A news story recently in the New York Times has unveiled a growing concern among pediatric oncologists and health care institutions at large. The injectable form of preservative free methotrexate, commonly used to treat pediatric patients with leukemia and osteosarcoma, is in short supply. Drug shortages are an increasingly frequent and serious problem affecting health care organizations across the country. “A number of contributing factors are causing these shortages, such as raw material unavailability, manufacturing difficulties and regulatory issues, voluntary recalls related to manufacturing problems, changes in medication formulation, and industry consolidations and economic decisions,” says Wendy Heck, Pharm.D., manager of drug information and drug use policy at MD Anderson Cancer Center.Regardless of the cause, drug shortages create great frustration for everyone involved, including purchasing agents, pharmacists, nurses, physicians, and patients. Get more…
Dentistry Trends
Fasting Plus Chemo May Help in Cancer Fight: Study
WEDNESDAY, Feb.
Pain is top concern in Ohio and the nation
View full sizeChris Morris, The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio — High costs and the alarmingly high number of accidental deaths linked to prescription pain pills have made pain treatment a central issue in health care across Ohio and the nation.
A recent report by the Institute of Medicine underlined the urgency of developing better pain-management strategies in the United States,where chronic pain affects more than 116 million people and costs as much as $650 billion yearly in direct medical treatment and lost productivity.
“Pain is a major driver for visits to physicians, a major reason for taking medications, a major cause of disability, and a key factor in quality of life and productivity,” the report stated.
A Look at Google Wallet’s Security
Imagine being able to pay with your phone. Instead of fumbling with cash or deciding which card to use, you could store all your accounts on one device. You are probably wondering What if that device is hacked or stolen Lets consider the safety aspects of Google Wallet.
Before we go into the security details, lets quickly review the basics of how Google Wallet works.
Google Wallet will function as a free app on your Android phone. As of its introduction, it can store eligible Citi Mastercards or be used with a Google Prepaid Card, which can be funded with any credit or debit card.
If you want to pay using Google Wallet at a store that supports PayPass, you can do so just by tapping your phone on the PayPass terminal.
Low-Dose Aspirin to Prevent First Heart Attack or Stroke? Not So Fast
Modest benefits might not outweigh bleeding risk, evidence review suggests.
By Denise MannHealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 9 (HealthDay News) — For years, people have been told that low-dose aspirin can help reduce their risk of dying from a heart attack, stroke or cancer even if they are healthy. Now, a new evidence review calls this advice into question.
Low-dose daily aspirin therapy does not reduce risk of dying from cardiovascular disease or cancer, according to a new study in the Jan. 9 online edition of the Archives of Internal Medicine.