Latest California Healthline Stories
Consumer Reports To Launch Prescription Drug Comparison Web Site
Consumer Reports on Dec. 9 will launch a new Best Buy Drugs Web site that will allow consumers at no cost to compare the cost and effectiveness of a number of commonly used prescription drugs, the AP/Detroit News reports.
Nurses Group Will File Lawsuit Demanding Stricter Staffing Requirements
The California Nurses Association will sue the Office of Administrative Law to overturn the delay and relaxation of nurse staffing rules proposed by the administration of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), CNA Executive Director Rose Ann DeMoro announced Wednesday, the Sacramento Bee reports.
Some Prescription Drug Experts Question FDA Approval Process
The AP/Las Vegas Sun on Wednesday examined recent criticism of FDA’s drug approval and safety monitoring system, as “many medical authorities” within and outside the government have begun to question “the fundamental safety guarantees for American drugs.”
Referendum on Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage Law Defeated, Despite Brief Reporting Glitch
State officials on Wednesday announced that a filing error by San Diego County election officials caused Nov. 2 election returns to show a larger-than-actual percentage of support to uphold SB 2, a state law requiring some employers to provide health care benefits to workers, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Hospital Workers, Nurses Strike at Sutter Hospitals
Hospital workers at nine Sutter hospitals held a one-day strike Wednesday to protest contract disputes, and some registered nurses joined in a sympathy strike, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Report Questions Federally Funded Abstinence-Only Sex Education Programs
Federally funded abstinence-only sex education programs present “false and misleading information,” according to a report released on Wednesday by Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the Washington Times reports.
Recent Slowdown of U.S. Health Care Spending Increases Possibly Over, Report Finds
Health spending per privately insured U.S. resident increased 7.5% in the first six months of 2004 — approximately the same rate as the previous two six-month periods — possibly indicating a leveling off of the recent slowdown in health care spending increases, according to a new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change and the Employee Benefit Research Institute, the AP/Detroit News reports.
FDA Raises Questions About Safety, Benefits of Female Testosterone Patch
FDA “appears to be striking a skeptical tone” about the safety and benefits of Procter & Gamble’s Intrinsa testosterone patch, which would be the first of the so-called “female Viagra” therapies that are intended to “boost women’s sex drives” with male hormones, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Illinois Nurses To Vote on Joining California Nurses Association
The Illinois Labor Relations Board on Tuesday said nurses at Cook County’s Stroger Hospital can vote on whether to join the California Nurses Association or remain with the Illinois Nurses Association, which is working to negotiate a contract, the Chicago Tribune reports.
Congress Faces Growing Pressure To Legalize Reimportation of Prescription Drugs
Republicans and Democrats say that support for legalizing reimportation of prescription drugs from abroad is growing in Congress, as lawmakers face pressure from the public to find ways to lower the cost of medicine in the United States, USA Today reports.