Family Practice News articles from August 2004

Family Practice News archives from August 2004

Feds invite proposals for stem cell work.
August 1, 2004... BOSTON -- The head of the National Institutes of Health's stem cell task force has told scientists not to let Bush administration restrictions discourage them from applying for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. Money is not...

Tobacco prevention spending: most states get a failing grade.(Vital Signs)
August 1, 2004... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Note: Based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Source: American Lung Association

Doctors push for caps in liability reform effort: presidential candidates have opposing views on the impact of caps.
August 1, 2004... For many physicians, the arguments on medical liability reform boil down to caps. "We think that a cap [on noneconomic damages] is critical to any kind of liability reform," said Dr. Angela F. Gardner, an emergency physician in Dallas and...

Updated guidelines call for lower LDL levels in some: how low can very-high-risk patients go?
August 1, 2004... An update to the National Cholesterol Education Program's clinical practice guidelines advises physicians to treat higher-risk patients more aggressively. In high-risk patients, the over all goal remains an LDL-cholesterol level of less...

No immediate impact expected from change in Medicare obesity policy.(News)
August 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' recent loosening of its rules for covering obesity-related treatments is not expected to influence obesity treatments--at least not right away, according to several experts. ...

Values impact health care priorities.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Figuring out how to provide health care coverage to all Americans has less to do with financing than it does with national values, Uwe E. Reinhardt, Ph.D., said at a conference sponsored by America's Health Insurance Plans. ...

Stem cell battle heats up during election year.(News)
August 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Sensing an opening made larger by President Ronald Reagan's death, stem cell research advocates have stepped up their campaign to overturn or loosen the Bush Administration strictures on the field. The effort gathered...

Tissue engineering is in the vanguard of stem cell research.(News)
August 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Many stem cell researchers say the basic science is still years away from clinical use, but tissue engineers report that they are already using stem cells to grow new organs in humans and animals. At a meeting of the International...

Bioethicists offer potential stem cell compromises.(News)
August 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Can President Bush allow funding of research into embryonic cell lines derived after Aug. 9, 2001, and remain faithful to his position on the inherent moral status of embryos? John A. Robertson, J.D., sees a way out: Simply...

MarrowMiner device may harvest stem cells in 20 minutes.(News)
August 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Two physicians and a mechanical engineer are developing an experimental device that could transform the harvesting of stem cells from bone marrow into a 20-minute outpatient procedure performed under local anesthesia. Dr. Daniel...

Reinstate third Prevnar dose for healthy children.(News)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Health care providers are advised to boost the number of doses of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7 or Prevnar) for healthy children from two to three total doses. Vaccine production problems have limited the supply of PCV7 since early...

Cholesterol 'report card' works to increase medication compliance.(News)
August 1, 2004... Wondering how you are going to motivate your very-high-risk patients to strive for the ambitious LDL-cholesterol goal of 70 mg/dL of the updated report of the National Cholesterol Education Program? The statistical odds against it are...

Adult immunization schedule tweaked by CDC: revisions aim to simplify the schedule and make it look more like the child and adolescent version.(News)
August 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has tweaked the adult immunization schedule, with an eye toward further changes in the near future. The changes include adding a row...

Sunny Southwest faces brunt of West Nile virus: the CDC asks doctors to report cases in pregnant women to state health officials.(News)
August 1, 2004... The nation's first case of West Nile virus this year emerged on May 8, almost a month later than last year, but case trends suggest that the virus may have staying power in the long hot summer and fall that characterize the American South west,...

Summer's here and the bugs are biting: an arthropod update.(News)
August 1, 2004... BALTIMORE -- In summer, people venture outside and encounter creatures that infest, bite, and spread disease, sending them back inside--often to the physician's office. Lyme disease is the most common arthropod-borne disease in the United...

The case for advance directives.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Despite recent coverage in FAMILY PRACTICE NEWS, there is growing evidence that the presence of a durable power of attorney for health care, or advance directive, is in the best interest of optimal care ("Advance Directives Not a Substitute for...

The cost of apathy.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2004... Dr. Patrick B. Massey's letter deserves particular attention ("Medicine Losing Doctors," April 1, 2004, p. 18). Medicine is in crisis but our profession seems to be pretending that nothing is amiss. How many physicians in this country are...

