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Thousands of prescription drug products sold in the U.S. not approved by FDA

Drugs that have not been approved by FDA make up nearly 2% of prescription drugs on the market, and some of them "might not only be ineffective but also might actually be harmful," USA Today reports.

20 Sep 2006

CDC creates committee to evaluate process of rewarding grants

CDC has formed a committee to consider the equitability of the agency cash awards process in response to analyses that found non-science employees in recent years have received most of the awards, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Young, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/19).

20 Sep 2006

Insurance companies promote use of generic drugs in effort to cut costs

The Chicago Tribune on Sunday examined how some private insurers, in an attempt to reduce health care costs by encouraging the use of generic drugs, "are showering customers with free generic drug samples, waiving copayments and marketing directly to consumers in doctors' offices."

20 Sep 2006

More states allow older children to remain on parents' health plans

A "growing number of states" have extended the time children can remain on their parents' health insurance plans out of concern "that a healthy -- and profitable -- segment of the population is dropping out of the insurance pool," the New York Times reports.

20 Sep 2006

Health IT legislation should allow portability for electronic health records

"Steps are now under way to bring ... lifesaving" electronic health records to all hospitals and physician offices in the U.S., but "Congress is considering a bill that would make it harder to allow your information to follow you throughout your health care treatment," former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology David Brailer writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

20 Sep 2006

Preconception care for improving perinatal outcomes: The time to act

Continued improvements in the infant and maternal mortality rates will depend on interventions before a woman becomes pregnant, according to officials from the March of Dimes, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other experts.

19 Sep 2006

House panel passes bill to require electronic health records for FEHBP members

The House Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce and Agency Organization on Wednesday passed a bill (HR 4859) that would authorize the Office of Personnel Management to require health insurers to establish two forms of electronic health records for the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program, CongressDaily reports.

18 Sep 2006

Breast cancer incidence is lower for Latinas

Breast cancer incidence is lower for Latinas than for non-Latina white women, but Latinas diagnosed with the disease are more likely to die than white women, according to a report released by the American Cancer Society, Long Island Newsday reports.

18 Sep 2006

Sen. DeMint pledges to hold Von Eschenbach's FDA Commissioner nomination unless steps taken to take Mifeprex off market

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) plans to place a hold on President Bush's nomination of acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to permanently head the agency unless "immediate steps" are taken to remove Danco Laboratories' medical abortion drug Mifeprex from the market, DeMint press secretary Wesley Denton said recently, the New York Times reports.

18 Sep 2006

Access to care issues, physician training, other problems contributing to mental health issues for elderly

Poor access to mental health services, inadequately trained primary care physicians and apathy among the senior population are contributing to high rates of mental illness among those older than 65, according to experts who testified Tuesday before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the Los Angeles Times reports.

18 Sep 2006

Most working adults shopping for individual insurance turned down or found it too costly

Of working-age U.S. residents who sought individual health coverage in the last three years, 89% were rejected for medical reasons or felt that the available plans were unaffordable, according to a study released last week by the Commonwealth Fund, the Los Angeles Times reports.

18 Sep 2006

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois coverage policy for partial-breast radiation therapy to be reviewed

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois' policy that it does not cover partial-breast radiation therapy was scheduled to be reviewed last Wednesday in Dallas during a three-day meeting of Health Care Service Corporation officials, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

18 Sep 2006

House Democrats introduce bill that aims to reduce unintended pregnancies, abortions

Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), who opposes abortion rights, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), who supports abortion rights, and other House Democrats last Thursday at a press conference announced the introduction of legislation (HR 6067) that aims to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and abortions, Copley/Canton Repository reports.

18 Sep 2006

IRS revokes antiabortion group's tax exemption

The Internal Revenue Service this week revoked the tax exemption status of the antiabortion group Operation Rescue West for violating electioneering prohibitions in the 2004 presidential elections, the New York Times reports.

18 Sep 2006

Michigan Bills introduced that would require girls to receive HPV vaccine before sixth grade

Michigan Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom (R) last Tuesday introduced two bills (SB 1416, SB 1417) that would require girls in the state entering the sixth grade in the 2007-2008 school year and beyond to have received Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the Detroit News reports.

18 Sep 2006

Children continue to be ignored in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Despite the "bluster" of last month's XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, there was "hardly a mention" of children and "stunning[ly] ... little attention was paid to them," Ruthann Richter, Stanford University School of Medicine director of media relations, writes in a San Jose Mercury News opinion piece.

18 Sep 2006

Health Care News and Research

Thousands of prescription drug products sold in the U.S. not approved by FDA

CDC creates committee to evaluate process of rewarding grants

Insurance companies promote use of generic drugs in effort to cut costs

More states allow older children to remain on parents' health plans

Health IT legislation should allow portability for electronic health records

Preconception care for improving perinatal outcomes: The time to act

House panel passes bill to require electronic health records for FEHBP members

Breast cancer incidence is lower for Latinas

Sen. DeMint pledges to hold Von Eschenbach's FDA Commissioner nomination unless steps taken to take Mifeprex off market

Access to care issues, physician training, other problems contributing to mental health issues for elderly

Most working adults shopping for individual insurance turned down or found it too costly

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois coverage policy for partial-breast radiation therapy to be reviewed

House Democrats introduce bill that aims to reduce unintended pregnancies, abortions

IRS revokes antiabortion group's tax exemption

Michigan Bills introduced that would require girls to receive HPV vaccine before sixth grade

Children continue to be ignored in the fight against HIV/AIDS

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Vietnam launches first HIV prevention campaign aimed at young people

House subcomittee hearing focuses on disciplinary measures for NIH scientists' ethnics violations

Oregon Prescription Drug Program would expand coverage to all uninsured residents

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

How ELRIG Is Helping Mid-Career Scientists Navigate Leadership, Career Change and Redundancy

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