MedWorm provides a medical RSS filtering service. Over 6000 RSS medical sources are combined and output via different filters. This feed contains the latest medical blog items that have been tagged with 'bill'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:53:46 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5181898&cid=t_106652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F31%2Fis-california-eliminating-mental-illness-treatment%2F According to DJ Jaffe, co-founder of the Treatment Advocacy Center which advocates for mandated outpatient treatment laws, California is “eliminating mental illness treatment.” This, of course, will be a surprise to the tens of thousands of mental health providers in California. Millions of Californians currently receive treatment for their mental disorders, both in the private and public sector. In fact, Californians wanted to make up for past deficiencies in funding their mental health services, so they passed a law in 2004 that set aside new money specifically to help fund treatment. Jaffe claims the money isn’t going to the programs it was intended to fund. Should we take his word for it? The easiest way to see whether Jaffe’s claims hold up are to look at the... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5181898 Wed, 31 Aug 2011 19:13:20 +0100 5181898 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5158941&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeZHya3-8Lo0%2F By Justin LoganDo yourself a favor and click on over through this link to read Bill Kauffman’s WSJ review of a new edited collection of Ambrose Bierce’s work, including his famous Devil’s Dictionary. As Kauffman writes: Bierce’s politics amount to an aristocratic libertarianism. “In a republic,” he writes, the rabble are “those who exercise a supreme authority tempered by fraudulent elections.” The “dominant and controlling” tribe in human affairs is that of the “idiot.” A revolution is “an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.” Bierce emerges from his dictionary not so much a misanthrope as a man who expects the worst and makes the best of it. He possesses a marvelously large vocabulary, which he dep... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5158941 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:19:10 +0100 5158941 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5118991&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FwaOpAxF9HgM%2F For three decades, John LaMattina worked at Pfizer, where he rose through the ranks before heading global R&D and retiring in 2007. This meant that he was on hand as Pfizer mushroomed in size after buying Warner-Lambert and Pharmacia. And it was during this stretch that boardroom politics - notably, growing tension between Pfizer chair Bill Steere and ceo Hank McKinnell - blossomed, leading to the ascent of Jeff Kindler, who last winter suddenly resigned as ceo. These tumultuous changes (read here and here), shaped strategic decisions that led Pfizer to close facilities, eliminate research areas and fire gobs of scientists (see this). Recently, LaMattina, who is now a senior partner at Puretech Ventures, lamented the aftermath in a piece in Nature Reviews (see this). We chatted with h... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5118991 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:32:30 +0100 5118991 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107603&cid=t_106652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F08%2F07%2Fnegawatts-the-positive-psychology-behind-negative-energy%2F Almost every way we make electricity today, except for the emerging renewables and nuclear puts out CO2. And so, what we’re going to have to do at a global scale, is create a new system. And so, we need energy miracles. ~Bill Gates A typographical error led Amory Lovins to coin the phrase negawatts. In a brilliant 1989 keynote address to the Green Energy Conference in Montreal he outlined what has become the blueprint for a radical business and energy concept. Pay people to do nothing. Twenty-plus years later the idea is deeply taking hold. Fast-forward to Dr. Ron Denbo who was recently featured on a TED global ideas project. He is the Founder and CEO of Zerofootprint, an international company that provides software to measure and manage carbon footprint.  Individuals, governments ... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107603 Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:24:31 +0100 5107603 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5078035&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FJg53Nv1VI4Q%2F For those curious as to what went down before Jeff Kindler unexpectedly resigned last December as the Pfizer ceo, a new treatise in Fortune magazine offers a behind-the-scenes look at the political infighting, overblown aspirations and inept calculations that contributed to his demise, as well as a decade of disappointment and a few spectacular failures at the big drugmaker. For Kindler, the end came in a plain vanilla Florida airport conference room where he was confronted by three board members, who - after probing a steady stream of confidential reports that his managerial style was overbearing, his behavior was increasingly erratic and his judgment was questionable - decided he must go. Essentially, he was given an ultimatum - with a lot of money. The moment capped a tumultuous few yea... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5078035 Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:27:38 +0100 5078035 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5069720&cid=t_106652_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2011%2F07%2Fbill-orielly-gets-it-exactly-right.html "No one believing in Jesus commits mass murder," he said. "The man might have called himself a Christian on the net, but he is certainly not of that faith...we can find no evidence, none, that this killer practiced Christianity in any way."It's odd to find that I agree with Bill-O. I do. I've said a great deal about this over the years. I was actually a little shocked to see how VERY much I'd said about it.But I don't think Bill-O would really like to persue that thought. Because it amounts to this: Calling yourself a Christian doesn't make you a Christian.Anders Behring Breivik is a Christian in exactly the same sense that Michelle Bachmann is. Or Ted Haggard. Or George Bush. Or Tom Ball. Jesus made this point a few times. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,.. " ... Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5069720 Tue, 26 Jul 2011 21:30:00 +0100 5069720 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5062503&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Ffirst-3-steps-of-aa-define-the-problem-solution%2F Image via Wikipedia In 1934, Bill W., cofounder of Alcoholics Anonymous, got a call from a former drinking buddy, Ebby T. "Rumor had it that he’d been committed for alcoholic insanity," Bill recalled. "I wondered how he had escaped." In reality, Ebby was two months sober. This disappointed Bill, who wanted to recapture the spirit of their earlier drinking escapades. When Ebby came to visit, Bill pushed a drink across the table. Ebby refused it. "The door opened, and he stood there, fresh-skinned and glowing," Bill recalled. "He was inexplicably different. What had happened?" The answer to that question eventually brought Bill to sobriety, and to the Twelve Steps of AA. Before Bill could formulate the Twelve Steps of AA, he had to make two disco... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5062503 Sun, 24 Jul 2011 15:02:47 +0100 5062503 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5028536&cid=t_106652_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2FuTFg5p22Qug%2F The Medical Group Management Association today named Susan Turney, M.D., as its new president and CEO, effective in September. Longtime chief William F. Jessee, M.D., is retiring after 12 years on the job. Like Jessee, Turney is an advocate of health information technology. She has been CEO and executive vice president of the Wisconsin Medical Society since 2004. There, she founded and chaired the Wisconsin Statewide Health Information Network (WISHIN) co-founded the Wisconsin Health Information Organization. Tunney was MGMA board chair in 2005-06. Read more here. Related posts:MGMA wants standard patient IDs within a year Why is this news? (Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog) Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5028536 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:45:19 +0100 5028536 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008142&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6usEuUaq3lA%2F By Michael F. CannonColumbia Business School economist Ray Fisman has a piece at Slate.com discussing the first-year results of the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment.  