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More than 70,000 children are poisoned each year by prescription or over-the-counter medicines, more than twice as many as are poisoned by other products, a new study has concluded. According to the study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, most children are poisoned by acetaminophen, opioid painkillers and benzodiazepine antianxiety drugs. About 75 percent of overdoses occur in children under 5, the study found. Nicholas Bakalar, The New York Times 08/13/2009
The Houston Chronicle and Hearst Newspapers have published a new series detailing the toll preventable medical errors take on families each year. According to the report, an estimated 98,000 die each year from preventable medical errors and nearly 100,000 more contract serious infections during a hospital stay. Part of the problem, the publications note, is the veil of secrecy that still surrounds much of the medical industry. Loren Steffy, Houston Chronicle 08/11/2009
Lawmakers are pushing for legislation that would pull the plug on direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising, according to USA Today. Critics of prescription drug advertising charge that it contributes to the high cost of health care and may mislead consumers about drug choices. The pharmaceutical and advertising industries counter hat direct-to-consumer marketing is already well regulated and is not a significant contributor to health care costs. Theresa Howard, USA Today 08/11/2009
A widely used procedure was no more effective in treating spinal fractures than a placebo, according to two new studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In the studies, researchers found that vertebroplasty, a procedure that injects an acrylic cement into the spinal column to treat pain caused by osteoporosis and costs around $3,000, was universally ineffective. About 73,000 Americans underwent the vertebroplasty last year. Denise Grady, The New York Times 08/05/2009
Merck and Schering-Plough have agreed to pay a combined $41.5 million to settle more than 100 lawsuits filed by consumers and health plans over the cholesterol drug Vytorin. According to the lawsuit, the companies conspired to delay the release of studies that showed in the drug to be no more effective than less expensive drug that has been on the market for years. Earlier this year, the companies agreed to pay $5.4 million to settle claims by 35 state attorneys general. Lewis Kraskopf, Reuters 08/05/2009
More than two dozen ghostwritten articles published in medical journals from 1998 to 2005 significantly advanced the use of hormone replacement treatments in women, recently released court documents suggest. The articles, commission by drug maker Wyeth, touted the benefits on the hormone drugs Premarin and Prempro while downplaying potential risks. Later studies determined that some hormone therapies incresed the risk of a variety of health problems among menopausal women. Natasha Singer, The New York Times 08/04/2009
A class of drugs used to treat arthritis and other conditions may increase the risk of cancer in young people, federal health regulators said Tuesday. According to the Food and Drug Administration, the agency will require drug manufacturers who produce so-called TNF blocking medicines to revise their labeling to reflect the increased cancer risk. TNF blockers, including Johnson &Johnson's Simponi, Abbott Laboratories' Humira and Wyeth's Enbrel, already carry so-called black-box warnings. Susan Heavey, Reuters 08/05/2009
The number of American children injured during gym class more than doubled between 1997 and 2007, a new study has found. In the study, researchers found that about 62,000 physical education-related injuries were reported in 2007, compared to about 24,000 in 1997. The figures represent a 150 percent increase. Researchers said the rise in the number of injuries may be linked to the decline in the number of full-time school nurses and an increase in PE class sizes. Anne Harding, Reuters 08/03/2009
An estimated 27 million Americans took antidepressants in 2005, an increase of nearly 100 percent from the number of people taking the drugs in 1996, according to a study published in the August issue of Archives of General Psychiatry. The study's lead author said that while the exact cause of the findings remains unclear, it may involve an increase in the number of drugs in the market and the rise of drug advertising. The study also noted that persons prescribed antidepressants in 2005 filled their prescriptions more often than those treated for depression in 1996. Nicole Ostrow, Bloomber 08/03/2009
