- Scott Kappes | November 30, 2007 11:33 AM |
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MiscellaneousThis week the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released their first-ever list of the worst performing nursing homes in the nation. These poor-performing facilities have twice as many deficiencies as most nursing homes. As of last month there were over 125 facilities designated as "Special Focus Facilities" (SFF) of the 16,000 nursing homes in the U.S. The 54 with the most appalling...
- Scott Kappes | November 29, 2007 5:02 PM |
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MiscellaneousAn article published in the New England Journal of Medicine today reports a link between computed tomography (CT) scans and an increased risk of cancer. The article claims that the increasingly popular scans are bombarding patients with radiation each and every time one of these scans is preformed. There is a particular concern for children who are receiving CT scans to diagnose medical...
- Scott Kappes | November 27, 2007 5:24 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsToday the FDA and drug maker Norvitas announced the transplant anti-rejection drug Myfortic has been confirmed to increase the risk of pregnancy loss and congenital malformations. Any patient that is or plans on becoming pregnant should not use Myfortic unless there is no other alternative for treatment. Myfortic has been placed in Category D, meaning there is positive evidence of fetal risk....
- Scott Kappes | November 26, 2007 5:00 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe FDA has seized more than $2 million worth of what they characterize as an "unapproved and misbranded drug" that claims to lengthen eyelashes. The Age Intervention Eyelash, produced by Jan Marini Skin Research, contains bimatoprost, an ingredient in the popular glaucoma medication Lumigan. Lumigan has been seen to lengthen eyelashes in glaucoma patients an many cosmetic companies are...
- Scott Kappes | November 26, 2007 9:47 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsBritish drug maker GlaxoSmithKline is under fire again, this time concerning the safety of popular asthma medications Advair and Serevent. The top-selling drugs have been blockbusters for GSK, with Advair alone accounting for almost seven billion in sales in 2006. Concerns about the drugs' safety stem from reports of rare and potentially life-threatening side effects in children under the age of...
- Scott Kappes | November 21, 2007 12:18 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsYesterday the FDA published an article on their website informing the public and physicians that they are currently reviewing the smoking cessation drug Chantix. The FDA says that they have received reports of erratic behavior and suicidal thoughts from Chantix users. The manufacturer, Pfizer, has submitted postmarketing cases of suicidal ideation and behavior. Preliminary observations reveal...
- Scott Kappes | November 20, 2007 1:29 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsPfizer is breathing a big sigh of relief as a federal judge in San Francisco ruled yesterday that plaintiff's attorneys have not produced reliable evidence that 200mg dosage of the painkiller Celebrex caused heart attacks or strokes. It is currently unclear how many of the 3,000 claims against Pfizer involved the 200mg medium dosage. Regardless how much of dent this places in the legal headaches...
- Scott Kappes | November 19, 2007 2:40 PM |
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Medical MalpracticeLast week the New York state health officials informed over 600 patients of Dr. Harvey Finkelstein, anesthesiologist, after learning that the doctor may have put his patients at risk by reusing syringes. They began investigating Finkelstein back in 2005 after two of his patients contracted hepatitis C. In 2005 officials notified 98 epidural recipients of possible infection after the two cases...
- Scott Kappes | November 16, 2007 4:11 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe once blockbuster drug Avandia has been at the center of controversy over the past several months. In May of this year an article was published in the New England Journal of Medicine linking the drug to a 43 percent increased risk of heart attack. The article was based on an analysis of 42 studies that suggested the possible increased risk. Wednesday the FDA added an additional "black box"...
- Scott Kappes | November 16, 2007 10:02 AM |
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MiscellaneousA personal injury lawsuit has been filed against the International House of Pancakes after David Vardaman tripped over rolled up mats shortly after entering the restaurant causing him to be injured. The lawsuit alleges that the mats were carelessly placed on the premises. David and his wife are suing the pancake giant seeking to recover past and future medical expenses in addition to mental...
- Scott Kappes | November 13, 2007 10:49 AM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsOn Monday it was announced that Cephalon has agreed to pay some $425 million to the U.S. Justice Department resolve Medicaid claims alleging that they promoted the powerful painkillers Actiq and Fentora for off-label use. Off-label use pertains to when doctors prescribe medications for uses they are not approved by the FDA to treat. Physicians are allowed prescribe medications as they see fit,...
- Scott Kappes | November 09, 2007 2:40 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsFriday it was announced that a settlement has been reached for the majority of Vioxx litigation. Merck & Co. announced that they will pay just under $5 billion dollars to settle thousands of Vioxx injury cases. The settlement is not a class action settlement and each case will be reviewed before any payment is made. Merck will place the money into a fund, which will be petitioned for...
- Scott Kappes | November 07, 2007 12:45 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsA report from USA Today claims that a new study has suggested a link between birth control pills and increased risk of artery clogging plaque. The study of just over 1300 women suggest that the likelihood of finding plaques in key arteries is increased between 20 and 30 percent when taking birth control pills. This risk is thought to increase over time. The study also ties this risk to women who...
- Scott Kappes | November 06, 2007 4:36 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsYesterday the FDA and Bayer Pharmaceutical Corp. announced that Trasylol is being pulled from the U.S. market. This news comes after a Canadian study suggested that it might cause an increased risk of death. The controversial drug is used to treat patients who have an elevated risk of excessive bleeding during heart surgery. The study was discontinued when preliminary results suggested this...
- Scott Kappes | November 05, 2007 2:23 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsToday the FDA announced that at their request Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corp. has agreed to immediately cease all marketing associated with Trasylol. This comes as a follow up to a report from October 26 that suggested that their may be an increased risk of death connected to the drug used to control bleeding during heart surgery. The preliminary results of a Canadians study on Trasylol suggest this...
- Scott Kappes | November 02, 2007 1:15 PM |
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MiscellaneousYesterday General Mills Operations located in Minnesota issued a voluntary recall of 5 million frozen pizzas due to the risk that they could be contaminated with E. coli. The recall affects about 414,000 cases of pizza products. Many of these products may already be in consumers' freezers and pose a serious health risk. There have been 21 confirmed cases of E. coli spread across the entire...
- Scott Kappes | November 01, 2007 2:44 PM |
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FDA & Prescription DrugsThe FDA has issued a Class I Recall of Medtronic Sprint Fidelis defibrillator leads due to fracture risk that can result in unwarranted shocks being applied to the implanted patient's heart. In the case of this recall, it seems that physicians at the Minnesota Heart Institute made the company aware of possible problem back in February, when for two days in a row they had patients claim that they...