Internal Medicine News articles from May 2007

Internal Medicine News archives from May 2007

New diabetes cut 64% by novel drug.(News)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Succinobucol, a novel antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties, achieved a 64% reduction in new-onset diabetes in patients with a recent acute coronary syndrome in the phase III Aggressive Reduction of Inflammation Stops...

New data support limit of 13 g/dL for hemoglobin in CKD: adverse effects seen with higher Hb levels.(News)
May 1, 2007... ORLANDO -- New evidence about the potential hazards of high hemoglobin levels in patients with chronic kidney disease is prompting the National Kidney Foundation to narrow the target range for hemoglobin levels. According to a draft update...

Medicare set to launch pay-for-reporting program.(News)
May 1, 2007... Starting July 1, physicians who report on selected quality measures will have a chance to earn a small bonus payment from Medicare. The congressionally mandated Physician Quality Reporting Initiative offers incentive payments to physicians...

No NPI by May 23? Have a contingency plan.(News)
May 1, 2007... Physicians and other health care providers who fail to comply with the May 23 deadline to acquire and start using National Provider Identifiers will not be penalized if they can show they deployed a "contingency plan," the Centers for Medicare...

Top ten prescriptions by U.S. sales.(VITAL SIGNS)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Top Ten Prescriptions by U.S. Sales (in billions of dollars) Lipitor $8.6 Nexium $5.1 Advair diskus $3.9 Aranesp $3.9 Prevacid $3.5 Epogen $3.2 Zocor $3.1 Enbrel $3.0...

Parkinson's drug Permax removed from market.(News)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The manufacturers of the Parkinson's therapy Permax (pergolide) on March 29 agreed to take the dopamine agonist off the market as soon as possible, according to the Food and Drug Administration, which sought the recall. The FDA was spurred...

Shipping of Tigan suppositories halted by FDA.(News)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Tigan and other suppository drug products that contain trimethobenzamide hydrochloride have not been shown to be effective for nausea and vomiting and should no longer be marketed, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA...

Lipitor.(NEW & APPROVED)(Drug overview)
May 1, 2007... Lipitor (atorvastatin, Pfizer Inc.) The lipid-lowering drug approved for five new indications in adults with coronary heart disease; namely, to reduce the risk of these five cardiovascular events: nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal...

HepaGam B.(NEW & APPROVED)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... HepaGam B (Hepatitis B Immune Globulin Intravenous [Human], Cangene Corp.) An immune globulin product approved for the prevention of hepatitis B recurrence following liver transplantation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive...

The demise of 21/7 contraceptives.(GUEST EDITORIAL)
May 1, 2007... The 21/7-day oral contraceptive regimen (21 days active/7 days hormone-free) was arbitrarily created to mimic the average spontaneous menstrual cycle of 28 days. After more than 40 years of use, the traditional 21/7-day OC regimen is undergoing...

Health insurance mandates backfire.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Dr. Kevin Grumbach would have us emulate the Canadian health system, but fails to list the long waits for most surgeries and imaging studies--waits that most U.S. citizens would find unacceptable ("What is the best way to reform the U.S. health...

Get government out of the way.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Both Dr. Kevin Grumbach and Robert Moffit, Ph.D., are off the mark. The recommendation by Dr. Grumbach to apply the single-payer method (a la Canada or the United Kingdom) is outrageous, and would predictably result in the highly unsatisfactory...

Editorial board includes new members.(Opinion)
May 1, 2007... Internal Medicine News is pleased to welcome these new members of our editorial advisory board: Dr. Jon O. Ebbert is associate professor of medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, and associate program director of the General Internal...

Should a first epileptic seizure be treated?(POINT/COUNTERPOINT)
May 1, 2007... Therapy should often be started after a first seizure. About 10% of patients will experience a seizure sometime in their lives, yet fewer than half will have a second or recurrent seizure. After a second unprovoked seizure, it has been...