In brief, when Oregon transferred an average of $3,000 from taxpayers to poor people in the form of Medicaid coverage, it did those poor people some good. Fisman’s interpretation of the results is different from mine in mainly two respects.  First, I describe the one-year benefits of Medicaid coverage as modest; he says they’re “enormous.” A more fundamental difference concerns whether expanding Medicaid was a cost-effective use of the taxpayers’ money.  Fisman writes: Given the added expense, did the Medicaid expansion prove to be cost-effective? That is, did the treatment group actually... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008142 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 15:18:54 +0100 5008142 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5008145&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FjXYSHkY0CKg%2F By Michael F. CannonThe Oregon Health Insurance Experiment is the first experiment since the dawn of time that randomly assigns some households to receive health insurance (Medicaid) for purposes of comparing their medical consumption, health outcomes, and financial security to similar households that do not receive Medicaid coverage.  Some of the nation’s top health economists have released the first batch of results from the OHIE. At National Review (Online), I summarize the OHIE’s first-year results and offer the following analysis: Supporters of President Obama’s health-care law may tout these benefits, but the OHIE does not provide the vindication they seek. First, despite being eligible for Medicaid, 13 percent of the control group had private health insurance — s... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5008145 Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:46:38 +0100 5008145 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975825&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fs2-Usb210eI%2F By Sallie JamesSen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,  Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and the White House have just announced that they have made a deal to extend Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA, the program that extends extra unemployment and health care benefits to workers who lose their jobs because of globalization) until 2013, as part of a broader deal that would see passage of the three outstanding preferential trade agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The extension of TAA would be included in the legislation to implement the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement, “improved” (i.e., made less liberalizing) by the administration in December. Interestingly and alarmingly, because implementing the FTAs... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975825 Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:17:38 +0100 4975825 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4960001&cid=t_106652_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F22%2Fnursing-times-2011-vol-107-no-24%2F This article looks at the key changes to the NHS reforms. (Print subscription held at Fade Library) Filed under: Current Awareness, Journals Tagged: Current Awareness, Health and Social Care Bill, Legislation, NHS, NHS Reform (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4960001 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:03:50 +0100 4960001 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4952850&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39261&url=http%3A%2F%2Fvactruth.com%2F2011%2F06%2F21%2Fgavi-guts-uk-for-1-5-billion-bill-gates-applauds%2F On Monday 13th June, David Cameron hosted a meeting with GAVI (Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations) and sent shock waves around the world, after he pledged £814 million of taxpayers money to the to a child vaccine programme run by the Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates. This takes the UK’s total spend to £1.5 billion. Defending his decision, Cameron said: “There is a strong moral case for keeping our promises to the worlds poorest and helping them even when we face challenges at home” According to the Daily Mail, his pledge was praised by Mr Gates as being ‘human generosity at its finest’. The Mail continued: “As well as being more than five times the £274million pledged by the U.S., it is more than 30 times higher than Germany’s £44million and almost 50 time... vactruth.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4952850 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:10:21 +0100 4952850 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934099&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ft-s3UFvw6Jg%2F By Sallie JamesWe’re another step closer to putting a shameful chapter of America’s trade policy behind us, with the good news that the House today approved (by a margin of 223-197, roll call here) an amendment offered by Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to prohibit the use of funds in the appropriations bill to provide payment to the Brazil Cotton Institute: the administration signed a deal last year with Brazil to send $147 million a year of taxpayers money to Brazil so they would look the other way while the United States continued to subsidize our cotton farmers illegally. Mr Kind and Mr Flake rightly argued that was an egregious use of taxpayer money. Some lawmakers agitated against stopping the payments in case it sparked a trade war, but the answer ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934099 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:02:54 +0100 4934099 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934121&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fpw9c0aAgXos%2F By Daniel GriswoldWith trillion dollar deficits and mounting federal debt, will Congress finally get serious about cutting farm subsidies? We’ve been disappointed before, but there are a few hopeful signs—like the front-page story in this morning’s Washington Post—that this Congress may be serious about cutting billions in payments to farmers. As the Post reports: In their recent budget proposals, House Republicans and House Democrats targeted farm subsidies, a program long protected by members of both parties. The GOP plan includes a $30 billion cut to direct payments over 10 years, which would slash them by more than half. Those terms are being considered in the debt-reduction talks led by Vice President Biden, according to people familiar with the discussions. The Post story pro... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934121 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 18:20:42 +0100 4934121 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4934015&cid=t_106652_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F06%2F13%2Fdefunding-planned-parenthood-in-tennessee-tying-together-the-news%2F I posted on Friday about Nashville’s Department of Health deciding to accept the funds that would normally go to Planned Parenthood for family planning services, and stating when they did so they were taking the money on the condition that they did not have to serve the same number of people. A commenter here – who appears to be close to the issue – pointed out that the county would probably need more local tax dollars to provide the same amount of service that Planned Parenthood provided with a combination of those federal funds and private donations. I saw a few news items today that don’t make a coherent whole, but that I felt were related to the issue. 1. State Health Commissioner Susan Cooper reportedly sent a letter to the Metro Public Health Department urgin... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4934015 Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:19:41 +0100 4934015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4911464&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYbQmO1Im2Eg%2F By Tad DeHavenLast week, the House passed a $40.6 billion Homeland Security appropriations bill for fiscal 2012. The Constitutional Authority Statement for the bill cited Congress’s authority to appropriate money and the General Welfare Clause. Citing the General Welfare Clause might be appropriate for activities associated with the common defense of the nation. However, it is not an appropriate justification for something like the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which distributes federal taxpayer money to local fire departments. Firefighting is a purely local concern and should be funded by those who benefit from a local fire department’s services. Why in the world am I paying federal taxes in Pennsylvania to a bureaucracy in Washingto... