now field testing...

Survey shows partial PTSD is more common in primary care.(posttraumatic stress disorder)(surveys )
April 1, 2006... TORONTO -- A significant portion of primary care patients may have partial posttraumatic stress disorder and appear to have health and physical functioning problems and medical care utilization similar to patients with the full-blown disorder,...

Pain relievers.(Adult Psychiatry)(Cartoon)
April 1, 2006... "No one ever visits my Web page."

The art of James de Blas.(diagnosis, care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... On his way to becoming an author of children's books, James de Blas also became an actor, a comedian, and a self-described mythical surrealist artist. Mr. de Blas, who lives in Myocum, Australia, finds inspiration in the surrounding...

Talk therapy: East meets West.(behaviorism)
April 1, 2006... Two Eastern forms of psychotherapy have an important place in the development and influence of many types of current behavioral therapies. The Morita and Naikan therapies, both developed in the first half of the 20th century in Japan, are...

Treatment adherence varies by Asian/Pacific Island ancestry.(human behavioral aspects)
April 1, 2006... SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. -- Insured patients of Asian and Pacific Island descent were less likely to adhere to prescribed antidepressants than whites in a large Hawaiian database, Dr. Junji Takeshita reported at the annual meeting of the Academy...

School-based project improves girls' coping skills.(care and treatment of depression)
April 1, 2006... TORONTO -- A pilot program aimed at building resiliency and coping skills in teenage girls appears to decrease symptoms of depression and increase self-esteem in those at risk for major depressive disorder. Researchers also hope that the...

Antidepressants raise suicide risk, data show.(Child/Adolescent Psychiatry)
April 1, 2006... Antidepressants modestly heighten the risk of suicide in pediatric patients, according to Dr. Tarek A. Hammad and his associates at the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in Rockville, Md. Noting the...

Depression contagion: parents can affect children.(research)
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- The role of parental depression is not a consistent, equivalent risk factor for youth depression, Benjamin L. Hankin, Ph.D., said at the annual meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Parental...

Children with anxiety, depression more likely to use ecstasy.(research)
April 1, 2006... Anxiety and depression increase a child's likelihood of eventually using ecstasy, according to the findings of a longitudinal investigation. Anja C. Huizink, Ph.D., and coinvestigators at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the...

Tool helps spot Bipolar Prodrome in children: questionnaire asks patients to rate 39 symptoms that can emerge before the first manic episode.(diagnosis and treatment)
April 1, 2006... TORONTO -- Many children with bipolar disorder experience a lengthy prodromal phase of clinically significant symptoms before their first manic episode; in almost 70% of these children, the prodrome begins with a drop in school functioning,...

Dearth of evidence in guiding Tx of bipolar depression in teens.(lack of records)
April 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Because of the current lack of data and consensus on the treatment of bipolar depression in children and adolescents, pharmacotherapeutic options need to be discussed with family members on a case-by-case basis, Dr. Gabrielle A....

Quetiapine may help manage depression in bipolar adolescents.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... TORONTO -- Quetiapine appears to improve symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation in adolescents with bipolar disorder, mood disorder, and those at familial risk of developing bipolar disorder, according to a poster presented at the joint...

Children suffer long term when parent has a stroke.(risk factors)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... Children can be the silent victims of a parent's stroke, so stroke rehabilitation programs should be family centered to mitigate potential mental health and behavioral problems among children, said Dr. Anne Visser-Meily, of the Rehabilitation...

Olfactory deficits may be a signal for early psychosis.(care and treatment)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Smell identification deficits exist in children with early-onset psychotic disorder, just as they do in adults, and can be a marker for underlying neurodevelopmental pathophysiology that leads to vulnerability for schizophrenia and other...

Lamotrigine effective add-on for seizures: adjunctive treatment reduces frequency of primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures.(care and treatment)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... LOS ANGELES -- Adjunctive therapy with lamotrigine significantly reduced the number of primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures in children and adolescents in whom such seizures are inadequately controlled with other antiepileptic drugs alone,...

Pediatric epilepsy surgery fails to aid later cognitive function.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Childhood epilepsy surgery isn't associated with a long-term improvement in cognitive functioning, Janet Olds, Ph.D., and her colleagues reported in a poster at the joint annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society and the...