DXA images can motivate weight-loss patients.(Endocrinology)(Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry )
May 1, 2007... TAMPA, FLA. -- Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is an excellent method to measure and monitor body composition changes in obese patients undergoing weight loss and to assess body composition in athletes. Dr. Mary K. Oates reported at the annual...

Prevention of weight gain is as important as weight loss.(Endocrinology)(Report)
May 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Helping patients even overweight patients to avoid gaining more weight is an important therapeutic goal by itself. Dr. Robert Baron said at a diabetes update sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco. "It's...

No rise in heart risk when HT is started early.(Women's Health)(Hormone therapy)(Report)
May 1, 2007... Hormone therapy's effect on coronary heart disease risk appears to be somewhat modified by the length of time that elapses between the onset of menopause and the start of hormone therapy, a secondary analysis of data in the Women's Health...

HPV vaccine.(THE EFFECTIVE PHYSICIAN)(human papillomavirus vaccine )(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... Background The development and release of the quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18 promises to substantially reduce the rates of cervical cancer, but it has also raised questions and controversy....

Not all anogenital HPV infection needs treatment.(Women's Health)(human papillomavirus infections)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... HOUSTON -- Although most clinicians treat all anogenital human papillomavirus infections, nontreatment is something to consider in certain cases, Dr. Peter J. Lynch said at a conference on vulvovaginal diseases jointly sponsored by Baylor...

Vaginal hysterectomy can be option for endometrial cancer.(Women's Health)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... HOT SPRINGS, VA. -- Total vaginal hysterectomy may be an appropriate therapy for patients with endometrial cancers whose medical comorbidities put them at increased risk of complications with standard surgery, Dr. Susan Smith said at the annual...

Opioid medication errors common in hospitals: of 644 harmful error reports, 60% were errors in the route of administration.(Neurology)(Report)
May 1, 2007... SALT LAKE CITY -- Opioid administration and prescribing errors are common in hospitals, and frequently result in uncontrolled pain as well as overdoses, according to a retrospective study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy...

Considering route, bioavailability can minimize opioid abuse.(Neurology)
May 1, 2007... BETHESDA, MD. -- Physicians can help minimize the potential for abuse of opioid pain medications by considering the agents' delivery route, bioavailability, and pharmacokinetics, said Dr. Pamela P. Palmer, director of PainCARE--Center for...

Enoxaparin may reduce poststroke clots by 43%.(Neurology)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Enoxaparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, gave acute ischemic stroke patients significantly better protection against venous thromboembolism when compared with unfractionated heparin in a large, open-label trial presented at...

Metabolic syndrome linked with stroke subtype.(Neurology)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... SAN FRANCISCO -- Diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome are significant risk factors for intracranial atherosclerosis-related stroke, according to data from the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study. The findings from the nested case-control...

Systemic psoriasis therapies lower CV risk.(Dermatology)(cardiovascular risk)
May 1, 2007... MAUL HAWAH -- Recent evidence that psoriasis markedly increases cardiovascular risk will lead to a major shift toward greater use of systemic psoriasis therapies in an effort to reduce the disease's impact beyond the skin and joints,...

Yong melanoma patients have better outcomes: despite higher rates of sentinel lymph node metastases, younger patients have better survival.(Dermatology)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... PHOENIX -- An explanation may finally be at hand for a long-standing paradox concerning cutaneous melanoma in young adults. It's well established that adults who are younger at diagnosis have a better survival rate than those who are older....

Melanoma in situ epidemic causes needless morbidity.(Dermatology)
May 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- The increased pressure to detect early melanoma has had the unwelcome side effect of causing an epidemic of morbidity in patients with biologically indolent melanoma in situ, Dr. Allan C. Halpern said at the annual Hawaii...

Mechanical treatment for head lice is nontoxic: treatment with Resultz eliminated 100% of live lice at 24 hours, resulting in an overall 96.5% cure rate.(Dermatology)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... MONTREAL -- A product that dehydrates, rather than poisons, head lice should be available soon in the United States to fill a gap widened by concerns about the toxicity of existing treatments, Dr. Ian Landells said at Dermatology Update 2007....

