Latest California Healthline Stories
About 400 California Residents Arrested for Health Care Fraud in Statewide FBI Investigation
The FBI has arrested about 400 state residents over the past two years as part of a “crackdown” on health care fraud, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
California Prisons See Drop in Female Inmates; Officials Attribute Decline to Proposition 36
The number of female inmates in California prisons fell 10% last year, a decline that corrections officials attribute in large part to Proposition 36, the AP/Sacramento Bee reports.
FDA Committee Recommends OTC Sale of Claritin to Treat Hives
The FDA’s Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee voted unanimously yesterday to recommend that Schering-Plough Corp.’s prescription allergy drug Claritin be sold over the counter to treat recurring hives, the Wall Street Journal reports.
AARP Plans to Join Lawsuits Against Brand-Name Drug Companies
AARP, an advocacy group for Americans ages 50 and older, yesterday announced plans to join a number of lawsuits filed against brand-name pharmaceutical companies to help address increased prescription drug prices, the
New York Times reports.
Medical Board to Take Public Comment on Proposed Reforms in Aftermath of Register Investigation
The Medical Board of California will meet Wednesday to hold discussions and take public comments about proposed reforms, the Orange County Register reports.
Los Angeles Times Examines ‘Creative’ Ways Hospitals Deal with Nursing Shortage
The Los Angeles Times on Sunday examined the “creative ways” in which hospitals are addressing the “high turnover and shortage of qualified nurses.”
California Nurses Association Withdraws Complaint Against Palomar Pomerado Health District
The California Nurses Association has withdrawn a complaint against the Palomar Pomerado Health district for alleged unfair labor practices, part of an ongoing debate between the health district and the union, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Number of Organ Donors Increases 7% in 2001; Minority, Living Donations Rise
The number of organ donors rose nearly 7% last year, due in part to an increase in the number of Hispanic and African-American donors and an increase in living donors, USA Today reports.
Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee to Hold Hearing on Soda Tax Legislation Wednesday
The Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on a bill (SB 1520) that would impose a state excise tax on soda and other sweetened soft drinks, the San Jose Mercury News reports.
California Lawsuit Seeks To Force R.J. Reynolds To Change Advertising Practices
A California judge is scheduled to hear arguments today in a lawsuit claiming that R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Holdings is allegedly breaching the national tobacco settlement by advertising in magazines with a significant youth readership, the Wall Street Journal reports.