Friday, August 06, 2004
Lilly to disclose drug trial results on the WebUSA Today story - "Responding to an "erosion" of public trust in drug trial data, Eli Lilly and Co. promised Tuesday to post online the research results — good and bad — for every drug it sells. Lilly said it will provide clinical data on the safety and effectiveness of each of its government-approved drugs on the Web by the end of the year..."
Child Health Disparities: Framing a Research AgendaA report (in
Adobe Acrobat format) from the Commonwealth Fund that appeared in the July/August issue of
Ambulatory Pediatrics - " Children are affected by widespread disparities in health status and in the quality of the health care they receive. Given the increasing number of minority children in the U.S., research on these disparities is very important. Paying heed to the inequalities in child health research, however, is easier said than done. ...
NIH to Set Stiff Restrictions on Outside ConsultingWashington Post story - "A top official at the National Institutes of Health yesterday detailed restrictions and disclosure requirements soon to be imposed on agency scientists who wish to consult for outside companies -- a response to a string of embarrassing revelations about lucrative contracts and other apparent conflicts of interest. The new oversight system, which officials expect to be in place within six months, will ban anyone with even indirect authority over NIH grants from consulting for drug or biotechnology companies. It will also place limits on stock ownership and require that more details of approved outside activities be open to the public..."
FDA Approvals: Campral, Cymbalta, Truvada, and EpzicomMedscape Medical News story - "The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved acamprosate calcium for the maintenance of alcohol abstinence, duloxetine HCl for the treatment of major depressive disorder, two fixed-dose combination treatments for HIV-1 infection, and an injectable filler for facial lipoatrophy in patients with HIV..." [Viewing
Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].
State hospital shows progress (Hawaii)Honolulu Star Bulletin story - "Dramatic improvements have occurred at Hawaii State Hospital since 1991 when patients were living in crowded, unsafe conditions, sleeping on mats and deprived of necessities, says a report filed in federal court. Because of the changes and a 'can do' attitude by state mental health officials, U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang said he believes they can comply substantially with a court-ordered remedial plan by a Sept. 30 deadline. Chang, special master appointed by Chief U.S. District Judge David Ezra in 2001 to oversee an overhaul of the state mental health system, said in a report filed in court yesterday that more work is needed. But he cited significant progress since the U.S. Justice Department sued the state 13 years ago alleging unconstitutional conditions at the state Health Department's hospital for the mentally ill..."
Doctors Plead Case About Mental Health Crisis (Nevada)KLAS-TV story - "Lawmakers received an earful about the dangerous state of our hospital emergency rooms Wednesday. The problem is overcrowding caused by mental health patients filling beds reserved for people with emergency physical problems. University Medical Center's Emergency Department director says one out of every three emergency room beds in the valley are filled with mentally ill patients. He says that means patients with physical problems have to wait..."
Residents turn out to protest cuts in mental health funding (Illinois)Daily Herald story - "Advocates for the mentally ill packed a DuPage County Board of Health meeting Thursday in a pre-emptive strike against rumored funding cuts. Budget reductions would hurt some of the county's most vulnerable residents at a time of growing need, representatives from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of DuPage County said..."
Mental health agency must stand in line for state money (Alabama)Decautur Daily editorial - "A state agency's desire to protect its financial interest in a closed Decatur mental facility is understandable, but it should not be given much weight by Gov. Bob Riley. Kathy Sawyer is the hard-driving commissioner of the state's Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation. She took on a momentous challenge when she agreed to reform the cash-bleeding agency into an efficient institution that serves its clients well. .."
APA Honors Contributors To Mental Health Field Psychiatric News story - "Through their work—whether it is research, film, books, legislation, or advocacy—APA's 2004 awardees are making significant strides in improving the lives of those with mental illness. Psychiatrists, film directors, journalists, and researchers are part of an eclectic group of professionals who were honored at APA's 2004 annual meeting in New York in May for their dedication to psychiatry and mental health causes. Each year APA honors a number of individuals who have worked to improve the lives of people with mental illness in many ways, such as clinical practice, research, and public policy and advocacy work..."