Green tea cream decreases number of rosacea lesions.(Dermatology)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Twice-daily application of 2% polyphenone epigallocatechin-3-gallate (ECGC [green tea extract]) in a hydrophilic cream resulted in a significant reduction in inflammatory lesion counts in patients with papulopustular rosacea, Dr....

Topical antifungals: newer agents work faster but not better than older ones.(Dermatology)
May 1, 2007... MAUI, HAWAII -- The newer topical antifungals have essentially the same cure rates as do those available since the 1970s--their advantage is that they work faster, Dr. Douglas W. Kress said at the annual Hawaii Dermatology seminar sponsored by...

FDA advisers reject Merck's newest COX-2.(Rheumatology)(Food and Drug Administration)
May 1, 2007... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- Safety concerns about Merck's Arcoxia (etoricoxib) led the Food and Drug Administration's Arthritis Drugs Advisory Committee to vote 20-1 against approval of the COX-2 inhibitor. In presentations to the FDA and at...

TNF-[alpha] inhibitors may boost risk of coccidioidomycosis.(Rheumatology)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Coccidioides species represent a serious threat to patients taking tumor necrosis factor-[alpha] inhibitors, Dr. Andrew Racette said at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. Drugs that inhibit tumor...

Lifestyle factors can cause gout but not cure it.(Rheumatology)
May 1, 2007... DESTIN, FLA. -- The incidence of gout is on the rise, and lifestyle factors are largely to blame, Dr. N. Lawrence Edwards said at the annual Rheumatology on the Beach. For example, one study showed that between 1977-1978 and 1995-1996, the...

Panel backs approval of hip resurfacing system.(Rheumatology)
May 1, 2007... GAITHERSBURG, MD. -- The majority of the members of a federal advisory panel supported the conditional approval of a hip resurfacing system for people likely to need to have the same hip replaced more than once over their lifetimes. At a...

Questions remain about RA lymphoma risk.(Rheumatology)(rheumatoid arthritis)
May 1, 2007... NEW YORK -- Data from large observational registries ultimately should provide answers about the long-term risks of lymphoma associated with the tumor necrosis factor-blocking drugs, but for now, questions and contradictions remain. ...

Enzyme accelerates subcutaneous infusion rate.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2007... SALT LAKE CITY -- Recombinant human hyaluronidase makes it possible to safely hydrate patients subcutaneously with a gravity line feed at flow rates approaching 500 cc/hour, according to a preliminary study presented at the annual meeting of...

New imaging probes may identify cancer tissues.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2007... PHILADELPHIA -- New molecular imaging technologies promise to transform the diagnosis and treatment of cancer by focusing on biological targets, Dr. Sanjiv Sam Gambhir said at the annual meeting of the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology...

Guide offers help for cancer patients.(Clinical Rounds)
May 1, 2007... A new guidebook offers information on the top treatment facilities and specialists for different cancers, plus financial tips, drug trial information, and success stories. "Patient Resource: A Cancer Treatment and Facilities Guide for...

Nabilone relieves many advanced Ca symptoms.(Clinical Rounds)(cancer)
May 1, 2007... SAN ANTONIO -- The synthetic cannabinoid nabilone appears to be of substantial benefit in managing multiple symptoms common among patients with advanced cancer, thereby minimizing problems caused by polypharmacy, Dr. Vincent Maida reported at a...

Noni juice for cancer and more.(ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE)
May 1, 2007... Use: Traditional and Modern Morinda citrifolia (noni) is thought to have been one of the most important plants in traditional Polynesian medicine, possibly originating in Southeast Asia and being distributed throughout the islands of the...

Torcetrapib fails to halt atherosclerosis.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Torcetrapib profoundly raised HDL cholesterol values and decreased LDL cholesterol levels, yet failed to halt the progress of atherosclerosis in two separate international trials, Dr. Steven Nissen said at the annual meeting of...

