WellCare to Pay $35.2 Million Amid Medicaid Probe
WellCare Health Plans Inc said on Monday it agreed to pay $35.2 million to the U.S. Attorney related to a government probe into accounting errors in its Florida Medicaid behavioral health contracts.
Carbon Dioxide Laser Resurfacing May Be Safe, Effective for Facial Rhytids
Carbon dioxide laser resurfacing is a safe and effective treatment for facial rhytidosis and solar aging, according to the results of a retrospective case series reported in the July/August issue of Archives of Facial Plastic Surgery.
UK Drugs Watchdog Chief Attacks Drug Firm on Prices
Incentive schemes linking drug industry executives' pay to their firms' share price and profits help drive up the price of new drugs, the head of Britain's health cost-effectiveness watchdog was quoted as saying.
Can Pharmacists Improve the Accuracy of Medication Histories?
Pharmacist- Versus Physician-Obtained Medication HistoriesReeder TA, Mutnick AAm J Health Syst Pharm. 2008;65:857-860 Study SummaryAbout 60% of hospitalized patients have at least 1 error in their medication history that is taken upon admission.[1] The investigators in this study compared medication histories that were obtained by hospital pharmacists with those obtained by physicians. The study was […]
Byetta Linked to Acute Pancreatitis
Six new cases of hemorrhagic or necrotizing pancreatitis have been reported in patients using exenatide injection (Byetta, Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advised healthcare professionals today.
Why Should I Report an Adverse Drug Event?
When I was in charge of the postmarketing drug safety program at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the early 1980s, 1 particular drug report became etched in my memory.
Chewing Gum May Enhance Recovery After Colon Surgery
Several small clinical trials have suggested that chewing gum after surgery to remove a part of the colon can enhance intestinal recovery, and some have suggested that this can result in a shortened hospital stay for the patient. Now, a meta-analysis of 5 clinical trials, involving a total of 158 patients, has found that the […]
High HBV Viral Load at Surgery Tied to Liver Cancer Return
In patients undergoing liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma related to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, viral load at the time of surgery is predictive of hepatoma recurrence, according to Chinese researchers.
More Women Needed, Says American Association of Neurological Surgeons Report
More than half of medical school students are women, and yet they account for only 10% of neurosurgical residents, a new report shows. That number drops to 6% when researchers factor in how many women go on to become practicing neurosurgeons.
FDA Warns About Injection Site Reactions With Naltrexone
Injectable, extended-release naltrexone (Vivitrol, Cephalon), used for the treatment of alcohol dependence, has been linked to adverse injection-site reactions, some requiring surgery, according to a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory notice to healthcare professionals released yesterday.
