Friday, December 03, 2004

The Provision of Mental Health Services in Managed Care Organizations
Department of Health and Human Services report, in Adobe Acrobat format, called to our attention by Open Minds - "This study reports on a nationally representative survey of managed care organizations (MCOs) regarding how mental health services were provided in 1999, and how the provision varies by product type and contracting arrangement."  
  

How to Improve Drug Safety
Opinion column by a former FDA deputy commissioner in the Washington Post - "It has been a tough three years for the Food and Drug Administration, which until recently was credited with providing the United States with the safest drug supply in the world. In September, Merck withdrew Vioxx from the market after a study showed that the drug significantly increases the incidence of strokes and heart attacks in patients who use it for more than 18 months. Three years ago Bayer withdrew Baycol, a cholesterol-lowering drug that causes a rare muscle disease that was responsible for about 30 deaths and thousands of serious injuries. Fortunately, several lessons can be learned from recent drug tragedies..." [Viewing Washington Post stories requires registration, which is free.]