Florida Demands Personal Information In Drug Prescription Data Probe
Data requested by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in January includes names of patients, dates of birth, and names of doctors, sparking concerns about government overreach and patient privacy. Other news comes from South Carolina, Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, and California.
The New York Times:
Florida Seeks Drug Prescription Data With Names Of Patients And Doctors
Florida’s insurance regulator has demanded an unusually intrusive trove of data on millions of prescription drugs filled in the state last year, including the names of patients taking the medications, their dates of birth and doctors they’ve seen. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation in January sought this information from pharmacy benefit managers like UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx and CVS Health’s Caremark, companies that oversee prescription drugs for employers and government programs. (Abelson and Robbins, 3/5)
AP:
A Firing Squad Will Be Killing Someone For The First Time In The US In 15 Years
It was a punishment for mutiny in colonial times, a way to discourage desertion during the Civil War and a dose of frontier justice in the Old West. In modern times, some consider it a more humane alternative to lethal injection. The firing squad has a long and thorny history in the U.S. South Carolina on Friday is scheduled to put the first person to death by firing squad in the U.S. in 15 years. Brad Sigmon, who was convicted of killing his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 2001, chose it over the two other methods in South Carolina — the electric chair and lethal injection. The state’s Supreme Court rejected what will likely be his final appeal Wednesday. (Johnson, 3/5)
The Texas Tribune:
Texas House Majority Backs Bill Aimed At Trans Restroom Use
A bill filed in the Texas House co-authored by a majority of the chamber is aiming to restrict the use of bathrooms by transgender people in public spaces and may potentially go further than previous iterations of similar bills to outline restrictions and penalties. (Runnels, 3/5)
CBS News:
Spanish-Speaking CPR Training Kiosk Aims To Educate Hispanic Community In North Philadelphia
Lifesaving training is now available to the Hispanic and Latino community in North Philadelphia. At Wednesday's ribbon cutting event, the Maria de los Santos Health Center welcomed a new lifesaving training device aimed at helping people who speak Spanish learn how to perform CPR. It's a Spanish-speaking, hands-only CPR kiosk that teaches people how to help someone in cardiac arrest. (Stahl, 3/5)
KFF Health News:
For Seniors With Hoarding Disorder, A Support Group Helps Confront Stigma And Isolation
A dozen people seated around folding tables clap heartily for a beaming woman: She’s donated two 13-gallon garbage bags full of clothes, including several Christmas sweaters and a couple of pantsuits, to a Presbyterian church. A closet cleanout might not seem a significant accomplishment. But as the people in this Sunday-night class can attest, getting rid of stuff is agonizing for those with hoarding disorder. (Boden, 3/6)
On measles and bird flu —
WLRN Public Media:
Confirmed Measles Case Reported At Palmetto Senior High School In Miami-Dade
A Miami Palmetto Senior High School student has been diagnosed with measles, Miami-Dade County Public Schools confirmed on Tuesday. Parents of students at the school in Pinecrest told WLRN that they received an email blast and automated voicemail on Tuesday from the school’s principal, Victoria Dobbs, who also confirmed the measles case. (La Roche Pietri, 3/5)
CIDRAP:
Avian Flu Was In Oregon Wastewater Weeks Before State's First Bird Outbreaks, Study Shows
A retrospective analysis reveals that H5 avian flu surfaced in Oregon wastewater weeks before the state's first outbreak in poultry and wild birds and 2 years before the first outbreak in US cattle. (Van Beusekom, 3/5)
Politico:
Bird Flu Spread Is ‘Slowing Down,’ California Officials Say
The bird flu outbreak that has been ripping through California farms since August is starting to abate, state health and agriculture officials said Wednesday, heralding “good news” in a health crisis that has sent egg prices soaring nationwide. “Thankfully, we do see here in California the flu outbreak is slowing down,” said Dr. Erica Pan, the director of the California Department of Public Health, during a committee hearing at the state Senate. (Bluth, 3/5)
