Guidant Corp.’s program to pay $2,500 to patients to replace a heart device that has had malfunctions is nowhere near sufficient to cover costs of the procedure. The offer covers only about 10% of the cost of the replacement procedure. How is this fair? How is this the right thing to do?
The popular social networking website My Space, has experienced unprecedented growth in recent months. Kids and teens spend hours browsing the website talking to friends and meeting new ones. However, parents must be aware that sexual predators are using the site to make contact with these kids. As
Women who use the Ortho Evra birth-control patch face twice the risk of developing blood clots as those who take the Pill, the patch’s manufacturer said late Thursday, citing recent company-funded research.The finding comes from one of two studies comparing the patch and Pill, said Ortho Women’s Hea
The Florida Legislature is considering raising the minimum driving age from 16 to 17 years old. Citing the high incidence of crashes for 16 year olds, HB 975 would raise the age one year. Florida became one of the first states to begin placing tougher restrictions on novice drivers when legislators
New limits imposed by the FDA on Guidant, maker of an implantable heart defibrillator found to be defective, will make it difficult for new products made by the company to be approved for commercial sale, as the agency applies pressure to the company to improve its manufacturing procedures. In the l
An Edmonton cop, who was once hailed as a hero for saving a man from a burning building, has been charged with assault after a teen was allegedly Tasered while in a police cellblock. The boy alleged he was Tasered once by a police officer while in the cell. Detectives from police internal affairs in
The FDA is reporting that certain drugs used to treat tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease actually increase the risk of pathological gambling. The latest results are consistent with earlier observations and add to evidence that Parkinson’s drugs may lead to impulsive behavior as they make up
In a Wall St. Journal article published today, many patients are told to use drugs with black box warning in spite of these drugs being unsuitable for them. A new study of medicines prescribed in the U.S. has found that many patients are told to use drugs with “black box” warnings even though those
The following story ran in The Globe and Mail newspaper:Samantha Foldi faces life as a widow from her wheelchair. For nearly 10 years, since a car accident left her partially paralyzed, she relied on her husband Jim for so much. He quit his construction job to help with her rehab and to care for the
In an article reported this morning in the Arizona Republic, a study measuring electric shocks from a Taser stun gun found that it was 39 times more powerful than the manufacturer claimed, raising new questions about the weapon’s safety.The study, published last month in the peer-reviewed Journal of
It’s been a little less than two months since a new, but little publicized seat belt law went into effect in Florida. The new law allows police officers to stop drivers and occupants of vehicles who are not using seat belts. The catch is that they have to be under 18 years old in order to be stopped
Merck could have immediately warned Vioxx patients that the drug might cause an increased risk of heart attacks rather than waiting two years before issuing a warning, according to a former FDA official. Richard Kapit said there was plenty of time to alert the public before Richard “Dickie” Irvin be
