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Britain's Brown Backs Status Quo on Abortion Law
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Thursday he plans to vote against a reduction in the country's 24-week time limit on abortion when parliament considers the hotly-contested issue next week.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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J&J Recalling Certain Lots of Drugs After Theft
Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday it was voluntarily recalling specific lots of three of its medications to protect patients from receiving potentially mishandled or damaged products after a truck carrying the drugs was stolen.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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No Relief for U.S. Nursing Shortage: AMN CEO
A shortage of nurses in U.S. hospitals is not about to ease any time soon because of shortcomings in the educational system, the chief executive of the largest U.S. health-care staffing company said in an interview.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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U.S. Senate Revises Drugmaker Gift Bill
A revised U.S. Senate bill would require drugmakers and medical device makers to publicly report gifts over $500 a year to doctors, watering down the standard set in a previous version.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Appeals Court Overturns $7.75 Mln Vioxx Verdict
An appeals court in Texas overturned a $7.75 million verdict against Merck & Co involving its withdrawn pain drug Vioxx on Wednesday, ruling that evidence presented at trial failed to prove the medicine caused the heart attack suffered by the plaintiff's husband.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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FDA Backpedals on Warnings in Echo-Contrast Labeling
Warnings and contraindications imposed late last year have been softened after the agency heard from the medical community.
Heartwire, May 2008
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Healthcare Industry, Foundation Offer Reform Plans
A group representing health plans and hospitals proposed health insurance reforms that would revise payment systems on Tuesday, clashing with a respected private foundation that proposed much more extensive reforms.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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UK Lawmakers to Debate Limits of Embryo Research
Parliament on Monday will debate legislation allowing human-animal embryo research that scientists say could help treat conditions like Parkinson's or multiple sclerosis but that opponents say is unethical.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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FDA Panel Nixes 'Abuse-Proof' OxyContin
Experts say special coating may not stop abuse of pain relief drug.
WebMD Health News, May 2008
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UK Government Vows National Health Service Change Will Benefit Patients
The government promised on Friday that its planned reform of the National Health Service (NHS), which would see the creation of large health centres, would benefit patients and be driven by clinical needs not cash concerns.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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WHO Seeks More Collaborative Research on Bird Flu
The World Health Organisation called on Friday for more collaborative research into the bird flu virus, which it said could help reduce death and illness in a human influenza pandemic.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Cost -- Not Evidence -- Driving Shift in Cancer Screening
High-deductible health plans could be prompting patients to choose fully covered screening tests to avoid out-of-pocket expenses.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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U.S. Medicare to Tighten Rules for Private Plans
Companies that sell Medicare Advantage plans would have to modify sales commissions to stop salesmen from switching beneficiaries to a new plan each year to earn the highest possible fee, a U.S. government agency proposed on Thursday.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Both Researchers and Journals are to Blame for Inconsistent Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
Researchers who combed through one year's worth of stent research say conflict-of-interest disclosures are the exception, not the rule--in some cases, authors disclosed conflicts in one paper, but not others. Inconsistent journal policies and confusion about what constitutes a "relevant" conflict may explain some--but not all--of the gaps.
Heartwire, May 2008
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ZymoGenetics' Hemostatic Promotion Misleading: U.S. FDA
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told ZymoGenetics Inc that promotional material for its Recothrom product, used to help control bleeding, was false or misleading, according to a letter released on Wednesday.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Medicare Expected to Exceed $21 Billion for Elderly Cancer Patients
The startling estimate is based on 5 years of cancer care for American patients 65 years or older.
Medscape Medical News, May 2008
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U.S. Hospital ERs Overwhelmed, One-Day Study Finds
A 1-day snapshot of emergency room conditions at 34 U.S. hospitals shows they are all overwhelmed and none is prepared to handle a big event like a disaster or attack.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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U.S. Health Care Waits to Ignite as Campaign Issue
The sharply contrasting health care visions of Republican John McCain and his Democratic presidential rivals offer the promise of a grand campaign debate -- if the candidates find room on a crowded agenda.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Russia Must Grab Chance to Beat AIDS Epidemic: UN
Russia will undo good progress in combating HIV/AIDS and miss the chance to stem the epidemic if it does not offer more help to people who inject themselves with drugs, U.N. AIDS chief Peter Piot said on Saturday.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
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Three Drug Ad Campaigns Face U.S. Lawmaker Scrutiny
U.S. lawmakers will examine advertising campaigns for the cholesterol drugs Lipitor and Vytorin plus anemia drug Procrit at a hearing on Thursday, a U.S. House of Representatives committee said.
Reuters Health Information, May 2008
