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Industry Issues and News

Health Care Industry Issues

Top Health Care Industry Issues from Leading News Sources

HealthMarkets is dedicated to helping consumers make informed decisions about their own health care. Health Care Industry Issues contains current news on many of the industry’s leading issues that impact health care including consumer guided health insurance, patient privacy and health savings accounts. Browse our daily updates of top news stories to learn more about key health care issues affecting you and your family.


Creation Time: August 07, 2008

Mispronounced drugs contribute to medication errors
August 07, 2008

Mispronunciation of prescription drugs presents risks that could prove fatal for some patients, medical experts warned. A report from U.S. Pharmacopeia shows that nearly 1,500 drugs with names that look or sound alike were linked to medication errors, with 1.4% resulting in patient harm, including seven mistakes that may have led to death. "It's just going to get worse with increases in the number of drugs and in the number of unfamiliar names," a geriatric psychiatrist said.

NIH renews biodefense agreement with Alnylam
August 07, 2008

The NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases extended a biodefense contract with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, awarding $7.5 million for the company's research. The deal continues a contract signed in 2006 to develop an antiviral RNAi-based treatment for hemorrhagic fever virus, including the Ebola virus, Alnylam said.

A better way to speed the adoption of vaccines
August 07, 2008

Mapping the way decision makers interact could hasten the introduction of vaccines.

CDC: Hospital ER wait time increases to almost an hour
August 07, 2008

A CDC study of 362 U.S. hospitals shows average wait times in emergency departments jumped from about 38 minutes to almost an hour in the past 10 years, mainly due to more patients and fewer ERs. Experts said a shortage of surgical specialists and the difficulty some patients face in making a doctor's appointment also contribute to the crowding.

Community chronic-care model being developed in Michigan
August 06, 2008

Physicians, employers, health plans, health care systems and the municipal government in Battle Creek, Mich., have refined and implemented a model to reduce barriers to care, improve patient outcomes and reduce costs for those with chronic diseases. The groups created a registry to track data for population health management and interfaces that connect providers and allow labs and hospitals to add data. They're also working with a medical home model and a value-based insurance model with lower deductibles.

St. Louis hospital begins universal HIV testing in ER
August 06, 2008


Flu vaccines for 2008-2009 season obtain FDA clearance
August 06, 2008

The FDA approved six influenza vaccines for the 2008-2009 season that were altered to contain new virus strains that are most likely to circulate. GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals' Fluarix, MedImmune Vaccines' FluMist and Sanofi Pasteur's Fluzone are among the shots that gained clearance.

FDA to study drug commercials' effectiveness
August 06, 2008

The FDA plans to conduct an online survey of consumers age 40 and older to determine whether images in drug commercials detract attention from required risk information. The study, which awaits approval of the Office of Management and Budget, will involve bogus ads for a fictitious blood-pressure treatment and will seek responses from 2,400 people.

Walgreen expands prescription Rx program
August 06, 2008

The Walgreen Co. is expanding its Prescription Savings Club to offer a 90-day supply of more than 400 generic medications for $12.

Milwaukee businesses unite to saves millions in health costs
August 06, 2008

A coalition of 18 big businesses in the Milwaukee area has saved 9%, or more than $32 million, in health care costs over two years through an initiative with Humana, which created a health plan for the coalition members.

Reduced hours for residents don't equal more sleep or fewer errors
August 05, 2008

A survey of medical residents shows cutting back on the number of hours they work hasn't meant they get more sleep. In 2003 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education reduced shifts to about 24 to 30 hours, capping hours at 80 per week. The survey finds the young physicians got about the same amount of sleep -- 7.5 hours per day -- after the changes and made about the same number of mistakes per 100 orders given.

Drugmaker interest in male hormonal contraceptives has waned
August 05, 2008


Hospitals see new wave of multidrug-resistant superbugs
August 05, 2008

New York University's Tisch Hospital fought the country's first major battle with the Klebsiella bacteria, which, despite being attacked by a broad spectrum of antibiotics, continued to spread. Some medical experts are concerned that these microbes -- which are appearing outside of their environmental niches and can develop and spread very quickly -- could become entrenched in hospitals, threatening patients' health and driving up costs.

