Latest News On Doctors

Latest California Healthline Stories

An Overlooked Epidemic: Older Americans Taking Too Many Unneeded Drugs

Researchers estimate that 25 percent of people ages 65 to 69 take at least five prescription drugs to treat chronic conditions. But some doctors are trying to teach others about “deprescribing” or systematically discontinuing medicines that are inappropriate, duplicative or unnecessary.

Taking A Page From Pharma’s Playbook To Fight The Opioid Crisis

Doctors and pharmacists in Northern California are emulating drug company sales reps with a fresh purpose in mind: They visit medical offices in the hardest-hit counties to change their peers’ prescribing habits and curtail the use of painkillers.

Training New Doctors Right Where They’re Needed

Eight teaching centers in California aim to train and retain doctors in medically underserved areas such as California’s Central Valley. They are among 57 such institutions across the country that may soon receive a boost in funding from Congress.

Reporter’s Notebook: In Health Care, A Good Price (Or Any Price) Is Hard To Find

Not only are health prices hidden, industry players are contractually obligated to keep them secret. That’s why answering a simple question — how much does it cost to have a baby in Mountain View, Calif.? — became a journalistic quest.