Latest California Healthline Stories
LAX Officials Considering Reinstating Quarantine Stations To Help Prevent Spread of Avian Flu
Los Angeles International Airport officials are considering reinstating quarantine stations — which were found at every international port of entry into the U.S. until the 1960s, when vaccination became more prevalent — to prevent the spread of avian flu if a passenger on a plane is infected with the disease, NPR’s “Morning Edition” reports.
Lawyer Says Former FDA Commissioner ‘Retired’
A lawyer for former FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford on Tuesday said that he has not been notified of any new investigation into Crawford’s departure from the agency and that Crawford “retired” but did not resign, the Washington Post reports.
Hoch Says Workers’ Compensation Insurance System Reforms Will Continue
Changes to the state workers’ compensation insurance system, including some related to health care, will continue to be implemented under a new director, former Division of Workers’ Compensation Administrative Director Andrea Hoch said, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Child, Teen Prescriptions of Antidepressants Decline
Antidepressant use among children and adolescents has decreased in recent years, according to two new analyses, after warnings from FDA last year linked antidepressants to increased suicide risk for some children, USA Today reports.
Opponents of Proposition 73 Voice Concerns Over Public Statistics on Judicial Waivers
Some opponents of Proposition 73 are expressing concerns about a provision in the proposed amendment that would require courts to publicly report how judges rule on petitions for waivers to the parental notification measure, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
An advisory panel of the California Council on Science and Technology on Tuesday will issue recommendations on whether the state can legally seek royalty payments from stem cell treatments developed through Proposition 71 funding, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
San Diego Medical Society Foundation Seeks Funding for Health Data Exchange
The San Diego County Medical Society Foundation is asking hospitals, health insurers and other stakeholders to help establish and fund an electronic data exchange system, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Many Authors of Prescription Drug Guidelines Have Financial Ties to Medications They Recommend
Authors of published guidelines for prescribing medications often have financial interests in the companies whose treatments they recommend, according to a study published in the Oct. 20 issue of the journal Nature, the New York Times reports.
Increased Use of Generic Medications Could Have Saved $20B This Year, Report Finds
By increasing use of generic drugs, consumers, employers and health plans could have saved more than $20 billion in 2004, according to a new report by pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts, the AP/Albany Times Union reports.
CDC Lifts Recommendations on Recipients of Flu Vaccinations
CDC on Monday lifted its recommendations to doctors on who should receive early flu vaccines and said all U.S. residents older than age six months should be vaccinated, the Washington Times reports.