Clarification.(Opinion)
August 1, 2004... The article "Influenza Vaccine Production to Exceed Last Year's Supply" (July 15, 2004, p. 5) should have stated that influenza vaccination is recommended for approximately 286 million U.S. individuals older than 5 months of age.

A plan for better access.(Guest Editorial)(Editorial)
August 1, 2004... With the passage of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, this country gained momentum toward getting all Americans better access to health benefits. In that spirit, I would like to make three concrete proposals to help more Americans gain...

Should intraoperative cholangiography be performed routinely during cholecystectomy?(Pro & Con)
August 1, 2004... YES I'm a routine intraoperative cholangiographer. It's a cheap and accurate test. There are no well-established, reliable criteria for performing it selectively. As far as I'm concerned, the indication for intraoperative cholangiography...

ALLHAT continues to stir clinical controversy.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial)
August 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- ALLHAT, the trial that was supposed to end the bickering about drug choice in hypertension, has fallen far short of that goal, according to reports presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension. For...

Myocardial perfusion CT triages MI patients.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(myocardial infarction)
August 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Myocardial perfusion imaging was more accurate than a TIMI score for identifying low- and high-risk patients during the first days following a myocardial infarction, in a study with 728 patients. "This is a significant...

Children's flu shots could be given in any season: similar rates of antibody titers were seen after the second dose, whether the first was spring or fall.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- Children immunized against influenza in the spring and fall appear to reap the same benefits associated with a traditional fall dosing schedule set 1 month apart, according to data presented at a meeting of the Centers for Disease...

50 flu-associated encephalopathy cases seen in children last season.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- There were 50 influenza-associated encephalopathy cases in the United States during the 2003-2004 season, and the majority of these were among young, previously healthy children, Dr. Niranjan Bhat reported at a meeting of the Centers...

Chronically ill children often miss influenza vaccination.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2004... NASHVILLE, TENN. -- Missed opportunities for influenza immunization appear to be common in children with chronic medical conditions, Dr. Matthew F. Daley said at the National Immunization Conference sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control...

Hospital-based TB outbreak underlines need for vigilance.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2004... An outbreak of tuberculosis in a District of Columbia community hospital illustrates the need for vigilance by medical staff, especially in light of data showing that there has been a slowdown in the rate at which TB is declining in the United...

Consider two-step TB test for health care workers.(Infectious Diseases)(tuberculin skin test)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A two-step tuberculin skin test, requiring three visits, is necessary to rule out the presence of an anamnestic response in people who were infected with tuberculosis long ago, Dr. Robert M. Jasmer said at a meeting on clinical...

Candida glabrata becoming more common as cause of thrush.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Candida glabrata is becoming a more common culprit in oropharyngeal fungal infections, Spencer W Redding, D.D.S., said at a meeting on fungal infections sponsored by Imedex. Although oropharyngeal candidiasis--commonly known...

Vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections tripled during the 1990s.(Infectious Diseases)
August 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The rate of infection by vancomycin-resistant enterococci of patients in intensive care units in U.S. hospitals tripled between 1992 and 2002, according to data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ...

Zygomycosis is rare, but quick action is crucial: treat it with aggressive surgical debridement followed by adjunctive amphotericin B.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Zygomycosis is not a common fungal infection, but it is particularly dangerous for patients with diabetes or compromised immune systems, according to Dr. Richard E. Winn, who spoke at a meeting on fungal infections sponsored by...

Medical detective work needed to pinpoint onycholysis cause.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2004... WHISTLER, B.C. -- The pathogenesis of chronic onycholysis is unclear, and often a careful history and an astute clinician are needed to ferret out the etiology, Dr. C. Ralph Daniel said at a clinical dermatology seminar sponsored by Medicis....

Keep up with the changes in wound care.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2004... NEWPORT, R.I. -- Taking care of wounds has changed a lot over the years, and family doctors need to keep up with the changes, Dr. Gary Cummins said at the annual conference of the Rhode Island Academy of Family Physicians. "I'm amazed at...

Wound warming may help ward off postsurgical infection.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2004... ATLANTA -- Warming wounds during the first 48 hours after surgery may give patients an advantage in warding off infections, according to the findings of a preliminary study presented at the annual meeting of the Wound Healing Society. ...

