About one person in three in the United States will encounter some sort of mistake during a hospital stay, recent reports say, and 90 percent of those go unreported. Federal officials have announced the release of data that that allows consumers to to find out how often local hospital patients acquire bed sores or infections, […]
Seniors Not Getting Preventative Services
Many seniors in the U.S. are not receiving health services that could be lifesaving, reports HealthDay News. They say that a report released March 14th by the Department of Health and Human Services said that too few seniors are getting the recommended flu and pneumonia vaccines, breast cancer screenings, and many other preventative screenings and services.
Supreme Court rules parents can’t sue over side effects from vaccines
The US Supreme Court decided yesterday in a 6-to-2 decision that parents cannot sue the manufacturers of immunizations over side effects from the shots their babies receive. Russel and Robalee Bruesewitz are parents of an infant that allegedly suffered a severe reaction to a vaccine. USA Today reports that the suit originated in Pennsylvania and was brought […]
Judge Rules Wal-Mart May Fire Employee For Use of Medical Marijuana
Joseph Casias, age 30, was an inventory control manager at Wal-Mart in Battle Creek, Mi, until 2009 when he was fired for testing positive for marijuana. Casias has cancer and an inoperable brain tumor and posses a medical marijuana card.
Research Shows Tablet-Splitting Can Be A Dangerous Practice
The practice of splitting both over-the-counter and prescription pills happens frequently and often with physicians approval. The practice allows an increase in dose flexibility, it often makes them easier to swallow, decreases costs for both patients and healthcare providers, and allows physicians to prescribe a lower dose than may be available by prescription.
USA Today reports military insurer denies coverage of new brain injury treatment
USA Today reports that “military health officials are refusing to pay for a new treatment for traumatic brain treatment despite widspread support for the therapy among doctors and lawmakers.” The treatment in question is cognitive rehabilitative therapy, or CRT. Tricare Management Agency, a component of the military health system, made a statement to The Military Times saying, […]
Drugs and Supplements From China and India Largely Unregulated
Of the nearly 80% of pharmaceutical ingredients and 40% of the finished product of prescription drugs sold in America, half are supplied by China and India. Yet the majority of those drugs and drug ingredients that are coming from these coundtries are not regulated and their safety, quality, and proper labeling are not ensured. In a recent article, The Kansas City […]
Nursing Home Residents Have Civil Rights
New category of lawsuits for civil rights violations at nursing homes. The Legal Intelligencer (7/1/09, Duffy) reports, “In a landmark opinion that recognizes a new category of lawsuits, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Federal Nursing Home Reform Amendments give residents of county-run nursing homes the right to bring civil rights claims […]
Paxil and Suicide
Some dermatologists have prescribed the anti-depressant drug, Paxil, for “off-lable” use in teenagers. One of those teenagers, a 16 year old from New Jersey, killed himself shortly after he began the Paxil regime. The parents of the teen brought a lawsuit against Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK), claiming that the drug firm was negligent in failing to warn […]