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70% of oncologists and 60% of ob-gyns disagree with Task Force's mammogram recommendations

Recent recommendations by the US Preventive Task Force on Breast Cancer advising that women under the age of 50 should not get routine mammograms have resulted in fierce debate within the medical community. According to a new oncology study from ORC, an Infogroup Company, 70 percent of oncologists and 60 percent of ob-gyns disagree with the assertion that women should not get mammograms before the age of 50.

20 May 2010

Drug trend for children increased 10.8% in 2009 across America

In growing numbers, children across America are adding a dose of medicine to their daily routine. In 2009, drug trend for children – a measure of prescription spending growth – increased 10.8 percent, driven by a 5 percent increase in drug utilization and higher medication costs, according to the Medco 2010 Drug Trend Report. The growth in prescription drug use among children was nearly four times higher than the rise seen in the overall population.

20 May 2010

Non-adherence to medication increases risk of falling in older adults

Older adults increase their chances of falling by not taking their medications as directed, according to an article in the latest edition of the Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences (Volume 65A, Number 5). This new information comes from a recent study of Boston-area residents over age 70, which found that those who sometimes neglected their medications experienced a 50 percent increased rate of falls compared with those who did not.

20 May 2010

MEDRAD's Intego PET Infusion System integrated with Pinestar's Nuclear Medicine Information System

Today, MEDRAD, Inc. and Pinestar Technology, Inc. announced plans to enable data communication between MEDRAD's Intego™ PET Infusion System and Pinestar's Nuclear Medicine Information System (NMIS). The companies are closing the information gap between state of the art infusion systems and the latest information systems, and thus adding to the workflow benefits of automated FDG infusion.

20 May 2010

Adult, pediatric critical care and progressive care units named recipients of 2010 Beacon Award for Excellence

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses recently named 73 units — including 60 adult, four pediatric critical care and nine progressive care units — nationwide recipients of the spring 2010 Beacon Award for Excellence.

20 May 2010

Apotex launches generic Lipitor

Apotex Inc, a Canadian owned pharmaceutical company with headquarters in Toronto, launched today Apo-Atorvastatin, a generic version of 'Lipitor(R)' produced by Pfizer(R). This is the largest product to be genericized in Canadian history with approximate yearly sales of $1.2 billion. This last patent on Lipitor(R) will not expire until 2022. Apotex Inc. invented its own crystal form, thus overcoming the patents, 12 years ahead of time, which will result in close to $7 billion of cost-savings for the Canadian healthcare system.

20 May 2010

World Health Assembly news

Media outlets continue to track news emerging from the 63rd annual World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.

20 May 2010

African American, Latino children with special health care needs less likely to receive family-centered care: Study

The concept of family-centered care for children with special health care needs is based on the understanding that a partnership among patients, families and health care professionals is essential to providing quality care.

20 May 2010

New U.N. efforts aim to help Haitians obtain 'secure housing'

"The head of the U.N. mission in Haiti Edmond Mulet unveiled new efforts Tuesday to provide secure housing to thousands of people made homeless by January's devastating earthquake," Agence France-Presse reports.

20 May 2010

Texas prison health care system to lay off nearly 12 percent of workforce

The state institution that provides health services to Texas state prisoners will lay off 363 workers because of budget cuts. "The announcement is expected to ramp up concerns over a growing state budget crisis — and how Texas can continue to pay for a massive prison health care system that gobbles tens of millions of additional taxpayer dollars each year.

20 May 2010

Abbott named one of Best Workplaces in Europe

The Great Place to Work Institute today named Abbott one of the Best Workplaces in Europe at its European Conference in Madrid. The company was specifically honored for workplace leadership in Denmark, Ireland and Norway.

20 May 2010

MHAUS to discuss how medical facilities can best prepare for MH emergency

Preparation is the best plan for Malignant Hyperthermia emergencies, and The Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States will be at the Ambulatory Surgery Center Annual Meeting, May 19-22, to answer questions about how medical facilities can best prepare for an MH emergency.

20 May 2010

CMS to spend $73 million over 5 years to improve public websites

Washington Business Journal: "The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has awarded Fairfax-based CGI Federal Inc. a five-year contract worth $73.2 million to continue its modernization, application management and maintenance efforts on three external websites that provide information to 44 million beneficiaries and millions more health care providers."

20 May 2010

Lancet special series examines TB worldwide

The Lancet released on Wednesday a special series on tuberculosis, which includes a series of papers and comments highlighting the need for new tools, the threat posed by drug-resistant strains, results of current control efforts and other issues about TB worldwide, Agence France-Presse reports.

20 May 2010

Kansas State University researcher awarded NIH grant to study antibiotic-resistant bacteria

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are becoming a growing problem around the world, and are a particular worry in hospital-acquired infections.

20 May 2010

Hospitals under pressure from flagging budgets, regulators

The Washington Post reports on one suburban Maryland health system: "A special panel in charge of finding a company to take over Prince George's County's ailing health-care system has been unable to complete a sale of the system after a two-year search ... Bidders have been interested in separate parts of the system. But the panel's mandate is to ensure the facilities are sold at the same time to prevent buyers from cherry-picking ...

20 May 2010

KHN and WSJ reporters discuss health overhaul

Kaiser Health News staff writer Mary Agnes Carey and The Wall Street Journal's Janet Adamy discussed the many ways the health overhaul law will affect health care consumers young and old, and especially people with Medicare coverage on NPR's Talk of the Nation yesterday.

20 May 2010

Mass. Senate approves health costs bill to help small biz pay health costs and other state news

The Massachusetts Senate Tuesday approved a bill that would make wealthy hospitals pay $100 million in a one-time contribution to help small businesses ease insurance premiums. "The bill would let businesses with 50 or fewer workers form cooperatives to purchase insurance at a lower cost. Another provision presses insurers to spend at least 90 percent of premium dollars on care and 10 percent or less on administrative costs.

20 May 2010

Health care high school to open in Chicago

Crain's Chicago Business reports that, in the fall, the city will open its "first charter high school specializing in health care, a move local hospitals hope will help relieve chronic workforce shortages. ... Juniors and seniors will be able to earn credits by shadowing hospital workers and interning as assistant nurses and in other professions."

20 May 2010

Loyola University Chicago introduces new online doctorate degree program in bioethics

Classes have begun for Loyola University Chicago's new online doctorate degree program in bioethics, designed to provide advanced training in the ethical issues surrounding the complexities of modern medical research and clinical care.

20 May 2010