Rashes: newer drugs can cause a variety of cutaneous reactions.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- New drugs on the market mean new rashes on the skin, at least for some patients who receive them. Dr. Susan Burgin, speaking at a conference sponsored by New York University, summarized some of the cutaneous reactions that...

Derm Dx.(Skin Disorders)
August 1, 2004... A 27-year-old woman presented with an elbow mass. A physical exam showed multiple, firm nodules. Some nodules were skin colored and others were pinkish red. Her history included development of unexplained bilateral cataracts at age 12 years. At...

Telephone outreach aids depression screening: counselors screen and refer to clinicians, support groups, financial counseling, and legal aid.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Telephone-based outreach is an effective screening tool for identifying comorbid depression in medically ill patients, said Dr. Michael Ong of Stanford (Calif.) University. Such an intervention can be incorporated into primary...

Omega-3 effect on mood seems to be dose dependent--in a different way.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- The beneficial effect of omega 3 fatty acids on mood disorders has been suggested, but not proved. Supplementation with these nutrients might work best at lower dosages, because the ratio among fatty acids rather than the absolute...

Minority patients describe depression differently.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2004... WASHINGTON -- Ever hear a patient say that he or she is "feeling evil" and let the remark go by without comment? If so, an opportunity might have been missed to diagnose depression, Dr. Annelle Primm said at a meeting sponsored by the Alliance...

Action, advocacy help suicides' relatives heal.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2004... MIAMI -- Transforming grief into action after the suicide of a loved one can be empowering, according to a panel presentation at the annual conference of the American Association of Suicidology. The panelists, each of whom had lost a loved...

Buprenorphine treatment calls for team approach.(Mental Health)
August 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Buprenorphine treatment of opioid dependence in a primary care setting could help fill the current treatment gap faced by patients trying to get help with substance abuse, Dr. Daniel P. Alford reported. He and his colleagues at...

Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.(Drug Update)
August 1, 2004... Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the second most common neuropsychiatric disorder of adulthood, following depressive disorders; it affects about 8 million people, or 4% of the adult U.S. population. But experts estimate...

Breast tomosynthesis may increase cancer detection.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2004... NEW ORLEANS -- Breast tomosynthesis, a new three-dimensional extension of conventional mammography, has the potential to improve detection of breast cancers while reducing the rate of false positive findings, Dr. Elizabeth Rafferty reported at...

Alcohol, breast Ca link not offset by folate.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- Increasing folate intake among post menopausal women may not offset the elevated breast cancer risk associated with alcohol consumption, Dr. Christine Duffy said at the annual meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine. ...

'Smear-and-treat' strategy boosts follow-up.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A "smear and treat," single-visit approach to offering Pap smears led to better follow-up treatment in a controlled study of more than 3,000 women. The single-visit strategy also boosted the rate of follow-up Pap smears...

Depression-metabolic syndrome link.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A history of a depressive episode is associated with the metabolic syndrome in women but not in men, an analysis of data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggests. The positive association between a history of...

Key to twin pregnancies.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Smoking and inadequate weight gain are modifiable risk factors in fetal growth restricted twin pregnancies, Dr. John Barton said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. ...

Elective C-section not all roses.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Respiratory morbidity was significantly higher in neonates delivered by elective cesarean section than in those delivered vaginally, Dr. Limor Helpman said in a poster presentation at the annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal...

Stress and family history of breast ca.(Clinical CapsulesP)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Ordinary life stressors such as those experienced in the work place may be more detrimental to the health of women with a family history of breast cancer than to those with normal breast cancer risk. In a study of 217 healthy women with a...

No decline in dementia risk with estrogen use.(Women's Health)
August 1, 2004... Unopposed estrogen therapy was not associated with a reduction in the incidence of probable dementia or mild cognitive impairment in women aged 65 79 years, according to newly released data from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study ...

Think twice before using HT in diabetic patients.(Women's Health)(hormone therapy )
August 1, 2004... Postmenopausal hormone therapy is associated with greater atherosclerosis progression in women with diabetes or abnormal fasting glucose than in those with normal glucose tolerance, according to the findings of a randomized, prospective study....

Hormone therapy not beneficial in colorectal cancer prevention.(Women's Health)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Hormone therapy with estrogen and progestin does not appear to play a significant role in reducing the risk of developing colorectal cancer, according to a recent analysis of data from the Women's Health Initiative. Hormone therapy (HT)...

