Rarely does the law of supply and demand have a sadder application than in the world of organ donations, and the latest case of too much need and too few resources has states doing battle with each other. According to a story on TheHill.com, “A heated redistricting battle has gripped the nation’s heartland this fall,….
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Hospital Settles Case of Doctor Who Photographed His Patients
There’s no doubt that Dr. Nikita A. Levy was a creep of the highest order, a gynecologist who secretly recorded his patients’ intimate body parts during routine exams. Last week, the hospital where practiced agreed to pay $190 million to more than 7,000 women. Although Levy killed himself last year during the investigation of his….
Continue ReadingCounterfeit Equipment for Spine Surgery Spurs Lawsuits
Some sleazy California surgeons and their enablers, it seems, have pulled a General Motors: They used substandard equipment that caused, if not fatalities, at least several thousand injuries to patients undergoing spinal operations. The Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) discovered that the doctors implanted counterfeit screws and rods manufactured in a small machine shop, into….
Continue ReadingCan Doctors Avoid Conflicts of Interest?
As editor-in-chief of JAMA for 11 years, Dr. Catherine DeAngelis was known for her outspoken views about the deficiencies of U.S. health care and the drug industry. Her recent commentary, “Conflicts of Interest in Medical Practice and Their Costs to the Nation’s Health and Health Care System,” continues her campaign to expose what’s wrong with….
Continue ReadingRapist Who Got His Medical License Is Accused of Assaulting a Patient
Last year, Maryland lawmakers declined to pass a bill promoting background checks for health-care providers. Had they acted differently, maybe a man who had been convicted of rape wouldn’t have been granted his Maryland medical license. Maybe he wouldn’t be facing charges of assaulting a patient in April. As explained by the Baltimore Sun, the….
Continue ReadingSenator Smacks Down Dr. Oz for Diet Supplement Nonsense
Dr. Mehmet Oz , a popular TV personality, is better known for his charisma than his medical expertise, and no wonder why – he’s constantly hawking dubious treatments, and recently the chair of the U.S. Senate’s Consumer Protection panel called him out for it. Oz’s shilling for diet supplements now has the attention of comic….
Continue ReadingCompany Fined Millions for Selling Contaminated Eggs
Quality Egg LLC didn’t exactly live up to its name by mislabeling and marketing eggs that were well past their sell-by date, and two employees compounded those errors by bribing a federal agriculture inspector to look the other way. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the Iowa outfit was fined $6.8 million for selling….
Continue ReadingCounties Sue Drug Companies for Increased Narcotic Abuse
Long ignored, the national problem of prescription narcotic drug overuse and abuse finally gained prominence last year. Now, an eye-opening lawsuit has been filed against pharmaceutical manufacturers by local government. Last month, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, the California counties of Orange and Santa Clara sued Actavis, Endo Health Solutions Inc., Johnson &….
Continue ReadingProtecting Cancer Patients from the Shameless Promotions of Cancer Treatment Centers
Researchers recently examined how cancer centers promote themselves, and they drew a dismal conclusion: “[A]dvertisements by cancer centers frequently promote cancer therapy with emotional appeals that evoke hope and fear while rarely providing information about risks, benefits, costs, or insurance availability.” Two years ago, according to the report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, more….
Continue ReadingA Busy Week for Courts and Drug Company Complaints
Two legal actions last week are focusing attention, once again, on pharmaceutical companies motivated by financial gain without regard for patient safety. As reported by the New York Times, a court in Louisiana has ordered Takeda Pharmaceutical, a Japanese company, and its American partner to pay a combined $9 billion in punitive damages over Actos,….
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