Rosuvastatin slowed progress of carotid atherosclerosis.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(Clinical report)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Rosuvastatin slowed the progression of carotid intima-media thickness in asymptomatic subjects at low risk of cardiovascular events but who nonetheless had subclinical atherosclerosis, Dr. John R. Crouse III reported at a...

Depression screening in CAD patients worthwhile.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(coronary artery disease )
May 1, 2007... ORLANDO -- Depression is not a proven risk factor for coronary artery disease events, but the data available now are compelling enough to warrant screening patients with coronary disease for depression and treating it when it's diagnosed. ...

MERLIN finds new evidence of ranolazine safety.(Cardiovascular Medicine)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Ranolazine may have earned a product labeling upgrade from second-line to first-tier status for treatment of chronic angina on the strength of its reassuring safety performance in the 6,560-patient MERLIN trial. "Safety...

Nicotine patches appear safe for CAD patients.(Cardiovascular Medicine)(coronary artery disease)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... NEW ORLEANS -- Nicotine patches are safe for use in smokers with known coronary artery disease and stress-induced myocardial ischemia, according to the results of the first-ever randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial to...

Aspirin, NSAIDs risky for colorectal Ca prevention.(Gastroenterology)(nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)(cancer)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Routine use of aspirin or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs should not be recommended as preventive therapy for colorectal cancer in patients at average risk for the disease, according to a statement released by the U.S. Preventive Services...

Fatalism tied to lower colorectal screening rates.(Gastroenterology)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... HOUSTON -- Barriers to early detection of colorectal cancer among underserved patients include limited access to care and fatalistic beliefs about a cancer diagnosis, Aimee James, Ph.D., reported at the annual meeting of the American Society of...

Screen sleep disorder patients for GI reflux: treating gastrointestinal reflux can improve sleep--and treating sleep disorders can improve reflux.(Gastroenterology)(gastrointestinal reflux)
May 1, 2007... SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. -- Patients with sleep disorders should be screened for gastrointestinal reflux, Dr. Susan M. Harding advised at a meeting on sleep medicine sponsored by the American College of Chest Physicians. Heartburn is common in...

Screening for apnea cuts ICU admissions after gastric bypass.(Gastroenterology)(intensive care unit )
May 1, 2007... CHICAGO -- Mandatory screening for obstructive sleep apnea can significantly reduce the need for intensive care unit admission following bariatric surgery, Dr. Peter T. Hallowell said at the annual meeting of the Central Surgical Association....

Surgery still an option for some GERD patients.(Gastroenterology)(gastroesophageal reflux disease)(Report)
May 1, 2007... ORLANDO -- Laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication is a feasible option for some patients with medically refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease, Dr. Ignazio M. Civello said at a meeting on laparoscopy and minimally invasive surgery sponsored by...

GHRH analogue trims visceral fat in HIV study.(Infectious Diseases)(growth hormone-releasing hormone )
May 1, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- Visceral adipose tissue declined by 15% in HIV patients treated for 26 weeks with a growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) factor analogue, while visceral fat in patients assigned to placebo increased 5%, Dr. Steven Grinspoon...

Nationwide survey says 10% of HIV is resistant.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2007... LOS ANGELES -- Surveillance data indicate that 10% of people in the United States who become infected with HIV have acquired a virus with some resistance, Dr. Ulana Bodnar said at the 14th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic...

New tests on the horizon for detecting latent TB.(Infectious Diseases)(latent tuberculosis )
May 1, 2007... KEYSTONE, COLO. -- New tests that detect latent tuberculosis infection by quantifying interferon-[gamma] released from sensitized lymphocytes in whole blood may be a big step toward the elimination of TB, Dr. Charles Daley said at a meeting on...

Neisseria gonorrhoeae now sidesteps fluoroquinolones.(Infectious Diseases)
May 1, 2007... Fluoroquinolones should no longer be used for the treatment of gonorrhea in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has concluded. The recommendation is based on new evidence suggesting that the prevalence of...

Cuts in imaging payments will deepen over time.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... Endocrinologists are bracing for deep cuts in outpatient imaging services slated to be phased in over the next few years. If nothing is done to stop the spiraling decline in payment under Medicare, some endocrinologists say they may have to...

