Latest California Healthline Stories
Majority of U.S. Residents Support More Federal Prescription Drug Price Regulation, Survey Finds
About 65% of U.S. residents support more federal regulation of prescription drug prices, and 51% support regulations on prescription drug advertisements, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation survey released on Thursday, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest on Thursday filed a lawsuit to force FDA to regulate sodium in processed foods and revise sodium’s “generally recognized as safe” classification, the AP/Las Vegas Sun reports.
LAO Report Recommends Legislative Investigation of CHP Chiefs’ Medical Pensions
The Legislature should require the California Highway Patrol to investigate why 80% of its chiefs receive medical pensions, compared to 56% of lower-ranking officers, according to a Legislative Analyst’s Office report released Thursday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Almost one-third of the members on the FDA advisory committee that last week recommended the continued sale of COX-2 inhibitors “have consulted in recent years for the drugs’ makers” and in large part voted in favor of the recommendation, according to a recent review of medical journals and other public records conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the New York Times reports.
Kuehl Introduces Bill To Create Single-Payer Health Insurance System
As expected, Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Los Angeles) on Wednesday introduced a bill (SB 840) that would create a state-run health insurance system — including a state agency, commissioner and medical board — to “negotiate fees, set policy on medical issues and pay claims,” the Oakland Tribune reports.
UC Davis Medical School To Consolidate Training Program at New Sacramento Facility
The University of California-Davis School of Medicine held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday for a new $40 million facility on the hospital’s main campus in Sacramento, where it will move from its current location in Davis, the Sacramento Bee reports.
San Joaquin Valley Hospitals Report Increased Emergency Department Volumes in February
Northern San Joaquin Valley health officials say emergency departments at area hospitals have been “swamped” this month, largely because of an increase in flu and respiratory virus patients, the Modesto Bee reports.
NIH Director Defends New Ethics Guidelines, Remains ‘Sympathetic’ to Agency Scientists
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni on Thursday met with senior-level agency scientists — many of whom have criticized NIH’s “sweeping new ethics regulations” — and “defended the rules” while being “sympathetic to their grievances,” the Baltimore Sun reports.
Three Health Care Firms Among Largest Private Employers in Bay Area
Three health care firms are among the Bay Area’s largest private employers, with Kaiser Permanente and Sutter Health the first- and second-largest employers, respectively, according to survey conducted by the San Francisco Chronicle.
KQED’s ‘California Report’ Addresses Survey on Voters’ Attitudes Toward Health Care
KQED’s “The California Report” on Wednesday reported on a survey by the Public Policy Institute of California addressing voters’ attitudes toward health care in general and the five health care-related initiatives — Propositions 61, 63, 67, 71 and 72 — that were included on the November 2004 statewide ballot.