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4911464 Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:40:45 +0100 4911464 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4902693&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F7xm5seVkAgw%2F Several big drugmakers have agreed to slash prices on some of their vaccines, which are distributed to poor people in developing countries by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, the non-profit that was established by Bill Gates. The move comes just days before a widely anticipated GAVI board meeting that will address, in part, plans to raise $3.7 billion in needed funds. The price cuts are being offered by Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson’s Crucell unit, Sanofi Pasteur’s Shantha Biotechnics, Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute, and should help GAVI reduce the funding gap for commitments that run until 2015. The effort involves vaccines to combat rotavirus and HPV, as well as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4902693 Mon, 06 Jun 2011 15:38:52 +0100 4902693 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4893417&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FD9pbEbw8h1s%2F By Sallie JamesHeartening news from the Appropriations Committee yesterday: they voted to cut aid to farmers generally, and to make significant changes to an egregious cotton program. But first, some background.  You’ll recall the embarrassing deal made by the Obama administration last year to head off Brazil’s right to impede American exports in retaliation for WTO-illegal cotton support. The United States is, in other words, now sending almost $150m worth of “technical assistance” and “capacity building” funds to Brazil, just so we can continue to subsidize American cotton growers without penalty (so much for U.S. promotion of the rule of law in international commercial relations). Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) tried to end that deal earlier this year, but... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4893417 Thu, 02 Jun 2011 13:46:05 +0100 4893417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4872204&cid=t_106652_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FM2lKprj3Yl8%2F A blog post today by Microsoft’s Dr. Bill Crounse got me thinking again about the cloud. Crounse cited a new CDW poll showing that 30 percent of healthcare organizations could be considered “cloud adopters,” and for good reason. “The flexibility, scalability and lower costs associated with moving certain line of business applications to the cloud are compelling, especially for an industry like healthcare. After all, the primary focus of hospitals and clinics is caring for patients, not running an IT empire. There’s not a CIO, CFO, CEO, COO, CNO, CMIO, or CMO who wouldn’t love to shift some of their IT spending to delivering better care to the communities they serve,” Crounse wrote. They were more likely to turn to the cloud for “commodity” serv... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4872204 Thu, 26 May 2011 20:25:03 +0100 4872204 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4862515&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fhu_TAotJGc0%2F By George Scoville “Vouchers and tax credits differ from one another in important ways, and Pennsylvanians deserve to have their representatives consider them one at a time.” “So, if the Supreme Court’s precedents defer to Congress’ assessments of its powers, but Congress is relying for ‘constitutional authority’ on the Supreme Court’s precedents, then NO ONE is actually looking at the Constitution itself to see if a bill is within Congress’ enumerated powers.” “Carbon dioxide, thought to be a significant cause of the warming of surface temperature since the mid-1970s, is currently the respiration of the world’s economic civilization. Getting rid of it isn’t as simple as banning CFCs and switching to another refrigerant.... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4862515 Tue, 24 May 2011 15:23:20 +0100 4862515 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848022&cid=t_106652_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F2dCY8-XWSbI%2F It’s Friday afternoon, and I realize it’s been days since I’ve posted here. (Make sure you catch my posts on EMR and HIPAA every Thursday, including my latest on Dr. Larry Weed and his critiques of current health IT systems.) I think it’s time for a rundown of some interesting developments this week. Weed apparently is not the only one who’s disappointed in the pace of change in healthcare. Dr. Bill Crounse, senior director of worldwide health for Microsoft, was at the World of Health IT conference in Budapest, Hungary, to deliver some scathing remarks at about North American health IT. According to Canadian Healthcare Technology, Crounse called the U.S. and Canada the “worst of the worst in the industrialized world in the use of IT in healthcare.”... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848022 Fri, 20 May 2011 19:32:13 +0100 4848022 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4848114&cid=t_106652_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F6i9jrj4yQFc%2F Bill Maher: If you rejoice in revenge, torture and war …you’re not a Christian. This should be self-evident, but evidently some folks need a refresher on the basic tenets of the religion they profess to follow. via Todays signs that the Apocalypse may be upon us – What Would Jack Do. Filed under: Current Affairs, Link Tagged: Bill Maher, christianity, Religion and Spirituality, Wars and Conflicts (Source: white pebble) white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4848114 Fri, 20 May 2011 13:54:19 +0100 4848114 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841429&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdPEE57zMGPY%2F By Ilya ShapiroThis morning I outlined the stakes of today’s seminal cloture vote on Goodwin’s Liu’s nomination to the Ninth Circuit.  Well, now we have a result: cloture failed 52-43, with Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE) joining all voting Republicans except Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) against cloture. Three Republicans plus Max Baucus (D-MT) were absent, while Orrin Hatch (R-UT) voted present because of his previous strong position against filibusters. This is the first judicial nominee filibustered since the Gang of 14 brokered an agreement on President Bush’s nominees in 2005, forestalling then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s use of the so-called nuclear option (changing Senate rules to eliminate the judicial filibuster).  That agreement, to the extent it&#821... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841429 Thu, 19 May 2011 19:21:57 +0100 4841429 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841987&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FPnFE-Cg3WGw%2F Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? Here on the Pharmalot corporate campus, we are engaged in the off-to-the-school-house hustle. This calls, of course, for a cup or two of stimulation. How else to gear up for those meetings and deadlines? So please feel free to join us. And here is another invitation: our webinar next week on the injectable drug delivery market. Meanwhile, we offer you these tidbits of the world at large. Have a great day and do stay in touch… North Carolina Delays Vote On Preemption Bill (Associated Press) CDC Blog On Zombie Apocalypse Proves Apocalyptic (AdWeek) Takeda To Buy Nycomed For $13.6 Billion (Reuters) Bill Gates Calls For A ‘Decade Of Vaccinations’ (Pharma Times) J&J Failed To Warn Parents Of Motrin Risks: Lawyer (Bloomberg Ne... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841987 Thu, 19 May 2011 11:47:58 +0100 4841987 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841581&cid=t_106652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F05%2F19%2Fmuzzling-doctors-who-ask-questions-about-gun-safety%2F Imagine that your 16-year-old daughter has been bullied mercilessly in school, but hasn’t talked to you about it, or spoken about her suicidal impulses. One day, she is brought by ambulance to your local hospital emergency room, having made superficial cuts on her arms while in school. The emergency room physician tries to call you at work, but your cell phone isn’t picking up. The doctor begins her evaluation of your daughter, including an assessment of all relevant risk factors for suicide. Now imagine that the doctor believes she is forbidden by law from asking your daughter whether there are guns in your home — despite the fact that firearms in the home markedly increase the risk of gun-related suicide.1 You needn’t use much imagination. In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott is expec... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841581 Thu, 19 May 2011 10:38:43 +0100 4841581 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841990&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35823&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FAddictionInbox%2F%7E3%2FbnM0icM6qOE%2Fbill-manvilles-booze-book.html A “professional bar fly” who flirted with death and Helen Gurley Brown. "From the drinking man's classic, Saloon Society, back in the Sixties, to his sadder but wiser Cool, Hip and Sober, Bill Manville has consistently provided an honest, insightful first-person account of where alcoholism begins--and where it ends.”  