Docs abuse tax system.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Report)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Thousands of Medicare Part B physicians, health professionals, and suppliers abused the federal tax system with little consequence, an analysis from the Government Accounting Office found. More than 21,000 Medicare Part B providers--about 5% of...

Penalized by high-deductible plans.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Report)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... High-deductible health insurance plans discriminate against women by leaving them with far higher out-of-pocket health bills than men, according to a study from Harvard Medical School, Boston. The study also found that adults aged 45-64 years,...

Retail clinics replacing PCPs.(POLICY & PRACTICE)
May 1, 2007... More than 1 in 10 retail medical clinic users said the clinics have mostly or completely replaced their primary care physicians for the types of treatments offered at such facilities, according to a study from Market Strategies Inc., a research...

Negotiation could save $30 billion.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Legislation that would allow Medicare to use its bulk purchasing power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices under Part D could save U.S. taxpayers and seniors more than $30 billion annually, an advocacy group reported. The Institute...

Cuts would harm seniors.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Three-fourths of physicians said they believe that seniors will be harmed if Congress cuts the Medicare Advantage program, and the vast majority of doctors said lawmakers should cut other programs or raise taxes rather than cut Medicare...

Changing MD demographics.(POLICY & PRACTICE)(doctor of medicine)(Survey)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... A major demographic shift is underway in medicine as female physicians become more numerous, and this trend will influence the way medical groups recruit and retain physicians throughout their career cycles, according to the 2006 Retention...

NPs can advance palliative nursing home care: nurse practitioners who have received proper training can provide palliative care in nursing homes.(Practice Trends)(nurse practitioners )
May 1, 2007... SALT LAKE CITY -- A nurse-practitioner model can overcome regulatory and reimbursement barriers to the delivery of palliative care to patients in nursing homes, according to Dr. Jeanne Elnadry, medical director of the Hospice of Yuma (Ariz.)....

Western regions have smallest hospice caseload in skilled nursing or long-term care facilities.(DATA WATCH)(Statistical table)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Western Regions Have Smallest Hospice Caseload In Skilled Nursing or Long-Term Care Facilities Region 1 37.5% Region 2 26.3% Region 3 23.0% Region 4 27.4% Region 5 41.0% Region 6 39.0% Region 7 31.8% Region 8 13.1%...

Do-it-yourself EMR system modernizes a solo practice.(REINVENTING YOUR PRACTICE)(electronic medical record)
May 1, 2007... Rather than spend a large sum of money on a prepackaged electronic medical record system, Dr. L. Allen Kindman decided to construct his own path to a paperless practice by building on existing software. "My solo cardiology practice went...

Fast screening tool rates patients' health literacy.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... PHOENIX -- Three brief screening questions enable physicians to spot patients lacking the literacy skills necessary to understand and act upon health care information, Lorraine S. Wallace, Ph.D., said at a congress sponsored by the Association...

Legal concerns hinder adoption of gainsharing.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... Hospitals are reluctant to offer physicians a portion of the savings generated by reducing clinical costs--a concept known as gainsharing--because of legal fears, D. McCarty Thornton said during an audioconference on gainsharing sponsored by...

More postmarketing data to be gathered by FDA.(Practice Trends)(Food and Drug Administration)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Food and Drug Administration officials said they have started several new initiatives in response to the Institute of Medicine's call to upgrade and overhaul its drug safety efforts. The projects, including a pilot project to more...

Facial capture emerging as patient safety technology.(Practice Trends)
May 1, 2007... WASHINGTON -- Electronic bar codes and radiofrequency microchips are all the rage in medical error prevention, but one research team thinks avoiding mistakes may be as easy as snapping a photo. Researchers with the MedStar Health network...

FDA proposes new conflict-of-interest limits.(Practice Trends)(Food and Drug Administration)
May 1, 2007... The Food and Drug Administration is proposing to beef up its conflict-of-interest guidelines for experts who serve on its advisory committees, the agency announced in a teleconference. Proposed guidelines would bar experts with stock or...

