Sugar industry fight takes another bitter turn
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 25, 2012
Tags: American Medical Association, center for science and public interest, consumers, corn refiners association, corn sugar, fructose, Health Care, medicine, sugar association
NEW YORK — What defines sugar? It’s getting to be a stickier question. The Sugar Association is accusing the makers of high fructose corn syrup of trying to candy-coat their image by calling their product a “sugar.” The Corn Refiners Association is firing back by calling the accusations another attempt to censor its efforts to [...]
Report: State tobacco prevention funding lacking
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 24, 2012
Tags: ad, campaign, centers for disease control and prevention, cigarettes, funding, lacking, prevention, report, richmond, smoking, tobacco, virginia
RICHMOND, Va. — States have spent only about 3 percent of the billions they’ve received in tobacco taxes and legal settlements over the last decade to fund tobacco prevention programs, making it harder to reduce the death and disease caused by tobacco use, according to a report released Thursday by the federal Centers for Disease [...]
Bill introduced to reform sales of scarce medicine
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 22, 2012
Tags: costs, D-Md., drugs, Health Care, Insurance, jacking up prices, maryland, medication, prescription, Rep. Elijah E. Cummings
A Congressman investigating wholesalers accused of jacking up prices of crucial prescription drugs in short supply on Tuesday introduced a bill meant to curb the problem. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., is proposing reforms meant to deter price-gouging and make the drug supply chain safer — issues that are part of the complex problem of [...]
Maryland to ban arsenic in chicken feed
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 21, 2012
Tags: arsenic, chemical, chicken feed, General Assembly, gov. martin o'malley, legislation, parasites, pfizer inc., roxarsone, u.s. food and drug administration
ANNAPOLIS — Gov. Martin O’Malley is expected to sign a bill this week that would make Maryland the first state to ban an arsenic additive in chicken feed. Last month, state lawmakers passed a bill banning the use of Roxarsone, a chemical used to help the birds grow and fight parasites. Pfizer Inc., which distributes [...]
Human Genome Sciences enters talks with potential suitors
BY: Staff and Wire Reports
POSTED: May 17, 2012
Tags: Cowen & Co., Eric Schmidt, glaxosmithkline, Human Genome Sciences Inc., Rockville-based company
Human Genome Sciences Inc. entered into confidentiality agreements with “certain parties” and is providing an opportunity to engage in due diligence reviews, the Rockville-based company said Thursday. Its board of directors unanimously said shareholders should reject an “inadequate” $2.6 billion bid from British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline plc. Glaxo said on May 9 it would commence [...]
FDA reviews first rapid, take-home test for HIV
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 11, 2012
Tags: blood, carriers, diagnositc, food and drug administration, hiv, infection, mouth swab, oraquick in-home hiv test, orasure technologies, over-the-counter test
WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is considering approval of the first over-the-counter HIV test that would allow consumers to quickly test themselves for the virus at home, without medical supervision. FDA reviewers said Friday the OraQuick In-Home HIV test could play a significant role in slowing the spread of HIV, according to briefing [...]
Suspect Medicare billings found at 2,600 drugstores
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 10, 2012
Tags: billing, brand-name drugs, corner drugstore, fraud, generic medications, Health and Human Services, Health Care, inspector general, los angeles, marilyn tavenner, medicare, miami, prescriptions, president barack obama, president george w. bush, retail pharmacies
WASHINGTON — It would take a mighty big pill box to hold them. A pharmacy in Kansas billed Medicare for more than 1,000 prescriptions each for two patients in a single year, part of a pattern of questionable billings at 2,600 drugstores nationwide uncovered by federal investigators in a report Thursday. The inspector general of [...]
Judge rejects Midei’s bid to get medical license back 
BY: Steve Lash
POSTED: May 8, 2012
Tags: appeal, Baltimore County, cardiac stents, cardiology, coronary artery, dr. mark midei, judge susan souder, license, st joseph, St. Joseph Medical Center, state board of physicians, stents
A Baltimore county judge has rejected former St. Joseph Medical Center Chief Cardiologist Mark G. Midei’s bid to get his Maryland medical license back. The State Board of Physicians revoked Midei’s license in July after concluding he had engaged in unprofessional conduct, willfully made a false medical report, grossly overutilized health care services, violated the [...]
Report: Schools key to fighting America’s obesity
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 8, 2012
Tags: birds eye, employers, exercise, food, health, institute of medicine, kids' meals, National Academy of Sciences, nutrition, obese, obesity, physical education, schools, specialists, thin, vegetables, waistline, weight, wellness program
WASHINGTON — Schools should be a cornerstone of the nation’s obesity battle, but to trim Americans’ waistlines, changes are needed everywhere people live, work, play and learn, a major new report says. Two-thirds of U.S. adults and almost a third of children are either overweight or obese, and progress to stop this epidemic has been [...]
Audit finds MHIP did not review claims management
BY: Associated Press
POSTED: May 3, 2012
Tags: audit, claims, contract, health insurance program, maryland, mhip, payments
ANNAPOLIS — An audit of Maryland’s state-sponsored health insurance program shows its officials failed to obtain an independent review of the program’s automated claims management system and made payments to a vendor without a written contract. The legislative audit released Thursday reports that MHIP made $367,000 in payments for information technology services, but officials did [...]
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