Diseases & ConditionsContributorNetwork - In the ever-widening arc of budgets cuts proposed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, last week, another program comes under the knife. This time, it's prevention programs for and treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. The projected savings for the state would total $55 million in 2012.
Diseases & Conditions
Medication Shortage Has the Health Care Community Concerned (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - Hospitals and outpatient medical centers throughout the U.S. are struggling to keep many different essential drugs stocked up.
Pessimistic? Your pain medication might not work as well (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - Before asking your doctor about a change in your pain medications, you may want to reflect on your expectations for the medication.
Michigan Walmart Employee Fired for Medical Marijuana; Judge Upholds Employer's Rights (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - Medical marijuana is legal in Michigan. Joseph Cassias, a Battle Creek Walmart stock clerk, has an inoperable brain tumor. Cassias was fired from Walmart for medical marijuana use. A Grand Rapids judge ruled in favor of Walmart, despite the ACLU's claim of unfair.
FDA Approves Viibryd Sex-Friendly Anti-Depressant (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - The FDA approved the anti-depressant Viibryd for treatment of MDD (Major Depressive Disorder). Viibryd is Clinical Data's trade name for vilazodone hydrochloride. Viibryd has been called a "sex-friendly anti-depressant" as it does not reduce sex drive. Diminished sex drive is a common side effect with many anti-depressants, SSRI (Selective Seratonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and anti-anxiety prescription drugs.
Will Montel Williams' Celeb Power Help Medical Marijuana Bill in Maryland? (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have medical marijuana laws on the books, and Maryland is on the verge of deciding whether to become No. 16. Rep. Del Morhaim plans to introduce a bill to legalize medical marijuana in the Maryland General Assembly this week.
First Person: Medical Marijuana Would Help My MS-Afflicted Uncle, Countless Others (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - Two weeks after the polls officially closed in Arizona, it looks as though Proposition 203 will become law. With its passing, Arizona will become the 15th state in the country to have medical marijuana laws on the books. Though the Supreme Court reaffirmed in 2005 in Gonzales v. Raich the federal government's supremacy in regulating commerce, specifically stating "Congress may ban home-grown cannabis even where states approve its use for medicinal purposes," Arizona will begin the process of licensing medical marijuana dispensaries in the not so distant future.
Are Energy Drinks Safe? (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - This article is not meant for diagnosis of any medical condition nor advocate or prescribe any specific medication or treatment. Always seek the advice of a licensed physician for proper diagnosis or treatment of any disease or condition.
Generic, Brand-Name Heart Drugs Seem to Have Same Effect on Thyroid (HealthDay)
HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, July 13 (HealthDay News) -- For patients taking the heart
rhythm drug amiodarone (Cordarone), generic versions of the drug do not
cause more incidents of thyroid dysfunction than the brand-name
medication, researchers report.
Dental Care for Kids on Medicaid Varies by Fees Each State Sets (HealthDay)
HealthDay - TUESDAY, July 12 (HealthDay News) -- Low reimbursements to
dentists from Medicaid make getting dental care difficult for children and
adolescents covered by the government health plan, new research
suggests.
Avastin Gains Further Acceptance in Europe; U.S. Still Skeptical (ContributorNetwork)
ContributorNetwork - Parent company Roche and its American subsidiary, Genentech, dodged a bullet Wednesday from the European medical community for its first-of-its-kind drug Avastin. But the pharmaceutical companies received less positive news in the United States. The cancer treatment drug should not be used against breast cancer in the United States, according to a unanimous vote by the six-member oncology drug review panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as reported by The Globe and Mail.
Trial size may limit use of Seattle Genetics drug (Reuters)
Reuters - U.S. drug reviewers might limit the use of a Seattle Genetics Inc experimental blood cancer drug due to the narrow scope of its clinical trials, sending the company's shares down 3.6 percent.
More kids see dentists when Medicaid rates rise (Reuters)
Reuters - Higher payments to dentists who treat kids on Medicaid translate into more of those kids getting regular teeth cleaning, according to a new study.
Licensing deal to boost HIV drug access (AFP)
AFP - US pharmaceutical giant Gilead Sciences will allow generic drug makers to copy four HIV medicines under a deal announced Tuesday to give people in poor countries access to cheaper AIDS treatment.
Groups convince FDA to ease Alzheimer's trial rules (Reuters)
Reuters - Academic and industry experts said on Tuesday they have convinced U.S. regulators to ease safety restrictions imposed on clinical trials of Alzheimer's drugs, a move that could improve the chances that a drug being developed jointly by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson might succeed.
Behavioral Techniques a Better Value for Chronic Migraine Than Meds: Study (HealthDay)
HealthDay - FRIDAY, July 8 (HealthDay News) -- Behavioral treatments such as
relaxation training, hypnosis and biofeedback to help prevent chronic
migraine headaches are cost-effective alternatives to prescription drugs,
a new study suggests.
Privately insured heart patients had best outcomes (Reuters)
Reuters - Patients who had heart valve replacement surgery who were privately insured had better medical outcomes than the uninsured and Medicaid patients undergoing the same procedure, researchers said on Friday.
Medicaid Coverage 'Substantially' Improves Access to Care: Study (HealthDay)
HealthDay - THURSDAY, July 7 (HealthDay News) -- Expanding Medicaid coverage among
low-income adults increases health care use, improves health and
well-being and reduces the financial strain for people with the publicly
funded health coverage, according to new research.
Medicaid improves health and budgets of poor (Reuters)
Reuters - Medicaid, a government health insurance program designed to help the poorest of the poor, is giving people unprecedented access to doctors and also improving their finances, a study co-authored by the Harvard School of Public Health has found.
Pushing Western medicine with fear in India (Reuters)
Reuters - If you sleep less than six hours a night, you're increasing your risk of developing or dying from heart disease by 48 percent. At least, that's what U.S.-based pharmaceutical giant Abbott would have 1.2 billion people in India believe.
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