Latest California Healthline Stories
Pfizer Suspends Sales of COX-2 Inhibitor Bextra at Request of FDA Over Potential Safety Risks
Pfizer on Thursday suspended sales of the COX-2 inhibitor Bextra in the United States and European Union after FDA and European regulators requested the market withdrawal of the medication over potential safety risks, the AP/Yahoo! News reports.
McClellan Addresses Lawmakers’ Concerns About Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
CMS Administrator Mark McClellan addressed lawmakers’ questions about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit on Tuesday at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing, the Knight Ridder/St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.
Bill Would Make Program To Treat Uninsured Men With Prostate Cancer Permanent
Sen. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) has introduced a bill (SB 650) that would make the Improving Access, Counseling and Treatment for Californians with Prostate Cancer program permanent and more difficult to eliminate, the Sacramento Bee reports.
CMS Chief Clinical Officer Sean Tunis Charged With Records Falsification
The Maryland Board of Physicians has charged Sean Tunis, CMS chief clinical officer and a former Senate staffer, with falsification of records, failure to comply with subpoenas and unprofessional conduct in the practice of medicine, according to a complaint obtained by The Hill.
Initiative Launched To Provide Access to Prescription Drug Discounts
Pharmaceutical manufacturers on Tuesday announced an initiative to create a “one-stop shop” where uninsured residents can access about 275 private and public prescription drug discount programs, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
USA Today Examines CDC Efforts To Ensure Adequate Supply of Flu Vaccine
USA Today on Wednesday examined efforts by CDC officials to ensure that there will be “an ample supply of flu vaccine” for the next flu season.”
Alameda Board of Supervisors Allocates Measure A Funds for Health Care Programs
The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted to allocate $3 million in county sales tax revenue from Measure A to public health programs that will focus on chronic diseases, efforts to improve children’s health and reducing disparities in health care among different ethnic and socio-economic groups, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Report Shows Improvements in Some Areas of Health in California
Teen birth rates and death rates from all causes declined in California, according to the County Health Status Profiles 2005 report, the Stockton Record reports.
Senate Subcommittee Considers Proposal To Increase Oversight of State Funds Allocated To Hire Nurses
Members of a Senate budget subcommittee at a hearing on Monday considered a proposal that would require state officials to report on whether funds allocated to help hospitals hire additional nurses to meet new nurse staffing ratios are used for that purpose, the AP/Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports.
State’s Obesity-Related Costs Up an Estimated 32% Over Five Years
California’s “rapidly growing” obese, overweight and inactive populations could cost the state nearly $29 billion in health care expenses in 2005, a 32% increase from 2000, according to a study released Tuesday by the Department of Health Services, the Los Angeles Times reports.