So said the respected Keith Humphreys of Stanford University’s School of Medicine, when Manville’s account of beating booze was published some years ago. What makes his book unique in the annals of addiction books, so far as I know, is the additional blurb on Cool, Hip and Sober from none other than Cosmopolitan Magazine founder and Sex and the Single Girl author Helen Gurley Brown, who wrote: “I never read anything like this and am thrilled to recommend the... Addiction Inbox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841990 Thu, 19 May 2011 03:39:11 +0100 4841990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841441&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fh83wI2sGJyQ%2F By George ScovilleThe free market needs and deserves a moral defense. Cato senior fellow Tom G. Palmer delivers part of that defense, regarding economic profits, in a new video: This is an installment in a series entitled “The Morality of Free Enterprise,” a joint project of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, where Palmer serves as the vice president of international programs, and the John Templeton Foundation. Palmer is also the director of Cato University; so if you’d like to hear more from him, we hope you’ll register today and join us July 24-29 in historic Annapolis, Maryland for our annual summer seminar on political economy. Students may also apply for a scholarship. The Morality of Profit is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cat... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841441 Tue, 17 May 2011 18:02:35 +0100 4841441 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828849&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FqX-jd6IVntY%2F By Roger PilonNow that Rep. Ron Paul is again a presidential candidate, his constitutional views will come under increasing scrutiny, as happened yesterday when he was interviewed by Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Not surprisingly, critics immediately leapt on Paul’s “crankish view” that Social Security, Medicare, and other such programs are unconstitutional. Even Wallace seemed taken aback, citing the document’s General Welfare Clause: The Congress shall have the Power to lay and collect Taxes … to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States. “Doesn’t Social Security come under promoting the general welfare of the United States?” Wallace asked, incredulously. One does not have to agree with everything Paul has said or stood... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828849 Mon, 16 May 2011 20:06:10 +0100 4828849 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4828855&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlopNtY9ZBac%2F By Daniel GriswoldCarrying on an annual tradition dating back to President Franklin Roosevelt, President Obama issued a proclamation on Friday declaring this third week in May “World Trade Week.” Of course, every week is world trade week at the Cato Institute’s Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies, but in order to do our part as good citizens, we’ve organized a book forum this Tuesday, May 17, at 4 p.m. on a new book by Dartmouth College economist Douglas Irwin, titled, Peddling Protectionism: Smoot-Hawley and the Great Depression. The Smoot-Hawley tariff bill is a fitting subject for any World Trade Week. As we note in the invitation: More than 80 years after its passage, the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 still resonates in today’s debate over trade policy. A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4828855 Mon, 16 May 2011 15:39:29 +0100 4828855 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4813253&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F_wrupaZeHWs%2F By David BoazPresident Obama has been saying that if the United States government can find and eliminate Osama bin Laden after ten years of searching, it can do anything: Already, in several appearances since the raid, Obama has described it as a reminder that “as a nation there is nothing that we can’t do,” as he put it during an unrelated White House ceremony Monday. On Sunday night, during his first comments about the operation, he linked it to American values, saying the country is “once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to.” This is, of course, nonsense. Finding bin Laden, difficult as it proved to be, was an incomparably simple task compared to using coercion and central planning to bring about desired results in defiance of economic reality. You ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4813253 Wed, 11 May 2011 14:01:13 +0100 4813253 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4768244&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FaYNq2Yf0nik%2F Earlier this week, Johnson & Johnson clinched a $21.3 billion deal to buy Synthes, and the move offers a significant strategic advantage. To wit, the health care giant gains a market-leading position in trauma products and becomes a dominant player in the $30 billion orthopedic market - one Wall Street analyst estimates J&J will now have a 28 percent share, in fact. What’s more, the acquisition helped catapult J&J stock, which has been battered by an ongoing scandal over the circumstances that led to the recall of tens of millions of products - from over-the-counter meds and contact lenses to hip replacement devices and surgical sutures. The episode has prompted congressional hearings; a consent decree; lawsuits; government probes and lost sales (read here ). Interesti... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4768244 Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:07:24 +0100 4768244 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4753972&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fb_qg-ukLNv0%2F The ongoing refusal by Johnson & Johnson to partipicate in the Medicines Patent Pool, which is an initiative designed to streamline patent licensing for producing generics of patented HIV meds and offering lower prices in poor countries, has now generated a scolding from Doctors Without Borders, the international humanitarian organization. In a statement, the group accuses the health care giant of turning its corporate back on HIV patients by undermining access to key AIDS drugs. J&J holds patents on rilpivirine, which is being developed as a first-line HIV treatment, as well as darunavir and etravirine, two meds that treat HIV patients who have become resistent to other drugs. The missive appears carefully timed. Later this week, J&J will hold it annual shareholder meeting,... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4753972 Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:28:30 +0100 4753972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4734613&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fthe-original-working-manuscript-of-alcoholics-anonymous%2F The Book That Started It All: The Original Working Manuscript of Alcoholics AnonymousThe original manuscript of Bill Ws (co-founder of AA) last year sold for over a million dollars. It was handed to Hazelden to copy in its entirety. Complete with notations by Bill W and others it forms a unique record of the writing of the Big Book.Click on the image to see reviews and purchase.- Share, print or e-mail this articleAA Original Manuscript (Copy on Sale)Bill and Lois’ Story on VideoFree AA MP3s and Film of Bill W.Should AA be open to other Maladies10 Pointers to Recovery (Source: Recovery Is Sexy.com) Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4734613 Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:32:29 +0100 4734613 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4724177&cid=t_106652_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2F2iT15ZcFUWM%2F Paul Allen Dishes the Gossip on Bill Gates (and His Yacht) on 60 Minutes. Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Unplugged (cbsnews.com) Paul Allen on Bill Gates (i-programmer.info) Paul Allen breaks his silence, calls Gates a rip-off artist in new book (blogs.seattleweekly.com) Filed under: asides, electronic life Tagged: 60 Minutes, Bill Gates, microsoft, Paul Allen, Steve Ballmer (Source: white pebble) white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4724177 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 14:15:22 +0100 4724177 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723950&cid=t_106652_109_f&fid=34786&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdrmichelletempest.