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The National Trend Toward Pushing Cannabis into Mainstream Culture; Seniors Increasingly Getting High
Benjamin Han, assistant professor at the New York University School of Medicine and the study’s lead author, fears that marijuana used with prescription drugs could make the elderly more vulnerable to adverse health outcomes, particularly to falls and cognitive impairment. "While there may be benefits to using marijuana such as chronic pain," he said, "there may be risks that we don’t know about." Study participants said they did not perceive the drug as dangerous, a sign of changing attitudes. more »
Pharmaceutical Executives Charged in Racketeering Scheme: In Exchange for Bribes, Practitioners wrote Large Numbers of Prescriptions of Subsys for Patients
Several pharmaceutical executives and managers, formerly employed by Insys Therapeutics, Inc., were arrested on charges that they led a nationwide conspiracy to bribe medical practitioners to unnecessarily prescribe a fentanyl-based pain medication and defraud healthcare insurers. The Massachusetts indictment alleges that these executives conspired to bribe practitioners in various states, many of whom operated pain clinics, in order to get them to prescribe a fentanyl-based pain medication. The medication, called “Subsys,” is a powerful narcotic intended to treat cancer patients suffering intense episodes of breakthrough pain. In exchange for bribes and kickbacks, the practitioners wrote large numbers of prescriptions for the patients, most of whom were not diagnosed with cancer. more »
Elaine Soloway's Rookie Widow Series: Tommy Has Boundaries; Full Disclosure; Tommy Intervenes
"Full disclosure: I'm an early riser and fade in the afternoons. I exercise regularly but need someone to open jar lids. I gave up my car when moving downtown, so if you still drive, including "at night," you're my hero. Sorry if you're down in the dumps, but I'm looking for someone upbeat. You should be able to text. Please have a smart phone and know how to send messages. I love quality TV. If you haven't heard of Netflix, we're likely not a match. And if you don't have a sense of humor, we have nothing in common." more »
Prescription Drug Labels: Actions Needed to Increase Awareness of Best Practices for Accessible Labels Blind or Visually Impaired
About 7.4 million Americans are blind or visually impaired and may face difficulty reading prescription drug container labels. Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act required the US Access Board to develop best practices for accessible labels and NCD to conduct an informational campaign on these best practices. However, stakeholders GAO contacted said these individuals continue to face barriers accessing drug label information, including identifying pharmacies that can provide accessible labels. more »
