Latest California Healthline Stories
Palomar Pomerado Nurses Collect Enough Signatures to ‘Force’ Vote on Union Representation
Nurses in the Palomar Pomerado Health System announced Monday that they have collected enough signatures to force a vote to join the California Nurses Association, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Supreme Court to Weigh Ad Restrictions on Pharmacies that Compound Drugs
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether the federal government can “restrict advertising by pharmacists who mix drug ingredients for patients in need of specialized medications,” Dow Jones Business News reports.
Drug Enforcement Agents Target California Marijuana Clubs
In the last month, the Bush administration has begun its first “major crackdown” on distribution of medical marijuana, raiding the Los Angeles Cannabis Resource Center and a marijuana garden run by patients, as well as seizing files from a doctor and a lawyer who recommended the drug to patients, the New York Times reports.
Sens. Clinton, Smith Introduce ‘Magnet’ Program Bill to Retain Nurses
Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) yesterday introduced a bill to encourage hospitals to set up “magnet programs” to recruit and retain nurses, CongressDaily reports.
Cipro Patent Debate Mirrors That of AIDS Drugs, New York Times Editorial Says
The Bush administration is “derailing efforts by poor countries ravaged by AIDS” to increase access to AIDS drugs by removing patent barriers and allowing generic competition in times of public health emergencies, yet the administration has taken steps similar to the ones it opposes to obtain price concessions from Bayer for its patented anthrax drug Cipro, a New York Times editorial notes.
Mount Diablo Maternity Ward Closes
Mount Diablo Medical Center’s maternity ward, the only birth center in Concord, closed yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
First-of-Its-Kind Law Requires Doctors to Take Pain Management Classes
Under a first-in-the-nation law, California physicians must take classes in pain management and end-of-life care as part of their continuing education required to renew their medical licenses, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
GAO Criticizes Workplace Injury Oversight Program
It is uncertain whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s consultation program for overseeing small businesses — which have a much higher rate of workplace-related deaths than large businesses — has succeeded in reducing job-related injuries and illnesses, according to a report from the General Accounting Office released earlier this month.
Two New Anthrax Cases Confirmed, One More Suspected
Officials yesterday announced three new cases of anthrax infection, two of which would be the first cases to occur in people who do not work for the government or Postal Service, or are not connected to a media company, the New York Times reports.
Red Cross Names Interim Chief Executive
Three days after Bernadine Healy resigned as president of the American Red Cross, the organization announced yesterday that Red Cross executive Harold Decker will serve as its interim chief executive, the Washington Post reports.