Las Vegas, protector of patient rights? You got it. From the Las Vegas Sun comes a message for all of us in Florida. Editorial: Signing your rights away Preserve access to courts for consumers, including those who are seeing doctorsA Las Vegas Sun story on Monday recounted the ordeal of a local woman who went more than two years without an obstetrician/gynecologist after being dropped by her...
The FDA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)issued a safety alert April 24, 2006, warning that 12 incidents have been reported in which regulators used with oxygen cylinders have burned or exploded, in some cases injuring personnel. Improper use of gaskets/washersin the regulators are a major factor in the ignition and severity of the fires, and FDA and NIOSH...
So you think the Plaintiff Lawyers are the ones who put on the big show?"Merck's defense of Vioxx is beginning to look ugly - and costing the company millions in legal fees and punitive damages. But make no mistake, the company's fight-every-case strategy is still its only rational option.""Imagine the drugmaker, if you will, as a 90-pound weakling outnumbered in a bar-fight. It's to the...
After telling us to be very worried about global warming, this week's Time Magazine scares the bejeebers out of us concerning our modern health care system. With insider information from physicians, the cover story provides several practical pointers how to avoid catastrophy - like avoiding new interns and residents who begin each training term on July 1. Another big decision for a patient is...
Two teens were thrown from a pickup truck in an early Sunday morning car accident when the truck they were riding in spun and hit a tree. Neither teen was wearing her seatbelt. One of the teens was released from the hospital Monday while the other was still fighting for her life. Regarding seatbelts, the released teen was quoted as saying, "I think if I'd have been wearing mine, I wouldn't...
Your condo project has construction defects and you wonder what to do first. What you do will have an important impact on whether you successfully correct the defects. Of course you must notify the developer and contractor immediately. Do it in writing and keep a record. But you also must take some other steps to protect yourself and your investment.Do not rely upon the developer or contractor...
Medical Malpractice legislation is scheduled to come before the United States Senate. Some Members of Congress want to establish limits on the rights of victims in order to protect powerful special interests and corporations intent on protecting their bottom line - no matter the consequence. Urge your Senators to protect a victim's right to hold wrongdoers responsible for their actions. These...
Shire PLC recently announced that the FDA had approved a new drug product, the first skin patch to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The patch is called Daytrana, and will be available in June or July. Daytrana is recommended to be worn for nine hours. One claimed advantage of the drug patch is that doctors can more easily manage dosage and possible side effects, by having...
A GAO report had harsh and unsettling words to say about the FDA. A year after announcing reforms, the FDA still doesn't have a reliable system to keep track of developing problems, a federal report says.The Government Accountability Office found that a new Drug Safety Oversight Board and other FDA initiatives were "unlikely to address all the gaps" in the agency's system for monitoring the...
Over at the HR Cafe there is an open letter to the human resources folks who determine who is an exempt versus a non-exempt employee in terms of entitlement to overtime wages.Dear HR Executive:It's been nearly two years since the DOL released broad changes in the overtime regulations, and you'd think people would be confident they're in compliance. But, as the most recent B21 survey of HR execs...