FDA approves Medicines Co.'s blood-pressure drug Cleviprex
August 05, 2008

Medicines Co. obtained FDA approval for Cleviprex, an injectable hypertension treatment for use in the emergency room and other critical-care situations. Cleviprex will enter the market in September, the company said.

Boehringer's HIV treatment effective in young patients
August 05, 2008

A two-year trial found that Aptivus, a protease inhibitor from Boehringer Ingelheim, was safe and effective in HIV-infected children and adolescents who took other treatments for the condition. The study, which covered 26 sites in the U.S., Europe and Latin America, showed that patients who received a combination of Aptivus and ritonavir, another HIV drug, had decreased virus levels.

Bayer sues Novartis unit over generic YAZ
August 05, 2008

Bayer filed suit against Sandoz, Novartis' generic-drug unit, to block the company from launching its version of YAZ, a blockbuster birth-control pill, in the U.S. Bayer also sued Sandoz and other generic-drug makers seeking approval to market copies of a related treatment, Yasmin, after losing a patent dispute with Barr Pharmaceuticals.

South Florida to try new residency program model
August 04, 2008

Plans to create a teaching hospital at Florida Atlantic University in South Florida have fallen through, so medical students will be studying at hospitals all over Palm Beach County, rather than at one tied to a medical school. The University of Miami is expected to help lead the effort to expand residency training, adding 300 slots to four Palm Beach County hospitals.

FDA issues not-approvable letter for sugammadex
August 04, 2008

Schering-Plough received a not-approvable letter from the FDA for sugammadex -- an injected drug designed to reverse the effects of anesthesia after surgery -- days after European regulators cleared the drug. The drugmaker said it was "surprised and disappointed" but will continue to work with the FDA to address concerns about "hypersensitivity/allergic reactions" to the drug.

Researchers urge use of two drugs to prevent HIV transmission
August 04, 2008

Leading AIDS researchers, backed by the the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition, called for increased funding to study widespread use of Gilead Sciences' HIV drugs tenofovir and emtricitabine as preventive therapy for those at high risk of the disease. The recommendation came after several setbacks in recent studies aimed at discovering vaccines against HIV infection.

Novartis wins FDA approval for two blood pressure drugs
August 04, 2008

Novartis obtained FDA clearance for Diovan HCT and Exforge, two single-pill treatments for high blood pressure. The approval allows the use of the combination drugs as an initial treatment for hypertension patients who may need multiple regimens, the company said.

Actavis Totowa recalls drugs at pharmacies, hospitals
August 04, 2008

Actavis Totowa called on pharmacists and hospitals to return products manufactured in its Little Falls, N.J., facility after an FDA investigation revealed that its operations did not meet standards for good manufacturing practices. The recall involved about 65 prescription drugs, including painkillers, antidepressants and diet medication. Actavis said patients who purchased the medicines should keep taking them in accordance with their prescriptions.

More hospitals practice full disclosure on medical errors
August 04, 2008


Study: Two drugs may offer exercise benefits without effort
August 01, 2008

U.S. researchers working with sedentary mice found that two drugs can activate a process that increases athletic endurance, raising hopes for a workout in a pill that may benefit people who are too weak to exercise or those who have muscle disorders. A compound known as AICAR allowed the animals to run on a treadmill 44% longer after four weeks of treatment. GlaxoSmithKline's GW1516 boosted endurance levels by 75% but had to be used in conjunction with training to have any effect.

Biogen reports new cases of brain disease in Tysabri patients
August 01, 2008

Biogen Idec said two more patients -- both with multiple sclerosis -- being treated with Tysabri have developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a rare and potentially fatal brain disease. Biogen expressed confidence in the benefits of the drug, which is marketed by Elan, for MS patients who fail to respond to other medications. The biotech firm said it has no plans to withdraw or limit Tysabri's use.

Boston referral service seeks to improve primary care
August 01, 2008

Boston's health department is starting a telephone referral line to connect people with primary care physicians who accept new patients. Mayor Thomas Menino says, however, the core issue is that the city must work to find more primary care physicians. One option the mayor proposes is requiring medical institutions to provide subsidized housing for physicians in new research buildings.

 
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