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F04%2Fwhat-will-be-changes-to-nhs-reforms.html The NHS Reform Bill plans to scrap Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), in favour of an NHS Commissioning Board and 'GP Consortia'. The Treasury have suggested these reforms may incur a £3bn price tag, at a time when the NHS is being challenged to find 4% annual efficiency savings. The NHS Reforms are currently in a 'feedback period', whilst the Government listens to concerns. In the latest review of NHS Commissioning, MPs on the cross-party Commons Health Committee recommend a number of significant changes to the Health and Social Care Bill. Primarily the Committee suggest that each consortia should expand their knowledge base beyond GPs to include: • A professional Social Care representative; • An elected member (a councillor or directly-elected Mayor)... The Psychiatrist Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723950 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:39:00 +0100 4723950 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723961&cid=t_106652_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2011%2F04%2F17%2Fbill-evans-a-face-without-a-name%2F Discovered a cheery nice piece of music made by my favorite jazz pianist Bill Evans. It’s a number from a recent acquisition of mine the album: the definitive Bill Evans on Riverside and fantasy. Made a slideshow with it so enjoy. More about Bill Evans on a Dutch site written in English about Bill Evans. This site has an enormous amount of information about Bill Evans an his music, obviously written by a very enthusiastic fan.   No related posts. (Source: Dr Shock MD PhD) Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723961 Sun, 17 Apr 2011 06:08:03 +0100 4723961 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4715021&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWVpdKouXJdQ%2F What would a week be without a Johnson & Johnson recall to discuss? This time, the beleaguered health care giant is yanking two lots, or about 57,000 bottles, of its Topamax epilepsy drug (100 mg tablets). These were distributed in the US last fall and winter, but J&J’s Ortho-McNeil Neurologics unit believes only 6,000 or so are still circulating. Why is this being done? There were four consumer reports of an uncharacteristic odor thought to be caused by trace amounts of TBA (2,4,6 tribromoanisole), a chemical used in wooden pallets that transport and store packaging materials (see the statement). The problem has plagued J&J and Pfizer for some time (see here, here and here). Despite the move, J&J does not anticipate a product shortage and, meanwhile, maintains n... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4715021 Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:03:10 +0100 4715021 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4709422&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F2O5tLCPGn9c%2F Major philanthropic foundations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foudation, regularly make the news with their donations and initiatives aimed at improving global health. But there is an aspect to their efforts that may be overlooked - such organizations can have links with drugmakers that could constitute a conflict of interest, according to an analysis published in PLoS Medicine. The researchers examined the five largest US private and/or family foundations that focus considerably on global health - besides the Gates Foundation, the list included the Ford Foundation; W K Kellogg Foundation; the Rockefeller Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which is a philanthropic outgrowth of a Johnson & Johnson founder. They analyzed publicly available endowment disclosures... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4709422 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:06:18 +0100 4709422 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4704953&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FvChY-ezO6Pc%2F Outraged by the track record displayed by Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees pension fund is urging shareholders to vote against the executive compensation proposals for Johnson & Johnson - and Pfizer, too. Why? Simply put, neither J&J ceo Bill Weldon or Pfizer ceo Ian Read deserve the money they are getting. Reasons To Be Upset? According to AFSCME, despite underperforming its peers over 1- and 3-year total shareholder return timeframes - 5.14 percent in the past year versus 19.15 for rivals, Weldon is one of the highest paid ceo’s making far more than his peers. There is excessive pay and flat share performance during his tenure: over the past nine years, Weldon received nearly $194 million while J&#038... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4704953 Tue, 12 Apr 2011 18:01:23 +0100 4704953 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4696958&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fal-anon-12-step-recovery-program%2F Families of alcoholics / addicts often walk on eggsFor those who don’t know or have never heard of Al-anon, it is a 12-step recovery program that is the counter-part to the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step recovery program. It was initiated by Lois Wilson (the wife of Bill Wilson; one of the original founders of Alcoholics Anonymous) as a safe haven and support group for anyone who is dealing with a loved ones alcoholism (and/or drug addiction)I have been attending Al-anon meetings for 20 years and came away from my first meeting thinking…”What a bunch of losers, as well as… I heard some interesting things here.”As a professional family substance abuse counselor, I encourage my clients to attend Al-anon and find out if it is something they wish to incorporate in t... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4696958 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:23:02 +0100 4696958 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4693506&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F4zogyJRhrJY%2F Some assignments are more challenging than others. And Denice Torres will certainly have a big mountain to climb now that she is running Johnson & Johnson’s beleaguered McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit, the division responsible for numerous manufacturing gaffes that led to an eye-popping series of product recalls and a spate of troubles for the once-venerable healthcare giant. Since 2009, Torres headed CNS (or central nervous system) for North America Pharmaceuticals for J&J’s Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals unit. For two years prior to that post, she was an Ethicon sales and marketing vp, and an Ortho McNeil Neurologics marketing vp. She reports to Pat Mutchler, who was recently named company group chair for US over-the-counter and nutritional products (see this)... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4693506 Fri, 08 Apr 2011 12:20:38 +0100 4693506 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684478&cid=t_106652_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2F8o9rFUIBgWw%2F I’ve been starting to contribute a bit to InformationWeek. One of my first projects was interviewing five of the publication’s first-ever list of 25 leading healthcare CIOs. I wrote the profiles on Stephanie Reel of Johns Hopkins Health System, Lynn Vogel of MD Anderson Cancer Center, Dr. Paul Tang of Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Bill Spooner of Sharp HealthCare and Craig Luigart of the Veterans Health Administration. The link above contains the full text, or you can download an abbreviated “print” edition in the form of the March InformationWeek Healthcare e-zine here. It’s not the first time I’ve written about CIOs for a national publication not specific to healthcare, but I’m pretty proud of reaching the pages of InformationWeek. Meanwhile, che... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684478 Wed, 06 Apr 2011 04:46:38 +0100 4684478 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4636440&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fis-radiation-good-for-you-ann-coulter-got-it-wrong%2F2011.03.25 Sometimes when a pundit or politician makes claims that are either contrary to or distort science for ideological or political advantage, I feel the need to discuss those claims, sometimes even sarcastically. Such was the case last week, when Ann Coulter wrote a blisteringly ignorant column, entitled A Glowing Report on Radiation. She wrote this article in the wake of the fears arising in Japan and around the world of nuclear catastrophe due to the damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant caused by the earthquake and tsunami that hit northern Japan on March 11. Coulter was subsequently interviewed by Fox News pundit Bill O’Reilly on The O’Reilly Factor on Thursday evening: Yes, according to Coulter, radiation is good for you, just like toxic sludge! Even more amazing, in this video ... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4636440 Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:00:25 +0100 4636440 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4631644&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpUfvhOHHgNA%2F The consent decree process may prove long and tortorous for Johnson & Johnson. Yet another product recall is under way. This time, the beleaguered health care giant is pulling 341 lots of various devices sold by its Ethicon unit for use after surgery, including Blake Silicone Drains and Cardio Connectors. The move came after complaints that the sterile packaging can be compromised. An Ethicon spokeswoman writes us to say that an investigation found that part of the packaging process was not being consistently performed by a contract manufacturer, but that no adverse events have been reported, at least to Ethicon. The 341 lots, by the way, amount to roughly 360,000 individual product units (read more here). For those trying to keep track, well, Johnson & Johnson has recalled tens ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4631644 Thu, 24 Mar 2011 20:01:54 +0100 4631644 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4626788&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FKmqqbWkICMo%2F By George ScovillePlease join us this coming Monday, March 28 at 1pm Eastern on our Facebook page for a live video presentation, powered by Livestream, from Cato research fellow Julian Sanchez on the current state of online privacy policy. Here is a brief list of topics he'll cover: An update on current challenges to overturn FISA, and what it means for you and me if those challenges succeed or fail How this relates to current and recent efforts to reauthorize the Patriot Act, including a recap of testimony Sanchez recently delivered to the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security What's on the FBI's surveillance wish list Reflections on the idea of an "online privacy bill of rights" We hope you can join us next Monday at 1pm Eastern for this event. Be sure to ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4626788 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 18:47:49 +0100 4626788 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4627019&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F1kSKzmGLKQI%2F After a decade of wielding behind-the-scenes influence as chairman emeritus at Pfizer, Bill Steere is finally retiring from the board of directors as of the upcoming annual shareholders meeting next month, according to the proxy filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (see the footnote on page 11). His departure signals the end of an era, given the domineering role he sometimes played, notably a push for outsized acquisitions, according to sources familiar with Pfizer. This philosophy, in fact, eventually prompted disagreement with Jeff Kindler, the former Pfizer ceo who unexpectedly resigned last December and was quickly replaced by long-time Steere loyalist Ian Read (back story). The 73-year-old Steere, of course, has been around Pfizer a long time. He was ceo from 1991 to 2... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4627019 Wed, 23 Mar 2011 14:44:07 +0100 4627019 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4622504&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FGD7EsfMNbB4%2F In this age of skyrocketing compensation for chief executives and dwindling prospects for drugmakers, there is increasing investor angst that boardrooms are either out of touch, unimaginative or simply indifferent to the protestations that pay packages do not match shareholder interests. The issue has engulfed Johnson & Johnson’s Bill Weldon and, in years past, Dan Vasella at Novartis, for instance. So what to do? Well, pharma boards could start by shifting away from an emphasis on financial measurements - such as EPS, or earnings per share, and EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization - to calculate and compare performance, and start focusing on pipeline innovation, according to The Hay Group, a consulting firm that measured ceo pay and incentiv... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4622504 Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:40:01 +0100 4622504 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615427&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F9mVJw9XqOAA%2F For those wondering when Bill Weldon will gracefully relinquish the corner office at Johnson & Johnson headquarters, well, he has no plans to do so until the widespread manufacturing problems are fixed. In an effort to rebut increasing speculation about his departure and criticism of his oversight, he says that he has more work to do and that he will retire when he is good and ready. “That’s, to me, what is first and foremost in my mind,” Weldon tells Bloomberg News in response to questions about the widespread recalls and recent FDA consent decree (see here and here). “People that know me said I’ll fix this problem and, you know, I will fix it.” And the 62-year-old ceo dismisses retirement talk: “It will be the right time (at some point). When it is, I don’t know... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615427 Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:16:03 +0100 4615427 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4615188&cid=t_106652_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2011%2F03%2F20%2Fwhy-is-religion-important-to-mental-health%2F As a member of NAMI FaithNet, which “supports faith communities in mental illness outreach, education, and advocacy,” I receive their newsletters. A recent issue featured an interview by Gale Bataille and Bill Berkowitz with Jay Mahler, activist and founder of a grassroots movement which became The California Mental Health and Spirituality Initiative, and Rev. Laura Mancuso, Director of the initiative on the relationship between spirituality and mental health, religion and psychology. Below are some excerpts. Historically, religion and mental health issues have had an uneasy relationship–and it goes both ways: people with mental illness have long faced stigma in religious communities, and mental health professionals have, for the most part, been suspicious of religion. M... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4615188 Sun, 20 Mar 2011 15:11:42 +0100 4615188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4600794&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FbOAeC2w3-i8%2F There are two ways to look at the 2010 compensation package given Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon. On one hand, the J&J board cut his overall take home by 7 percent, to $28.7 million from $30.8 million, since his performance bonus was slashed - by 45 percent to $1.9 8 million - thanks to all those product recalls and subsequent fallout among some consumers, investors and industry watchers. In other words, he suffered. On the other hand, Bill received a 3 percent merit raise, as noted previously (see here). Whatever your view, the payout reflected a rather dismal year - by most standards - for the venerable health care giant. In addition to congressional hearings; a manufacturing plant that is still closed for retooling; an erosion of consumer trust; $900 million in lost sales; ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4600794 Wed, 16 Mar 2011 15:54:20 +0100 4600794 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592694&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fw63z2G8UvTM%2F After spending more than a decade growing into a behemoth by single-mindedly pursuing big acquisitions - think Warner-Lambert, Pharmacia and Wyeth - Pfizer is now signaling a change of heart. To wit, the drugmaker is said to considering the spin off or sale of all four non-pharma units, including nutritionals, consumer health, animal health and a business that makes capsules. Moreover, Pfizer may even shed what it calls the Established Products division, a $10 billion operation that includes off-patent meds, the Greenstone generics unit and biosimilars, according to an investor note from Sanford Bernstein analyst Tim Anderson. He writes that such moves would trim Pfizer nearly in half - from about $67 billion in annual revenue to between $35 billion and $40 billion. “If we hadn&#8217... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592694 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:39:05 +0100 4592694 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592695&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FQzD6otG0mCU%2F One of the big gripes among biotech investors is that Amgen has refused to pay a dividend. No matter how many times the issue has been raised, execs have refused to consider the prospect. Never mind that the stock has been battered amid a raft of struggles, notably FDA warnings over health risks associated with the Aranesp and Epogen anemia meds, concerns about reduced Medicare reimbursement and uncertainty about its pipeline and acquisition strategy (see this). At one point, the combination of setbacks and miscues resulted in Kevin Sharer being named one of the worst chief executives a few years ago (see this). Now, though, attention is focused on the possibility of a dividend since Wall Street anticipates the issue will be addressed at the upcoming annual shareholder meeting. Investors, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592695 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 13:59:30 +0100 4592695 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4570607&cid=t_106652_113_f&fid=34625&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FNeilVerselsHealthcareItBlog%2F%7E3%2Fci3mKyd-Tpc%2F Leave it to those in the ivory tower of Modern Healthcare to screw up something as simple as an unscientific poll about who should be the next national coordinator for health IT.  