Prevalence of chronic emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems in children.(surveys)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Prevalence of Chronic Emotional, Behavioral, Or developmental Problems in Children Note: Includes children with problems that required treatment or counseling. Source: 2001 data, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention RICHARD...

Mania Tx data lacking; new results expected.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... NEW YORK -- Sparse evidence from double-blind, placebo-controlled trials backs the effectiveness of treatments for acute mania in children and adolescents with bipolar I disorder, but results from ongoing trials should be available soon, Dr....

Escitalopram: age appears relevant.(research)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Escitalopram failed to significantly improve the symptoms of depression in children aged 6-11 years, but it did appear to improve symptoms in children aged 12-17 years, wrote Dr. Karen Dineen Wagner of the University of Texas, Galveston, and...

Quetiapine may ease mania in teens.(research, care and treatment)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Quetiapine was at least as effective as divalproex in alleviating manic symptoms in adolescents in a randomized, double-blind pilot study, wrote Dr. Melissa P. DelBello and her colleagues at the University of Cincinnati, Ohio. The 28-day...

Depression and violence.(care and treatment)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... Girls who display depressive symptoms during adolescence are at increased risk for physical violence at the hands of their intimate partners, reported Jocelyn A. Lehrer, Sc.D., of the University of California, San Francisco and her colleagues....

Aggressive interventions backed to prevent suicide: long-term care facilities, home health care agencies, aging services providers are possible places to intervene.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... STOCKHOLM -- Interventions aimed at preventing suicide in older adults should target asymptomatic individuals and groups at risk for becoming depressed and suicidal to save the greatest number of lives, Dr. Yeates Conwell said at the 12th...

Depression triples chest pain rates in Medicare patients.(care and treatment)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... DENVER -- Depression significantly increased the rates of four types of cardiovascular conditions among Medicare patients aged 65 and older, compared with Medicare patients without depression, reported Dr. Lawson R. Wulsin in a poster presented...

Potentially inappropriate meds prescribed for 39% of managed-care elderly.(drug use)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... ORLANDO -- Up to 39% of geriatric patients are taking potentially inappropriate medications, and this trend is associated with increased drug-related problems and health care costs, according to a recent study. The findings should...

Insulin sensitizers cut cognitive decline in AD.(care and treatment)(clinical trials)(Alzheimer's disease)
April 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- A growing body of evidence suggests that insulin sensitizers may avert cognitive decline in people with Alzheimer's disease, Suzanne Craft, Ph.D., said at the Third World Congress on Insulin Resistance Syndrome. In one...

Pathology shows amnestic MCI is same entity as early Alzheimer's.(mild cognitive impairment )
April 1, 2006... Amnestic mild cognitive impairment is neuropathologically the same entity as early Alzheimer's disease and represents a transition from the normal aging brain to the profound pathology of Alzheimer's, according to Dr. William Markes-berry and...

Atrophy of hippocampus and amygdala linked to dementia.(causes)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... Hippocampal and amygdalar atrophy are predictive of dementia in the cognitively intact elderly, Dutch researchers reported. The investigators studied 511 community residents aged 60-90 years and free of dementia at baseline. The objective...

Minimize drugs in managing patients with Alzheimer's.(drug use)
April 1, 2006... BALTIMORE -- Recent estimates suggest that by the year 2050, one in four Americans either will have Alzheimer's disease or will be caring for someone who does, Dr. Thomas Finucane said at a meeting sponsored by the American Geriatrics Society...

Use of potassium-sparing diuretics cuts AD risks.(Alzheimer's disease )(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... Elderly patients who took potassium-sparing diuretics had a 70% lower rate of developing Alzheimer's disease than those who did not take antihypertensive drugs in a population-based study of dementing illnesses, reported Ara S. Khachaturian,...

Initiative wants volunteers for Neuroimaging study.(recruitment)(Brief article)
April 1, 2006... Researchers with the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative are recruiting 800 older adults to participate in a landmark study to identify biologic markers of memory decline and Alzheimer's disease. The National Institutes of Health...

