Prescription drug prices continue to soar, prompting hearings on Capitol Hill, and leading a columnist to suggest nifty ways how Big Pharma could better educate consumers about medications, especially since many seniors may be popping so many pills they may be endangering their well-being. Those soaring prices The bad news continued to roll in for….
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Tougher oversight needed on harms of medical devices
Problems with medical devices contribute to 3,000 Americans’ deaths annually, research shows, and fixing any one of the problem devices can cost hundreds of millions. So why aren’t government officials doing more and better in regulating them and protecting the public, a New York Times health policy columnist has asked. This health economist, Austin Frakt,….
Continue ReadingWill Congress vaporize proposals to curb tobacco use, protect kids’ health?
Just days after federal health officials warned about teen-agers’ increasing use of e-cigarettes (vaping) and hookahs, members of a House committee have approved a legislative move that shields vaping manufacturers from imminent and stringent U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversight. The appropriations committee, in a 31-19 vote, approved a proposal offered by Reps. Tom Cole….
Continue ReadingBad news on vaping, hookahs, and tobacco use by teenagers
Despite aggressive campaigns to discourage kids from starting to smoke, tobacco use has stayed the same among middle- and high-school aged students in five recent years, federal officials report. They blame a sharp increase in teens use of e-cigarettes and hookahs, which experts say could lead to significant health harms. The Centers for Disease Control….
Continue ReadingA $500-million medical fraud case paints ugly picture of caregivers, politicians
For anyone who has doubt about how low physicians and hospitals can stoop for a buck, a city magazine has offered a dismal portrait of breathtakingly bad conduct in a $500 million medical fraud. Prosecutors have accused some powerful California politicians of playing a part in this scandal. The report in Los Angeles magazine details….
Continue ReadingAnti-smoking campaign aimed at the young gets $50 million
It isn’t often you’ll read praise here for anything connected to pharmaceutical enterprises. But let’s give credit where it’s due, in this case to a giant drug store chain and its foundation: They’ve pledged $50 million over five years to an anti-smoking campaign aimed at snuffing out the lethal habit in the young. CVS Health’s….
Continue ReadingMaker of dirty medical device hit with $623 million in penalties for kickbacks
Can the sleaze get any worse with the maker of a dirty medical device that investigators say sickened dozens and played a role in killing 21? Sadly, it can. Federal prosecutors say that the maker of a flexible scope used in endoscopic exams will pay $623.2 million to settle criminal and civil charges over its….
Continue Reading$72 million question: does baby powder cause cancer?
A Midwestern lawsuit has raised lots of eyebrows after jurors in St. Louis returned a sizable civil judgment over claims that an Alabama woman died of ovarian cancer caused by her use of talcum in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder. Experts expect J&J to appeal the $72 million verdict in favor of the family of….
Continue ReadingAnti-anxiety pills and antibacterial soaps get scrutiny for over-use
Moderation matters. And when the health care system goes all-in on fad remedies, the problems, some deadly, soon start to crop up. This week’s illustrations of the dangers of over-use focus on increasingly prescribed anti-anxiety medications and now ubiquitous antibacterial soaps. Be wary with Xanax, Valium, Klonopin New research provides a chilling warning: Benzodiazepine-family drugs account….
Continue ReadingFDA outrages critics over sneaky rule change on drugs, medical devices
It’s a short paragraph, fine-print tucked in a 10,000-word document on tobacco product regulations. But these 245 words (see Intended Use Regulations, ง 201.128) have lit up critics of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. They say officials are trying to pull a fast one, seeking to relax labeling rules for drugs and medical devices. This….
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