The poll lists a whopping two dozen names, ranging from the obvious—Dr. John Halamka, Dr. Paul Tang, current deputy national coordinator Dr. Farzad Mostashari—to the dark horse—Dr. Robert Hitchcock of T-System, Paula Gregory of the “Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicince” (sic)—and even a few laughable listings. For one thing, Dr. David Brailer is on the list. The first national coordinator (2004-06) left Washington because he wanted to be with his family in San Francisco. He’s currently running a $700 million equity investment firm and couldn’t possibly want to get back in... Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4570607 Thu, 10 Mar 2011 23:35:02 +0100 4570607 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560592&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FI1z98X2z8YI%2F And so the sorry saga of Johnson & Johnson manufacturing problems continues. This time, though, the FDA has tagged the health care giant for problems at its Cordis stent facility in San German, Puerto Rico. Over a two-year period, the plant failed to follow up a protocol failure and to ensure devices conformed to specifications (read the letter here). To date, manufacturing issues plaguing J&J involved screw ups at McNeil Consumer Healthcare plants that make over-the-counter meds. In fact, one plant in Fort Washington, Pa., which is where McNeil offices are based, is now shuttered and being re-tooled. However, another is located in Las Piedras , Puerto Rico, further indicating J&J units are unable to rectify problems near and far. The manufacturing problems at the Las Piedra... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560592 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:19:19 +0100 4560592 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560594&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FlontktR1d0g%2F What would any day be without word of a Johnson & Johnson product being recalled? In this instance, the Animas unit, which sells products for treating diabetes, has recalled a batch of 45,000 faulty insulin cartridges that were shipped between last November and early January because the items may leak insulin. You can read the letter here. Normally, many would consider such recalls to be run-of-the-mill actions that do not merit much, if any, attention. However, as you know, Johnson & Johnson is under a microscope because of its handling of serious manufacturing difficulties that have led to the recalls of tens of millions of products, from over-the-counter meds and syringes to contact lenses and hip replacement devices. The string of recalls has led to job losses, loss of invest... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560594 Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:40:16 +0100 4560594 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4560246&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FcHutqMPA_KY%2F By Sallie JamesMy colleagues and I see many questionable quotes and policy pronouncements from members of Congress, but one crossed my desk recently that really pushes the envelope. Senator Jeff Sessions (R -AL) -- he who caused some important trade policies to expire in December -- is attempting to "right" that wrong by introducing new legislation (S. 433) to reinstate the policies. Essentially, he is trying to succeed where others (thankfully) failed, i.e., to carve-out legislatively certain products (sleeping bags) made in his state. In so doing, however, he filled his March 2 press release with a retinue of half-truths, disingenuous mis-interpretations and damaging dog-whistles.  Let's examine them one at a time, shall we? (All emphases are mine.) WASHINGTON¬—U.S. Senator Je... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4560246 Mon, 07 Mar 2011 17:14:02 +0100 4560246 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4549754&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fmedicaid-will-the-cost-of-expanding-eligibility-be-overwhelming%2F2011.03.04 Medicaid has been front and center this week as President Obama addressed the National Governors Association, and several governors testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Obama told the governors that he supports the Wyden-Brown bill, which would accelerate the availability of waivers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), so that states would not have to first create health insurance exchanges under the law, and then have the right to dismantle them and replace them with other mechanisms to achieve coverage goals of the law without additional cost to the federales. (See Wyden-Brown fact sheet.) The sponsors’ home states, Oregon and Massachusetts would otherwise have to dismantle parts of their own health reform efforts in order to align with the federal mandates... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4549754 Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:00:45 +0100 4549754 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4540741&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fx62YBPV-DcA%2F You can be forgiven for losing count. The latest stain on the once-venerable health care giant is a recall of 585,000 surgical sutures in the UK due to a risk the products are not sterile. Johnson & Johnson’s Ethicon unit actually issued a notice to healthcare providers in December, but the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency issued an alert earlier today. The sutures are marketed under various brand names - Ethilon, Ethibond, Mersilene and Mersilk - and are used to close surgical incisions and wounds. Some of the products in the 140 lots that were recalled may not have been sealed properly, posing a risk that they could become infected, according to the notice, which you can read here. J&J tells the Associated Press that the problem was caused by... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4540741 Thu, 03 Mar 2011 00:02:20 +0100 4540741 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522285&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FqAmwBCrGDk4%2F Here’s a lesson for a board of directors: never let a few setbacks deter you from giving your chief executive a raise, however modest. Consider Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon. Despite a breathtaking number of recalls spanning nearly every corner of the health care behemoth - over-the-counter meds, contact lenses, syringes, hip replacement devices - he received a 3 percent pay hike. His new base salary is $1.92 million, up from $1.86 million, according to a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Some may argue that a 3 percent raise is not much. In real dollars, this amounts to roughly $60,000 (which can be used for many things, of course). And his 2010 bonus was cut 45 percent to $1.97 million, down from $3.6 million(the bonus, by the way, is 85 percent cash a... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522285 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 19:01:36 +0100 4522285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4522287&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FzPCLLos4BVc%2F The health care giant just can’t seem to do anything right. On top of all the quality-control problems that have led to tens of millions of product recalls for over-the-counter meds, syringes, contact lenses and hip replacement devices, now Johnson & Johnson is recalling more than 660,000 Sudafed packages because the labeling has an extra ‘not’ in the instructions. Really. A notice on the J&J web site says the McNeil Consumer Healthcare initiated the recall at the wholesale level “due to a typographical error in the directions section on the label, which incorrectly repeated the word ‘not’ as follows: ‘do not not divide, crush, chew, or dissolve the tablet.’ To date there have been no reports of adverse events caused by this labelin... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4522287 Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:59:29 +0100 4522287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4507260&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlCuAYwIjR0c%2F By David BoazBoth the Washington Post and NPR refer to the Tenth Amendment as a "tea party favorite." I would have thought that tea partiers -- and most of the rest of us -- liked all 10 of the Bill of Rights, and indeed the rest of the Constitution as well. Now, sure, I guess if the ACLU could publish (in the 1970s or 1980s) the poster below, an "illustrated guide to the Bill of Rights" featuring only the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth amendments (and only parts of those), along with the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, and Nineteenth amendments, which are not part of the Bill of Rights -- well, then, I guess the Tea Party is entitled to have its own favorite parts of the Bill of Rights. But then, it was NPR and the Washington Post, not tea partiers, who suggested that the Tenth Amendment was ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4507260 Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:33:33 +0100 4507260 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495178&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FxIIWRsNaR1A%2F By David BoazBill Monroe, who was moderator for NBC's Meet the Press for about 10 years, has died at 90. The Washington Post does a fine job with his long career, from his pro-civil-rights journalism in Lousiana in the 1950s to his years with NBC and Meet the Press.   