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Pharma & Tech

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Tuesday, Sep 24 2019

DIY Tech Gives People More Freedom In Managing Diabetes

Heidi de Marco

People with diabetes say they’ve been waiting for years for better technology to manage their chronic condition. Tired of waiting, some tech-savvy, do-it-yourselfers are constructing their own devices using open-source programming instructions.

At-Home Rape Kits Now Off The Market

Victoria Knight

State attorneys general took legal action to stop the sale of rape kits that would be useless as evidence in court.

A Dubious Product: A Rape Kit For Home Use

Victoria Knight

Two companies are selling at-home rape kits as the latest direct-to-consumer product, but hardly anyone thinks this is a good idea.

Doctor Alexa Will See You Now: Is Amazon Primed To Come To Your Rescue?

Janet Rae-Dupree

Amazon, along with a host of other technology companies, is working on ways to use its smart speaker devices to bring a range of health care services into your home.

Groupons For Medical Treatment? Welcome To Today’s U.S. Health Care

Lauren Weber

Groupon and other deal sites are the latest marketing tactic in medicine, offering bargain prices but potentially unnecessary, duplicative services.

Beset By Lawsuits And Criticism In U.S., Opioid Makers Eye New Market In India

Sarah Varney

What began in India as a populist movement to bring inexpensive morphine to the diseased and dying poor has paved the way for a booming pain management industry. Now, new customers are being funneled to U.S. drugmakers bedeviled by a government crackdown back home.

As Off-Label Use Spreads, Supplies Of Niche Drugs And Patients’ Patience Grow Short

Julie Appleby

The reasons behind one particular shortage of a therapy known as IVIG are complicated, stemming from increased demand and the medication’s long production window.

Hill Hodgepodge: Pelosi Draws From Democrats, GOP And Trump For Drug Plan

Emmarie Huetteman

The House speaker announced her plan for lowering drug prices, which includes negotiations between drugmakers and federal health officials.

Longtime Crusader Against OxyContin Begins To See The Fruits Of Her Struggle

Mark Kreidler

Barbara Van Rooyan lost her son to the drug 15 years ago and has fought ceaselessly since then to hold Purdue Pharma accountable for its role in the opioid crisis.

States Pass Record Number Of Laws To Reel In Drug Prices

Steven Findlay

So far this year, 33 states have enacted more than 50 measures to address drug prices, affordability and access. Congress is eyeing the efforts to see what works.

Purveyors Of Black-Market Pharmaceuticals Target Immigrants

John M. Glionna

Illegal medications, sold in immigrant communities around the United States, can cause serious harm to consumers, authorities say. Law enforcement officers are cracking down, but some think more must be done.

Congress Rakes In Millions From Drugmakers

Elizabeth Lucas

In the first six months of this year, pharmaceutical firms and their trade groups donated almost $4 million to the campaigns of a variety of senators and House members.

Pharma Cash Rolls Into Congress To Defend An Embattled Industry

Emmarie Huetteman and Jay Hancock and Elizabeth Lucas

Congress has a variety of reforms in mind that could roil the drugmaking business and potentially slash prices.

Pharma Cash to Congress

Elizabeth Lucas and KFF Health News Staff

A KFF Health News database tracks campaign donations from drugmakers over the past 10 years.

In India’s Slums, ‘Painkillers Are Part Of The Daily Routine’

Sarah Varney

As the Indian government reluctantly loosens its prescription opioid laws after decades of lobbying by palliative care advocates desperate to ease their patients’ pain, the nation’s sprawling, cash-fed health care system is ripe for misuse.

Listen: India Gives Opioid Makers A Huge And Growing New Market

KHN's Sarah Varney discussed opioid painkillers in India with NPR's Rachel Martin on "Morning Edition" Thursday.

Americans More Likely Than Swedes To Fill Prescriptions For Opioids After Surgery

Julie Appleby

New research published in JAMA Network Open quantified for the first time international differences in doctors’ prescribing habits and patients’ use of these highly addictive painkillers.

Shopping At The Apotheke: Compare German Pharmacies With Your Corner Drugstore

Shefali Luthra

Germany’s pharmacies provide insights into the country’s low drug prices and strict regulations. But they’re still businesses.

Camouflaged Vaping Devices Are Hoodwinking Parents And Schools

Anna Maria Barry-Jester

The vaping hoodie. The vaping watch. The vaping phone case. Each ready to deliver a puff of nicotine (or marijuana) anywhere, anytime. The vaping market is crowded with sleek, camouflaged devices that have teachers and parents struggling to monitor illicit usage of a product that has surged in popularity among high schoolers.

Vapers Seek Relief From Nicotine Addiction In — Wait For It — Cigarettes

Ana B. Ibarra

Even though e-cigarette makers market their products as a safer alternative to cigarettes, a growing number of vapers are trying to quit— and they’re turning to cigarettes to help them.

Proveedores de medicamentos en el mercado negro enfocan en inmigrantes

John M. Glionna

Inmigrantes, no sólo de países hispanos, sino de todo el mundo, y algunos no inmigrantes también, están comprando una amplia gama de medicamentos ilegales en todo el país,

Estados promulgan leyes para frenar los precios de los medicamentos

Steven Findlay

En lo que va del año, 33 han promulgado un récord de 51 leyes para confrontar los precios, la accesibilidad y el acceso a los medicamentos.

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