Pharmaceutical industry officials in Kenya estimate that at least 40 percent of the drugs sold in the East African nation are counterfeit, with anti-malarial drugs being especially susceptible to being faked.
Patients continue to be sick or can even die as a result of taking counterfeit drugs, most are believed to originate from China and India.
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MINNEAPOLIS — The daughter of a pioneering medical device developer has pledged $50 million to the new children’s hospital being built at the University of Minnesota.
Caroline Amplatz pledged the money over 12 years to honor her father, Kurt Amplatz, a former radiology professor who holds more than 30 patents. Amplatz developed a number of non-invasive techniques, including a tiny device to repair a congenital heart defect that allowed thousands Read the rest of this entry »
January 12, 2009 7:31 a.m. EST
Miami, FL (AHN) – Federal regulators approved the use of a controversial drug to treat high cholesterol last week.
The Food and Drug Administration gave Vytorin the OK a year after a study came out suggesting it wasn’t any more effective than Zocor in lowering bad cholesterol.
Vytorin is a combination of simvastatin, the generic name for Zocor, and ezetimibe.
But now the FDA said a recent trial found a 56-percent Read the rest of this entry »
ape Cod’s only 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Monday.
The Cape Animal Referral and Emergency Center, which listed $1 million to $10 million in debt in a court filing, plans to remain open round-the-clock while it attempts to reorganize its business operations.
CARE’s attorney, Nina Parker, attributed the privately owned hospital’s troubles to fewer pet owners being able to afford Read the rest of this entry »
The HIV test required a saliva swab and was completed in 20 minutes. Teens walked away with a T-shirt, candy or a pen. Many said they weren’t sexually active, but thought it wise to get a free screening.
“It’s good to get them in the habit even if they haven’t been sexually active,” said Regina Hampton, a case manager for Circle Family HealthCare Network, which administered the screenings. “You can get it from blood transfusions or a freak accident.”
Read the rest of this entry »
A fire Tuesday night at a Lexington hospital caused quite a scare.
It happened at Saint Joseph’s Hospital.
Fire officials say a dumbwaiter, which is used to move patients from floor to floor had a bad motor and started to burn.
LEX 18 is told 13 patients had to move from the floor while fire crews investigated.
No one was hurt, but still, it is not the kind of call firefighters want to hear from a hospital.
The patients taken from the floor Read the rest of this entry »
Fitch Ratings said Tuesday it has upgraded its ratings of University of Colorado Hospital Authority's bond debt to A- from BBB+, with a positive outlook.
The move follows an upgrade in January by Moody’s Investors Service, to A3 from Baa1, of debt held by the authority that owns the Aurora hospital.
Chicago-based Fitch said its rating applies to $542 million of bonds outstanding.
It said the upgrade “reflects UCH's robust volume Read the rest of this entry »
MADISON, Wis.
– Patients cannot sue the makers of potentially unsafe medical devices approved for sale by federal regulators, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
The court ruled against a Wisconsin man who had surgery to remove a defibrillator after the manufacturer, Medtronic, Inc., warned its battery had a chance of failing. The ruling is a victory for Minneapolis-based Medtronic and other manufacturers who want to limit product liability.
Read the rest of this entry »
GALVESTON, Texas – Administrators at Galveston’s
discussed the facility’s fate on Monday, KPRC Local 2 reported.
The hospital has been closed since it was heavily damaged during Hurricane Ike and has since taken a second hit from the poor economy.
Hospital officials said they do not want to suspend operations, but they don’t have the money they need to operate.
J.J. Guerra has been going to the hospital since he was 3 years old. Twelve years Read the rest of this entry »
Montgomery County United Way funding is helping things grow at Lone Star Family Health Center.
An MCUW grant enabled Lone Star to purchase “Medicaider” software to help staff members expand financial options so more services are available to the nearly 45,000 patients the center sees annually.
“We are a comprehensive family medical clinic, which means we can provide a wide array of services to all age groups,” said Jay Jezierski, Lone Read the rest of this entry »