Latest Morning Briefing Stories
FDA Considering Pricey Implant As Treatment For Opioid Addiction
The FDA could soon approve an implantable form of a drug used to treat opioid addiction. While the approach helped patients avoid relapse in tests, its price may be prohibitive for some, doctors say.
Mosquito Hunters Set Traps Across Houston, Search For Signs Of Zika
Harris County, Texas, operates one of the largest mosquito control operations in the country, with more than 50 people who trap, freeze and test mosquitoes for threats such as Zika.
Georgia Women Weigh Zika Risks As Mosquito Season Arrives
The CDC is advising pregnant women, especially in the South, to take some precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes that could carry the Zika virus. So far, Zika cases in Georgia are linked to travel, not bites.
New York Aims To Become The Next State To Toss The Tampon Tax
Five states have already eliminated sales tax on feminine products, and New York City is also trying to make the products available for free in schools.
Fix For VA Health Snarls Veterans And Doctors In New Bureaucracy
A program that was supposed to help veterans see doctors closer to home more quickly is not fulfilling its promise.
Women Aren’t Taking First Place In Top Medical Journals
Women scientists get first author credit on medical studies much less often than their male coauthors. That has career implications and could even be skewing the study of women’s health.
In Prince’s Age Group, Risk Of Opioid Overdose Climbs
In 2013 and 2014, people ages 45 to 64 accounted for about half of all deaths from drug overdose, according to the CDC.
Pregnant Women In Houston And Their Doctors Weigh Risks Of Zika
The U.S. Gulf Coast has the right weather conditions and mosquitoes for the Zika virus, which has been linked to birth defects. But the level of risk is unknown in this country so doctors are advising caution to their patients who are pregnant or trying to have a baby.
Some Firms Save Money By Offering Employees Free Surgery
The idea is this: Negotiate a flat price with a few hospitals to cover surgery, physical therapy and certain other post-op treatments. Companies save money and hospitals gain patients.
Genetic Counselors Struggle To Keep Up With Huge New Demand
After Angelina Jolie disclosed her genetic predisposition for breast cancer, demand for genetic tests went up. Counselors help interpret those tests, and demand for their services has increased, too.
Political Gridlock Blocks Missouri Database For Fighting Drug Abuse
Every state except Missouri has a database that doctors can check to see if a person filling a prescription for an opioid is trying to get it from other pharmacies, too.
The Wait For Opioid Treatment Can Mean Life Or Death In New Hampshire
New Hampshire has one of the highest opioid overdose rates and one of the lowest rates of access to treatment.
A Crisis With Little Data: States Begin To Count Drug-Dependent Babies
Getting good information is critical to figure out where resources need to go to treat babies dependent on drugs. Pennsylvania relies on old statistics and incomplete data, but that may be changing.
Pregnant And Addicted: The Tough Road To A Healthy Family
Guilt still haunts a new mother who was addicted to opioids when she got pregnant. Once she was ready to ask for help, treatment programs that could handle her complicated pregnancy were hard to find.
A Nurse’s Lesson: Babies In Opioid Withdrawal Still Need Mom
One hospital in Connecticut gives babies and moms fighting addiction a quiet room where they can be together as the drugs leave their systems.
Contratistas Agrícolas Se Resisten A Requisitos Del Obamacare
La ley federal de salud está poniendo a los agricultores en una situación difícil. Muchos contratistas que suministran trabajadores tienen que ofrecer cobertura de salud. El seguro es costoso, y los contratistas se preocupan sobre las consecuencias para la inmigración.
Pharmaceutical Company Has Hiked Price On Aid-In-Dying Drug
Valeant Pharmaceuticals, the company that makes Seconal, the drug most commonly used in prescribed for terminally ill patients who want to end their lives, physician-assisted suicide, has doubled the price to more than $3,000.
Tiny Opioid Patients Need Help Easing Into Life
More babies are being born dependent on opioids. The good news is they can safely be weaned from the drug. But there’s little research on which medical treatment is best, or its long-term effects.
Montana Medicaid Expansion Earns Good Grades In First Report Card
Since its rollout on Jan. 1, Montana Medicaid expansion has enrolled more than 38,000 people and returned $3 million to the state’s general fund.
With Special Tax Suspended, Medical Device Firms Reap Big Savings
The medical device industry is enjoying a two-year moratorium on a tax that was created to support the Affordable Care Act. Are firms using their savings to create more jobs, as many claim?