'Advocates' make ED addiction referrals easier.(emergency department)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... BETHESDA, MD. -- Personnel dedicated to screen, conduct brief interventions, and refer patients for alcohol and drug problems and other risky behaviors can make an important addition to the emergency department, according to investigators at...

Ban smoking, promote acupuncture in rehab, expert says.(care and treatment)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... COLORADO SPRINGS -- Smoking defeats the purpose of drug and alcohol addiction recovery programs and therefore should be banned, said Dr. Elizabeth B. Stuyt, medical director of Circle Program at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo,...

Meth tie to rare disease a public health concern.(adverse effects)
April 1, 2006... MONTREAL -- The association of methamphetamine use with an unusual manifestation of a rare immunologic disease challenges the accepted management of acute respiratory distress and signals a new and immediate public health concern, Dr. Carl...

Physicians fall short on stop-smoking counseling.(services)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... ORLANDO -- Cigarette sales may be at a 55-year low, but such favorable news is probably not due to efforts among physicians to counsel patients to stop smoking. In fact, physicians broach the topic with smokers during only 1 in 5 office...

'Addiction syndrome' called key to recovery: for better treatment of the problem, a different way of assessing and treating it is needed.(care and treatment )(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... COLORADO SPRINGS -- All addictions, whether chemical or behavioral, should be viewed as different manifestations of an underlying addiction syndrome--and addiction recovery programs will fail to achieve optimal outcomes until their protocols...

Meth epidemic drains resources, pushes up costs at public EDs.(drug use surveys)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... Asurvey from the National Association of Counties paints a bleak picture of the toll that methamphetamine abuse is taking on the nation's emergency departments, at least in public and regional hospitals. The survey of 200 emergency...

Black women more likely to smoke to reduce tension rather than weight.(surveys)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... Black female smokers are less likely to smoke to control their weight than white female smokers, according to a survey conducted to explore differences between the groups. Because previous studies on the reasons why people smoke have...

Perspective.(Community Psychiatry)(research)
April 1, 2006... Considering the high morbidity and prevalence of eating disorders, it is remarkable that more money and research efforts are not targeted toward intervention and prevention of this major psychiatric problem. The absence of a vocal outcry...

The many ironies of eating disorders.(mental illness research)(care and treatment)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... The media are fascinated with eating disorders: Countless articles in consumer publications, made-for-television movies, and documentaries are devoted to the topic. But attention given to the problem rarely addresses some of the most troubling...

Treatments for sleepiness vary in cost, side effects.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... SAN DIEGO -- All three main treatments for problem sleepiness can perk patients up, but they differ in cost and side effects, Dr. Milton Erman said at a psychopharmacology congress sponsored by the Neuroscience Education Institute. ...

PHQ-9 detects depression after traumatic brain injury.(Patient Health Questionnaire-9)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. -- The Patient Health Questionnaire is a simple, reliable tool that any clinician can use to screen patients for depression after traumatic brain injury, Dr. Jesse R. Fann reported at the annual meeting of the Academy of...

Sodium oxybate reduces daytime sleepiness in medicated narcoleptics.(medication usage)
April 1, 2006... MIAMI BEACH -- Sodium oxybate significantly lessened daytime sleepiness and decreased frequency of sleep attacks in people with narcolepsy concurrently taking stimulants, compared with placebo, according to study findings presented at the...

Cognition improves after carotid stenting.(surgeries)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... CHICAGO -- Carotid artery stenting appeared to improve cognitive function based on the results of what investigators said is the first study to look at perfusion and diffusion-weighted imaging before and after stenting. "We found that...

Donepezil for traumatic brain injury.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... The Problem You work in a forensic/correctional setting, and your newest patient has been judged incompetent to stand trial on the basis of cognitive problems secondary to traumatic brain injury. The Question Can donepezil...

Discharge planning is key in managing headaches.(care and treatment methods)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... LAS VEGAS -- A successful post-hospital discharge headache plan requires three strong pillars: good headache health, good physical health, and good psychological health, Dr. Todd D. Rozen said at a symposium sponsored by the American Headache...

Restless legs patients have high depression rate: both conditions have similar prevalences, present with diurnal variation, and tend to run in families.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. -- People with restless legs syndrome were three times more likely to have a major depressive disorder in a study of 1,071 Baltimore residents reported by Dr. Hochang Benjamin Lee at the annual meeting of the Academy of...