Screen mentally ill patients for diabetes and its precursors.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... SAN DIEGO -- About 13 million U.S. adults have diagnosed diabetes. An additional 5.2 million are undiagnosed and don't know they have the disease. Some of the latter are likely to be among those with severe mental illness. Patients seeking...

Beating psychological insulin resistance.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- An attitude problem "psychological insulin resistance" con tributes to the prevalence of poor metabolic control in people with diabetes, Dr. Mary T. Korytkowski said at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes...

Group visits improve short-term type 2 diabetes control.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... CHICAGO -- A pilot group-visit program helped adult patients attain and maintain optimal reductions in blood glucose levels, Dr. Valerie Weber said at the annual meeting of the Society of General Internal Medicine. She and her colleagues...

Novel enzyme inhibitor benefits type 2 diabetes.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A novel enzyme inhibitor has shown positive results both as monotherapy and in combination with metformin for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes, Dr. Bo Ahr6n and Dr. Richard Pratley reported at the annual...

Painful diabetic neuropathy appears undertreated.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Painful diabetic neuropathy is suboptimally treated in clinical practice, Mugdha Gore, Ph.D., re ported in a poster presentation at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association. Distal symmetric...

New compound useful in chronic neuropathic pain.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A novel compound called pregabalin provides significant relief to patients who have chronic neuropathic pain associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and postherpetic neuralgia, two researchers re ported at the annual...

Higher doses of oxcarbazepine reduce pain in diabetic neuropathy.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B. C. -- Oxcarbazepine, given at a higher dosage than in previous studies, significantly reduced diabetic neuropathy pain in a 16-week, placebo controlled trial, Dr. Sunil Dogra said at the annual meeting of the American Pain...

Most diabetics don't achieve cholesterol-lowering goals.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Cholesterol and hypertension remain uncontrolled in many patients with diabetes, with only a minority attaining a recommended LDL cholesterol level, according to two large studies reported at the annual scientific sessions of...

Aggressive cardiac care cuts costs in diabetes.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Aggressive prevention and management of heart disease in people with diabetes mellitus makes both clinical and economic sense, according to data presented at the annual scientific sessions of the American Diabetes Association....

New impaired fasting glucose standard flies in aviator study.(Diabetes)
August 1, 2004... BOSTON -- Long-term follow up of nearly 1,500 military pilots suggests that the new lower American Diabetic Association criteria for impaired fasting glucose could predict more cases of coronary disease, but not necessarily coronary events. ...

Intense athletic training may inflict airway damage: endurance athletes are at higher risk of airway inflammation, bronchoconstriction, expert says.(Pulmonary Medicine)
August 1, 2004... VANCOUVER, B.C. -- Runners and other athletes who engage in an aerobic activity for more than 20 hours per week probably are at risk of developing exercise-induced bronchoconstriction that leads to permanent remodeling, Dr. Robert J. Johnson...

Combination therapy, taken once daily, may control asthma.(Pulmonary Medicine)
August 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A single daily dose of fluticasone propionate / salmeterol was safe and effective in asthma control, Dr. Paul Dorinsky reported in a poster session at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and...

Switch from combo to monotherapy may trigger loss of asthma control.(Pulmonary Medicine)(fluticasone propionate )
August 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- Stepping down from a combination of fluticasone propionate and salmeterol to monotherapy can result in a loss of asthma control, Dr. Paul Dorinsky reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and...

Flovent HFA, Twinject Auto-Injector.(New & Approved)
August 1, 2004... Flovent HFA Inhalation Aerosol (fluticasone propionate HFA, GlaxoSmithKline) The Food and Drug Administration approved Flovent HFA Inhalation Aerosol for prophylactic and maintenance treatment of asthma in adults and adolescents 12 years...

[Alpha.sub.1]-antitrypsin deficiency is often overlooked, and can lead to COPD.(Pulmonary Medicine)(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease )
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- One in every 3,000 people in the United States has a genetic [alpha.sub.1]-antitrypsin deficiency, but only 5,222 know they have the condition, leaving 95,000 Americans undiagnosed, Dr. Charlie Strange said at the 100th...

Advair Diskus bests Combivent for COPD.(Pulmonary Medicine)(chronic obstructive pulmonary disease )
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Fluticasone/salmeterol combination inhalation powder improves chronic obstructive pulmonary disease symptoms better than ipratropium/albuterol, according to data presented in a poster presentation at the 100th International...

