Latest California Healthline Stories
Grants Will Fund Launch of Disease Registries at Clinics Across California
The “Tools for Quality” program will provide 33 clinics statewide with up to $40,000 each in matching funds for electronic disease registries. The project is part of an effort to help health care providers track patients with chronic diseases. East Bay Business Times.
Northern California Colleges Lead Opposition to Blood Donation Rules
At least four colleges have sought to ban campus blood drives in protest of FDA’s lifetime ban on donations from men who have sex with men. The agency says dropping the ban could increase the risk of HIV transmission through transfusions. NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
Veterans’ Health Case Re-Opened in S.F. Court
The lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is not providing adequate mental health treatment to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A federal judge heard arguments last month, but re-opened the case after a VA e-mail surfaced. KQED’s “The California Report.”
UC Officials Consider Proposal To Help Re-Open South L.A. Hospital
A UC leader said the university system must consider quality of care and financial requirements before committing to help re-open Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital in South Los Angeles. The facility has provided only outpatient care since 2007. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
Safeway Rolls Out Generic Drug Program in East Coast Stores
The Pleasanton, Calif.-based grocery chain will offer $4 generic drugs at stores in Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Wal-Mart and Target launched similar initiatives more than two years ago. Washington Post.
Groups Spar Over Rx Information Sharing Bill
A bill passed by the state Senate would let drugstores “share patients’ prescription records with companies that specialize in bulk mailings,” columnist David Lazarus writes. Critics of the bill say the mailings will let pharmaceutical firms market brand-name treatments to patients, but Sen. Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) and other supporters say it will help improve health care quality. Los Angeles Times.
California Attorney General Brings Lawsuit Under Anti-Toxics Law
The lawsuit alleges that four companies’ body washes, gels and liquid dish soaps contain 1,4-dioxane, a potentially cancer-causing chemical. California’s Proposition 65 requires labels for products that include such chemicals. Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle.
Aetna Chief Presents Advice for Health Care Reform to Senate Panel
At a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee, Aetna CEO Ronald Williams recommended that lawmakers seek to preserve the employer-based health insurance system as they work on health care reform proposals. The hearing was the third that the panel has convened. Hartford Courant.
Federal Regulators Fine Red Cross for Blood Violations
The American Red Cross was fined $1.7 million for failing to adequately manage the U.S. blood supply. An FDA review found that the Red Cross washed six units of red blood cells with the wrong saline solution. Red Cross executives say that the violations did not put patients in danger and that no adverse effects have been reported. Washington Post.
Spammers Make Millions Selling Counterfeit Medications Online
A security researcher at Cisco Systems investigated software linked to a Russian drug maker called GlavMed. About 80% of spam messages offer drugs from Web sites, such as MyCanadianPharmacy.com, which the researcher estimates generates $150 million in annual income. Los Angeles Times.