Depression seems to intensify the risk of stroke in elderly patients.(risk factors)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Depression boosted the risk for stroke in a study of more than 4,000 elderly people followed for 10 years. People with the highest depression scores at baseline had twice the incidence of a cerebrovascular event or transient...

Personality traits may predict high BP in women.(Blood Pressure)(risk factors)
April 1, 2006... DENVER -- Age and low hostility are independent predictors of high blood pressure in women over a 10-year period, suggesting a link between certain personality traits and disease development, Jocelyne Leclerc reported in a poster presentation...

PFO closure may benefit some migraine patients.(Patent foramen ovale)(clinical trials)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... ATLANTA -- Patent foramen ovale closure with a septal repair implant offers a modest benefit for individuals with migraine and PFO, according to preliminary results of a study presented at a conference sponsored by the American College of...

Drug-induced parkinsonism often missed by experts: the older, conventional antipsychotic drugs have been most commonly associated with the problem.(care and treatment)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Even neurologists are missing the diagnosis of drug-induced parkinsonism, according to an informal study of patients at one movement disorder clinic presented at the World Parkinson Congress. Overall, 8% (23 of 304 patients)...

Changes to tolcapone label ease liver monitoring advice.(care and treatment)
April 1, 2006... The Food and Drug Administration has approved new labeling that relaxes the liver enzyme monitoring recommendations for tolcapone, an adjunctive treatment for Parkinson's disease, according to the drug's manufacturer. The new label...

Treating parkinsonism in HIV-positive patients can spur infection, psychosis.(care and treatment)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Treating HIV infection may be more likely to ease symptoms of Parkinson's disease in patients with both conditions, said one expert speaking at the World Parkinson Congress. Using levodopa to treat Parkinson's symptoms in an...

Antidepressants safe in end-stage liver disease.(care and treatment)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Antidepressants were safe and moderately effective in a study of 368 patients with end-stage liver disease, Dr. Jayant A. Talwalkar reported. Little is known about the effects of antidepressants in patients with end-stage...

MS drug linked to one death in clinical trial.(Across Specialties)
April 1, 2006... Three patients in a clinical study of the investigational multiple sclerosis drug Campath (alemtuzumab) developed severe idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, which resulted in one death due to intracranial hemorrhage, according to the Food and...

More alternative therapies enter clinical studies: patients getting black tea for oral leukoplakia and pomegranate juice for coronary artery disease.(Across Specialties)
April 1, 2006... LA JOLLA, CALIF. -- An emerging trend in complementary and alternative medicine is a shift away from animal-only studies and toward clinical trials involving the use of herbs for cancer treatment, Dr. Mary L. Hardy said at a meeting on natural...

Use of traditional medicine appears ubiquitous among Chinese immigrants.(care and treatment)(drug use)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... SAN FRANCISCO -- Nearly all Chinese immigrants living in San Francisco have used at least one form of traditional Chinese medicine in the past 12 months, Amy Wu and Dr. Samuel LeBaron reported in a poster session at the annual meeting of the...

Acupuncture provides short-term drop in high blood pressure.(care and treatment)(clinical trials)(Brief article)(Statistical data)
April 1, 2006... DALLAS -- Acupuncture proved effective and safe for the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension in a randomized, single-blind German clinical trial. This form of therapy may have appeal for a segment of the population that dislikes...

Providers called to account on health disparities.(treatments)
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Health disparities won't go away until the people and institutions that play a role in creating them are held accountable, Dr. Anne C. Beal said at a meeting sponsored by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office...

Rollout of drug benefit provides political fodder.
April 1, 2006... WASHINGTON -- Does your Medicare patient need a drug not on the drug plan formulary? Be forewarned: You may have to fill out pages of forms. "There continue to be widespread reports of drug plans requiring prior authorization for...

Medicare spending to increase by 25% in 2006.(DATA WATCH)
April 1, 2006... Medicare Spending to Increase by 25% in 2006 *Estimated costs. Source: Health Affairs 2006;25:w61-w73 ELSEVIER GLOBAL MEDICAL NEWS