Most area hospitals receive above average scores in Consumer Reports’ safety...
In an analysis of more than 2,500 hospitals throughout the nation by Consumer Reports, most Seattle area hospitals received an above average score. For the analysis, five measures were combined in one...
View ArticlePfizer agrees to pay $35 million to states to settle charges it...
The attorneys general of 42 states and the District of Columbia have reached a $35 million settlement with Pfizer Inc. to resolve charges that its Wyeth unit unlawfully promoted Rapamune, an...
View ArticleFrontline airs show tonight on antibiotic overuse in meat industry
Tonight at 10 p.m. PT, PBS’s Frontline will air the second in its two-part series on the mounting crisis of antibiotics resistance – now among the top five health threats facing the nation, according...
View ArticleMost doctors concerned about use of antibiotics in healthy livestock
Most doctors – 93 percent – are concerned about the use of antibiotics in healthy animals for growth promotion and disease prevention, according to a poll released Thursday by Consumer Reports. The...
View ArticleUninsured in state drops about 40% under Affordable Care Act
The number of uninsured people in Washington state has dropped nearly 40 percent from 970,000 or 14 percent at the end of 2013 to 600,000 or 8.65 percent at the end of 2014. “Health reform has clearly...
View ArticleAmgen to pay $71 million for off-label marketing of prescription drugs
Forty-eight state attorneys general and the District of Columbia are joining in a $71 million agreement resolving allegations that Amgen unlawfully promoted two medications for uses and doses not...
View ArticleState launches campaign to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria
Get Smart About Antibiotics Week is Nov. 16-22. Its purpose is to raise awareness of the threat of antibiotic resistance and the importance of correctly using and prescribing antibiotics. To increase...
View ArticleSwitching your Medigap policy before Dec. 7? Don’t be fooled by the hype
My mailbox is being flooded with ads about switching my Medigap policy to a Medicare Advantage plan, a prescription drug plan – Part D, or a different Medigap company. TV ads also abound. Some offer...
View ArticlePharmaceutical company pays up to settle charges of Medicaid fraud, cancer...
The state has recovered nearly $750,000 in Medicaid reimbursement this week from the pharmaceutical company Celgene Corp. for promoting medications to treat conditions they weren’t approved for,...
View ArticleState, Seattle sue drug manufacturers over opioid epidemic
The state filed a lawsuit Thursday accusing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma of fueling the opioid epidemic in Washington state, embarking on a massive deceptive marketing campaign, and convincing doctors...
View ArticleState insurance commissioner criticizes two of Trump’s health care executive...
The Trump administration announced Friday it will immediately stop paying health insurance subsidies, called cost-sharing reductions, for people who qualify through exchanges. “President Trump’s...
View ArticleSaturday is Take Back Your Drugs Day
It’s time to clear your homes of unused or expired medication by taking them to a designated collection site on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, Oct. 28. To find a drop box in King...
View ArticleState offers more details in Purdue Pharma’s opioid case
Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit Friday against Oxycontin maker Purdue Pharma, which reveals previously sealed details from the company’s internal documents. The new details describe the...
View ArticleMedicare open enrollment begins today, but be sure to do research if you need...
Medicare’s 2019 annual open enrollment period for prescription drug plans, Part D, and Medicare Advantage plans starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. You’ve probably noticed. Ads for Medicare...
View ArticleState sues Johnson & Johnson over its role in the state’s opioid crisis
Johnson & Johnson, one of the largest suppliers of raw materials used to produce opioid pain medications, is being accusing by Washington state of playing a key role in driving the pharmaceutical...
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