Nasal saline irrigation benefits sinus-related symptoms.(Pulmonary Medicine)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- Daily saline irrigation improved sinus-related symptoms and decreased medication use in patients with recurrent chronic sinusitis, in a randomized trial presented as a poster at the 100th International Conference of the...

Old and upcoming agents for gout.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2004... Physicians may soon have something old and something new in their arsenal for treating gout patients who are intolerant to allopurinol. The xanthine oxidase inhibitor oxypurinol, an orphan drug available only through a compassionate-use...

Pain control in RA frequently inadequate.(Clinical Rounds)(rheumatoid arthritis )
August 1, 2004... BERLIN -- Chronic pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients is an underappreciated and seriously undertreated problem, a landmark pan-European survey indicates. Two-thirds of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with chronic pain who...

Bisphosphonate slows RA erosion progress.(Clinical Rounds)(rheumatoid arthritis )
August 1, 2004... The bisphosphonate zoledronic acid appears to induce positive structural changes in bone in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, according to the findings of a study presented at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology. This is the...

Launchers and printers.(Digital Assistance)(Apple Newton)
August 1, 2004... Featured App: Launchers From the Apple Newton era to the latest Pocket PC, handheld computing technology has advanced tremendously. The hardware has certainly evolved and, from the software standpoint, there are now literally thousands of...

Eszopiclone consistently effective for insomnia.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2004... NEW YORK -- Eszopiclone provides consistent improvements in both sleep and daytime functioning over time in elderly and nonelderly patients with insomnia, according to data presented during a poster session at the annual meeting of the American...

Caffeine and naps only slightly helpful to the night shift.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2004... PHILADELPHIA -- The combination of caffeine and evening naps has only modest positive effects on performance and subjective sleepiness of night shift workers, Paula Schweitzer, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the Associated...

Enoxaparin incorrectly dosed.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... In a study of real-world use of enoxaparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, more than 20% of patients with acute coronary syndromes were given either too much or too little of the agent, not the amounts recommended for their body weights. An...

Resistant Salmonella.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... A resistant strain of Salmonella choleraesuis was recently identified in a patient with sepsis, Dr. C.H. Chiu of Chang Gung Children's Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan, and colleagues reported. The Salmonella enterica serotype, which usually...

Polio risk.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Persistent vaccine-derived neurovirulent poliovirus in an immunodeficient man failed to respond to numerous treatments, suggesting that such infections pose a risk to the strategy for eliminating vaccination once global eradication of polio is...

Response to hepatitis C Tx.(Clinical Capsules)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Black patients with hepatitis C inflection have a lower rate of sustained virologic response to treatment with interferon-[alpha] than do white patients that is not explained by any differences in viral genotype, reported Dr. Andrew. J. Muir...

Fragile X-linked syndrome: tell carriers of new risks.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2004... KISSIMME, FLA. -- When University of California, Davis, researchers reported the discovery of fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome in January 2000, it raised a thorny ethical issue for physicians. Men who had been identified as...

Questionnaire helps assess family history.(Clinical Rounds)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... ORLANDO, FLA. -- A 50-item questionnaire offers a convenient way for physicians to gather family history data, Sheila Dobin, Ph.D., said in a poster presentation at a meeting sponsored by the American College of Medical Genetics. Resident...

Genetic differences affect responses to some medications.(Clinical Rounds)
August 1, 2004... SAN FRANCISCO -- A new report on health care for Hispanic Americans highlights some genetic differences in responses to medications and alerts physicians to disparities in the delivery of care. "Genes, Culture, and Medicines: Bridging Gaps...

Growth in Medicaid fees.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... After growing slowly for most of the 1990s, Medicaid physician fees grew about 27.4% from 1998 through 2003, a study indicated. Primary care fees grew the most during this 5-year period, and states with the lowest relative fees in 1998...

Self-administered drug demo.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Medicare will begin testing possible coverage for self-administered drugs in September and physicians can begin immediately to help patients apply for inclusion. The demonstration project is available to certain Medicare beneficiaries with...

Risks of Internet pharmacies.(Policy & Practice)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2004... Some Internet pharmacies pose safety risks for consumers and have unreliable business practices, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. To evaluate the safety of drugs purchased over the Internet, the GAO obtained...