Ameritox study shows correlation between positive marijuana tests, misuse of...
Ameritox, one of the nation's leaders in pain medication monitoring, announced new research today showing a correlation between positive marijuana tests and higher rates of potential prescription drug...
View Article1 in 4 teens misused or abused a prescription drug at least once in their...
New, nationally projectable survey results released today by The Partnership at Drugfree.org and MetLife Foundation confirmed that one in four teens has misused or abused a prescription (Rx) drug at...
View ArticleNovel approach to pain therapy paves way for lower dosage painkillers
For patients managing cancer and other chronic health issues, painkillers such as morphine and Vicodin are often essential for pain relief. The body's natural tendency to develop tolerance to these...
View ArticlePoor, less educated patients are less likely to receive opioid pain...
Patients in moderate to severe pain in emergency rooms across the U.S. are less likely to receive opioid pain medications if they are black, Hispanic, poor, or have less education, compared to more...
View ArticleState highlights: D.C. to use cash reserves to pay Medicaid providers off;...
How do you spend $48 million in unbudgeted taxpayer money without getting an OK from elected lawmakers? In the District of Columbia, there's pretty much only one way, and that's the way Mayor Vincent...
View ArticleFirst Edition: October 16, 2013
Today's headlines including stories detailing how certain health law provisions are factoring in to the continuing congressional budget stalemate.
View ArticleState highlights: Calif. Gov. Vetoes 'biosimilars' bill; health data gateway...
A selection of health policy stories from California. A bill that would have allowed "biosimilar" drugs to be substituted for biologic drugs was vetoed over the weekend by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), who...
View ArticleViewpoints: House Republicans help themselves, and the country, with smart,...
When House Republicans direct their opposition to Obamacare toward aggressive oversight rather than apocalyptic budget shenanigans, they can do themselves and the country a lot of good. That was...
View ArticleAccess to health care increases prescription opioid abuse
Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis say one way to gauge the extent of prescription opioid pain reliever abuse in any Indiana county is to count the number of health care...
View ArticleViewpoints: Shinseki's efforts haven't yet solved VA's problems; treating...
Just in time for Veterans Day, the embattled secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki, announced last week that his department had reduced its backlog of overdue disability claims from more than...
View ArticleViewpoints: Health law distorting--or 'undistorting' the labor market; gas...
On Wednesday, Douglas Elmendorf, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, said the obvious: losing your job and choosing to work less aren't the same thing.
View ArticlePairing school and home programs most effective in curbing teen prescription...
Programs that aim to curb teen prescription drug abuse have vastly differing effectiveness, ranging from big drops in drug abuse to no measurable effect, according to a new study of 11,000 teenagers by...
View ArticleResearch roundup: Palliative care and ACOs; employers and Supreme Court case...
In preparation for the new ACO environment, leaders recognized the contribution palliative care can make to health care "value," especially in the care of our sickest (and most expensive) patients ...
View ArticlePrescriptions of opioid analgesics increased during U.S. emergency department...
George Washington University (GW) researchers report dramatic increases in prescriptions of opioid analgesics, such as Percocet, Vicodin, oxycodone and Dilaudid, during U.S. emergency department visits...
View ArticleResearch roundup: New medical coding system; choosing a hospice; revamping...
On October 1, 2014, all health plans, health data clearinghouses, and health care providers that transmit health information electronically must use a new, significantly broader, coding system, called...
View ArticleSpecial Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation conference to focus on issues...
The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's Professionals in Residence program in collaboration with the University of Minnesota Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and the Scaife Family...
View ArticleState highlights: Texas immigrant surge brings health crisis
Large stores in California need not keep automated external defibrillators for customers who suffer heart attacks, the California Supreme Court decided. In a unanimous ruling Monday, the state's...
View ArticlePrescription drug deaths drop in Fla. after crackdown on doctors
Deaths involving narcotic painkillers dropped 26 percent over two years in Florida after stricter doctor scrutiny, according to a report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
View ArticleOnce-a-day pill for patients experiencing opioid-induced constipation
Opioids - strong morphine-based painkillers - are widely prescribed to patients experiencing chronic severe pain. While these drugs are very effective for treating and managing pain, they have one...
View ArticleFirst Edition: August 22, 2014
Kaiser Health News consumer columnist Michelle Andrews writes: "How much leeway do employers and insurers have in deciding whether they'll cover contraceptives without charge and in determining which...
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