Latest California Healthline Stories
State Warns Inmates About Dangers of Drugs
Three recent “unexplained deaths” at a women’s prison in Chowchilla have led the Department of Corrections to send a letter to the state’s inmates warning them of the dangers of using legal and illegal drugs, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports.
New Jersey Investigators Crack Down on Online Prescription Sales
New Jersey has sued two online pharmacies, Phoenix-based RB Drugstores and Nassau, Bahamas-based Rx Leader, for “unlawfully peddling prescription drugs” over the Internet after an eight-month investigation by the state’s E-Commerce Investigation Unit, the Bergen Record reports.
Clinton Signs Final Budget Bills, Total Spending at $630B
President Clinton on Dec. 21 signed the two remaining pieces of the FY 2001 budget into law, the Washington Times reports.
Wisconsin’s Gov. Thompson Mulls HHS Post
President-elect Bush has asked Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) to serve as Secretary of HHS, the AP/Richmond Times-Dispatch reports.
Chaudhuri’s ‘Medical Empire’ Continues to Crumble After Fall of KPC Medical Management
Dr. Kali Chaudhuri’s KPC Medical Management filed for bankruptcy last month, and other parts of his crumbling “medical empire” have faced financial distress or disputes this year — including charges of illegal fund transfers, unpaid bills and commingling of funds, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports.
FDA Proposes Doctor-Friendly Labels For Prescription Drugs
In an effort to reduce medication errors, the FDA announced plans yesterday to clarify and simplify the warning labels that accompany prescription drugs, the New York Times reports.
Fresno Medical Center Receives Funding for Building Construction, Diabetes Program for Hispanics
A $3.3 million allocation in the $450 billion federal budget package will help finance a diabetes program and three additional buildings for Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center, the Fresno Bee reports.
Orange County Organizations Receive Share of Tobacco Tax Money
Several Orange County health organizations have received a share of the county’s $17.5 million generated from Proposition 10, which imposed a 50-cent per-pack cigarette tax, the Orange County Register reports.
Hawaii Governor Approves Rules for Medical Marijuana
Hawaii Gov. Benjamin Cayetano (D) has approved rules legalizing marijuana for medicinal use, allowing them to take effect Dec. 28, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports.
Newspapers Report that Thompson Likely to Accept HHS Position
As President-elect Bush moves forward with his transition, naming four more cabinet members yesterday, the New York Times reports that he has “tentatively decided” on Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson (R) as HHS Secretary (New York Times, 12/21).