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Physicians’ average weekly hours decreased by 7% over the last decade

After remaining stable for 2 decades, the average hours worked per week by physicians decreased by about 7 percent between 1996 and 2008, according to a study in the February 24 issue of JAMA.

24 Feb 2010

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

The House Subcommittee for the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia heard testimony today on HR 4489, the “FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act.” The proposed bill would reform many aspects of how the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide prescription drug benefits to federal workers.

24 Feb 2010

USPSTF-recommended guidelines lead to decline in mammograms and early detection programs for women under 50

In some states women ages 40 to 49 have less access to mammograms since the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its recommendations to change breast cancer screening guidelines last November, according to a recent survey conducted by the Avon Foundation for Women. The USPSTF recommended changing the current mammography screening guidelines for average risk women to begin biennial screening at age 50 instead of annual mammograms starting at age 40.

24 Feb 2010

PAREXEL International expands capabilities by opening new early phase unit in Port Elizabeth, South Africa

PAREXEL International Corporation, a leading global biopharmaceutical services provider, today announced that it has expanded its capabilities through the opening of a new early phase unit in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

From Parexel 24 Feb 2010

UK pharmacists overwhelmingly prefer dispensing preservative-free drugs

MeadWestvaco Corp. announced today results from an online survey of 100 pharmacists in the UK regarding their preference for dispensing preservative-free nasal medications. The survey showed that 67 percent of UK pharmacists have a preference for dispensing a preservative-free drug. This percentage increased significantly to 84 percent after the benefits of preservative-free drugs were reviewed with these pharmacists.

24 Feb 2010

Combination therapies effective for treating depression

Even after she left her alcoholic, abusive husband behind, Patrice, a nurse in Florida, couldn't summon the energy to keep her house straight, couldn't sleep.

24 Feb 2010

Poll: Americans split on health care bills, but majority frustrated by delays

A new tracking poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds Americans with mixed views on health care reform.

24 Feb 2010

State Round up: Utah struggling with state online health exchange; California cracks down on discount health plans

The Salt Lake Tribune: "Utah lawmakers this year have spared no energy trumpeting their dislike for federal health reform, passing bills asserting states' right to govern themselves. But Utah's own health care fix, an online insurance market called the Utah Health Exchange, has gotten off to a wobbly start. And legislation to repair it, sponsored by Republican House Speaker Dave Clark, came under siege last week. ...The debate left some reform advocates privately wondering if the topic has become too toxic to handle" (Stewart, 2/23).

24 Feb 2010

GW report: Asthma is on the rise in America and more than 1M children with asthma not insured

Researchers from The George Washington University, School of Public Health and Health Services said today that asthma, a largely manageable and chronic disease, is on the rise in America and released new data on the magnitude of the asthma crisis, the surging cost of treatment, and the more than 1 million children with asthma who are uninsured.

24 Feb 2010

FDA: Invirase-Norvir combination therapy for HIV may adversely affect the heart

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced preliminary data suggesting that Invirase (saquinavir) in combination with Norvir (ritonavir) may have potentially important adverse effects on the heart.

24 Feb 2010

AARP tracks upcoming Senate vote on Idaho Health Freedom Act

With the Idaho State Senate expected to vote today on the ill-conceived Idaho Health Freedom Act (HB 391), a bill that could wreak havoc on the state's health care system, AARP has announced it will make the vote a part of it's "accountability vote" efforts.

24 Feb 2010

Emergency department closures will be disastrous, says ACEP

As members of Congress and President Obama meet this week about health care reform, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) today raised alarm over the recent closure of an emergency department in Cincinnati and reports of more ERs on the brink of closure in New York and Washington, D.C.

24 Feb 2010

Obama backs repeal of health insurers' antitrust exemption

"President Barack Obama urged Congress on Tuesday to strip health insurers of their decades-old exemption from federal antitrust laws — hardening his stand against the industry as he tries to revive his stalled health care overhaul," the Associated Press/Los Angeles Times reports. "Removing this exemption will allow appropriate enforcement and examination of potential policies that might prove uncompetitve (sic), or might stifle competition," a White House spokesman said. The House could vote on the measure this week (Alonso-Zaldivar, 2/23).

24 Feb 2010

Insurers reject Obama's proposal for a rate-hike review panel

The health overhaul plan unveiled Monday by President Barack Obama puts the heat on insurers by requiring federal oversight of increases in health insurance premium rates, something the industry has strenuously objected to.

24 Feb 2010

SRI International awarded $3.8M BARDA contract to develop a radiation assessment device

SRI International, an independent nonprofit research and development institute, has received a $3.8M contract from the Department of Health and Human Services Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). SRI will research and develop a device to triage individuals who may have been exposed to ionizing radiation after a radiological or nuclear incident.

24 Feb 2010

Officials crack down on Medicare fraud in Miami and Los Angeles

When it comes to health care fraud, schemes that target Medicare are among the most common and lucrative. That's because the $400 billion federal program is a fat and easy target. The Obama administration ... has requested an increase for an effort to crack down on Medicare fraud.

24 Feb 2010

Rising Medicare costs linked to the growth in common costly chronic conditions: Study

Today, two of the nation's leading health and fiscal policy experts discussed how to reign in rising health care costs in Medicare in light of a new Health Affairs study that shows rising Medicare costs in the nation's health care system are linked to the growth in several common costly chronic conditions, such as diabetes, arthritis, hypertension, and kidney disease.

24 Feb 2010

Clout of drug industry seen in MD residency programs and in health reform

News outlets report on the pharmaceutical industry's involvement in doctor training and its role in shaping the health care overhauls pending in Congress.

24 Feb 2010

Woman's risk of heart disease intensifies during natural menopause: Study

When women hear the word menopause, they often think about hot flashes, hormone shifts and mood swings. But what about heart disease? Studies show a woman's risk of heart disease intensifies drastically around the time of natural menopause, which for most women is around the age of 50.

24 Feb 2010

Obama builds on Senate health bill in hopes of broader support

President Barack Obama's health care proposal, an effort to resuscitate the debate, merges the separate legislation passed in the Senate and House "into a final version that could pass muster in both chambers," The Washington Post reports.

24 Feb 2010