Latest California Healthline Stories
Pharmacies Cannot Require Workers’ Compensation Claimants To Pay Out-of-Pocket, Garamendi Says
Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi (D) on Wednesday said that he would act to stop pharmacies from requiring workers’ compensation claimants to personally pay for their prescriptions and then seek reimbursement from their employers’ workers’ compensation insurance carriers, the Sacramento Bee reports.
House Subcommittee Requests Unpublished Data on Antidepressant Use in Children
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Wednesday asked Pfizer, Wyeth, Eli Lilly and GlaxoSmithKline to submit any unpublished data involving the use of antidepressants in children, Bloomberg/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
Oakland City Council Approves Measure To Regulate Medical Marijuana Clubs
As expected, the Oakland City Council on Tuesday voted 7-0 to approve a measure that will reduce the number of medical marijuana clubs in the city from 12 to four, the Oakland Tribune reports.
Modesto-Area Health Officials Consider Building Pediatric Intensive Care Unit
Health care officials in the Northern San Joaquin Valley are considering the possibility of building a pediatric intensive care unit to serve the area’s growing population, the Modesto Bee reports.
Pharmaceutical Firms Owe State $1.3 Billion, Federal Audit Finds
Pharmaceutical companies owe California about $1.3 billion in rebates, according to an audit conducted by the HHS Office of Inspector General, the Orange County Register reports.
The Illinois Pharmacists Association on Wednesday launched a campaign in conjunction with FDA and the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy to warn state residents that prescription drugs purchased from Canada could prove “unsafe or ineffective,” the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
FDA Releases Proposed Guidelines for Direct-to-Consumer Print Advertisements for Prescription Drugs
The FDA on Wednesday issued proposed voluntary guidelines that would encourage pharmaceutical companies to list the potential side effects in non-technical language and in larger print in direct-to-consumer print advertisements, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Schwarzenegger Offers To Take Role in Grocery Store Workers’ Strike Negotiations
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) in an interview on KNX Radio in Los Angeles on Monday said that he would be willing to serve as a mediator to resolve a strike and lockout of 70,000 union grocery clerks that centers mainly on health benefits, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Oakland City Council Expected To Approve Measure To Regulate Medical Marijuana Clubs
The Oakland City Council is expected to approve a plan to reduce the number of medical marijuana clubs in the city from 12 to four, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Approves Motion To Improve HIV, STD Prevention Efforts
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to approve a motion to require officials at the county Department of Health Services and other county workers to improve efforts to prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases among men who have sex with men at bathhouses and sex clubs, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.