Tuesday, May 18, 2004

Scientific Conflict of Interest Probe Grows From NIH to FDA
Reuters Health story at Medscape - "A U.S. House subcommittee is expanding its probe of alleged conflicts of interest by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well. At its second hearing on the propriety of government scientists taking money from pharmaceutical and biotechnology private firms, Republican and Democratic leaders of the Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations subcommittee announced they are asking the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate a case in which scientists from the NIH and the FDA entered into a formal research partnership with one private firm, then took on a consulting job for one of that firm's competitors..." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Medscape Journal Scan - Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, April 2004
"The effects of parental substance abuse, treating PTSD, and the trends in antidepressant use are among the studies covered in this month's Journal Scan" - Articles from the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Journal of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Services and Archives of General Psychiatry. [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Spending Soars for Behavior Drugs for Kids
AP story at Yahoo - "As more children pop pills for attention deficit and other behavior disorders, new figures show spending on those drugs has for the first time edged out the cost of antibiotics and asthma medications for kids. A 49 percent rise in the use of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder drugs by children under 5 in the last three years contributed to a 23 percent increase in usage for all children, according to an annual analysis of drug use trends by Medco Health Solutions Inc. ..."  
  

Health Policy Experts Say Bills To Address Issue of Uninsured Are Not Real Solutions
Item in the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report - "Health policy experts said the handful of bills proposed by Congress during 'Cover the Uninsured Week' were 'notable mostly for their modesty' and were 'not real solutions,' despite claims by politicians from both parties that reducing the number of uninsured is a 'top priority,' CongressDaily reports..."