Johnny Walker.(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Reef sandal company is now producing flip-flops with a polyurethane storage compartment hidden in the sole of each sandal, capable of storing 1 oz. of alcoholic beverage, the Baltimore Examiner reports. The sole of each sandal features the...

French fete famished fashion.(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Reuters reports that the French Ministry of Health, unlike its counterpart in Spain, has declined to ban overly thin fashion models and will seek instead to publicize the dangers of excessive dieting. Quote of the week, from designer and...

Boxers may have been smart once.(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Boxing really does cause brain damage, according to Swedish researchers who presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology. Dr. Max Hietala of Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden, and...

Somebody text 911!(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The Mayo Clinic Proceedings reports in its March issue that mobile phones do not interfere with electronic medical devices. Dr. David Hayes and colleagues tested cell phones on nearly 200 hospital-based devices for a 5-month period and found no...

Yankee shortstop.(INDICATIONS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Although New York City has been distributing free condoms to its residents since 1971, this year the prophylactics come packaged in wrappers evoking the symbols on a subway map, according to the New York Times. The municipal government has been...

Ovaries optional in PCOS.(INDICATIONS)(polycystic ovary syndrome)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... According to a recent essay in the journal Medical Hypotheses, men may be diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Razelle Kurzrock of the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, and her colleague, Dr. Philip Cohen...

Incentives may pose ethical concerns.(News)
May 15, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Pay-for-performance programs must be carefully designed to avoid putting some of the most vulnerable patient populations at risk, officials with the American College of Physicians warned at the organization's annual meeting. ...

Aggressive statin therapy beneficial for elderly patients: low LDL tied to lower cardiac event rate.(News)
May 15, 2007... TORONTO -- Elderly patients at high risk for acute cardiovascular events benefit as much from LDL cholesterol reduction as do younger patients but are significantly less likely to be prescribed statins, according to study findings presented at...

Findings confirm seasonal shift in surgical outcomes.(News)(Report)
May 15, 2007... COLORADO SPRINGS -- The July Effect appears to be both real and potent. Surgical morbidity and mortality are substantially greater in large academic medical centers in July--when new residents come aboard--than later in the academic year,...

More private insurance dollars were spent on prescriptions in 2006.(VITAL SIGNS)(Table)(Brief article)
May 15, 2007... More Private Insurance Dollars Were Spent On Prescriptions in 2006 Private insurance 42% Medicare 22% Out of pocket 19% Medicaid 11% Other public 7% Total Spent on Prescriptions: $213.7 billion...

Limited hours tied to fewer patient deaths.(News)
May 15, 2007... TORONTO -- In the second year after the new Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education duty-hours rules became effective, mortality in patients hospitalized for four common medical conditions--acute myocardial infarction, heart...

FDA calls for stronger antidepressant warning: labeling should cite data on suicidality, and state that untreated depression is linked to suicide risk.(News)(Food And Drug Administration)
May 15, 2007... The warnings of an increased risk for suicidality in pediatric patients that appear on the labels of antidepressants should be expanded to include young adults aged 18-24 years but should include a statement saying that depression also is...

Breast Ca decline linked to reduced use of mammography, hormone therapy.(News)
May 15, 2007... Disuse of hormone therapy might have fueled a significant drop in breast cancer detection rates in recent years, but a plateau in screening mammography among women older than 45 also contributed to the decline, according to new data from an...

Griseofulvin suspension is recalled nationwide.(News)(Report)(Brief article)
May 15, 2007... Two reports of glass fragments in bottles of the liquid formulation of griseofulvin have prompted a recall of this form of the antifungal drug. Ortho Dermatological announced a nationwide voluntary recall of glass bottles containing...

Quality Reporting bonus called interim strategy.(News)(Report)
May 15, 2007... SAN DIEGO -- Within the next few years, Medicare is likely to move from a system of pay for reporting to pay for performance, Jeff Flick, a regional administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said at the annual meeting of...