I want to draw attention to his longtime advocacy of extending the First Amendment to broadcasting. Actually, I'm sure he thought that the First Amendment did cover all forms of the news media — but he knew that Congress and the courts didn't see it that way, so he wanted an explicit amendment to make that clear. Because his articles on this topic were published in the pre-Internet Dark Ages (yes, children, there are great ideas not online), I can't link to any of them.  He spoke at the Cato Institute in 1984 on the t... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495178 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:46:15 +0100 4495178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4495434&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FHhPYuHD5KLg%2F Actually, this particular recall was initiated on February 2, but is only now coming to light - 700,000 vials of Dermabond, a liquid wound-sealing adhesive, due to reports of discoloration and Securestrap, a new product for treating hernias that is getting yanked because of concerns that packaging is, unfortunately, not sterile. The Dermabond recall is mostly restricted to the US and replacements are available, but it is not clear what caused problems with Securestrap or when shipments will resume, a spokeswoman tells us. As you may recall - pun intended - Johnson & Johnson has suffered a remarkable string of product recalls for more than a year involving a wide range of products - over-the-counter meds, including Tylenol, Rolaids, Sudafed, Mylanta, Motrin and Benadryl, some of which ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4495434 Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:55:30 +0100 4495434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4482970&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FuhhbOmdXx10%2F Once again, Johnson & Johnson is suffering a quality control problem leading to a product recall. This time, the health care giant has recalled approximately 70,000 pre-filled syringes for its Invega Sustenna injectable antipsychotic in the US, while still more were yanked from other countries. The reason: a crack in the syringe barrel covered by labeling, which makes it hard to detect. A spokesman for Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen unit, which markets the med, says four lots were recalled from overseas, but was unable to say exactly how many syringes were involved. He maintained, however, that no adverse events were reported. We will update you with any further info we receive. “Theoretically, a crack in the syringe barrel could compromise the sterility of the syringe c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4482970 Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:13:33 +0100 4482970 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4459945&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYyUJdXxCkbg%2F By Daniel J. MitchellProponents of higher taxes are fond of claiming that Bill Clinton's 1993 tax increase was a big success because of budget surpluses that began in 1998. That's certainly a plausible hypothesis, and I'm already on record arguing that Clinton's economic record was much better than Bush's performance. But this specific assertion it is not supported by the data. In February of 1995, 18 months after the tax increase was signed into law, President Clinton's Office of Management and Budget issued projections of deficits for the next five years if existing policy was maintained (a "baseline" forecast). As the chart illustrates, OMB estimated that future deficits would be about $200 billion and would slightly increase over the five-year period. In other words, even the Clinton A... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4459945 Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:49:13 +0100 4459945 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4450521&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FqanAlCutX4E%2F Given its myriad problems and a confessed willingness to shed activities not considered to be at the core of its mission, should Pfizer consider spinning off its nutritional unit? After all, the business is pegged to grow faster than other units; there may not be tax consequences; a spin off reduces the dividend burden and such a move could bolster the notion that Pfizer execs are thinking new thoughts. The idea was broached in an investor note by Credit Suisse analyst Catherine Arnold just before Pfizer disclosed plans last week to - once again - reward investors by closing an R&D facility, eliminating several R&D areas and, this time, throwing 3,400 employees overboard. That caused Pfizer stock to hit a 52-week high, yet the shares remain roughly 30 percent below their price at... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4450521 Tue, 08 Feb 2011 13:37:58 +0100 4450521 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4429178&cid=t_106652_136_f&fid=38061&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FBreastCancerReconstructionBlog%2F%7E3%2FMHQlFQBaU2Y%2Ftexas-bill-mandates-breast.html Currently only 30% of breast cancer patients are informed of their breast reconstruction options before mastectomy or lumpectomy. New legislation is being proposed in Texas that aims to significantly improve that abysmal statistic for breast cancer patients. Texas House Bill 669 would mandate that doctors inform all breast cancer patients about their breast reconstruction options BEFORE having surgery for breast cancer. The bill was drafted based on similar legislation in the state of New York. PRMA Plastic Surgery is proud to announce that a former patient, Tammy Carrington, is the team leader behind this Bill.  She proactively sought out her state representative, James White, to begin drafting proposals.  The Bill was drafted and submitted January 14, 2011.  If approved,... Breast Cancer Reconstruction Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4429178 Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:39:03 +0100 4429178 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4419107&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeyTor-NgoPM%2F By Michael F. CannonFederal Judge Roger Vinson has struck down the entire so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional.  Excerpts from the opinion: It is difficult to imagine that a nation which began, at least in part, as the result of opposition to a British mandate giving the East India Company a monopoly and imposing a nominal tax on all tea sold in America would have set out to create a government with the power to force people to buy tea in the first place… The individual mandate is outside Congress’ Commerce Clause power, and it cannot be otherwise authorized by an assertion of power under the Necessary and Proper Clause. It is not Constitutional. [O]n the unique facts of this particular case, the record seems to strongly indicate that Congress w... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4419107 Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:47:43 +0100 4419107 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4411728&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fyour-loved-ones-addiction%2F Educating Yourself About Your Loved One’s AddictionRegardless of the status of your loved one’s recovery program or lack thereof, I recommend to clients that they educate themselves about substance abuse to discover as much as they can on a personal level.We all know knowledge is power, therefore the more you learn, the calmer your state of mind will be.Concepts to ExploreHere are some concepts to consider which may help when furthering your education of your loved ones addiction issues (they are expanded upon in the original article, see below): Do Your Own Research on AddictionBe Wary of Well-Meaning AdviceBe Mindful of Who You Talk ToAttend Open Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings (meetings open to anyone with or without an addiction issue)Attend Al-Anon meetings (meetings for the... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4411728 Fri, 28 Jan 2011 15:09:00 +0100 4411728 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394426&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpZrn4cfxoEc%2F By Michael F. CannonIt would appear that I am the Liar of the Year. The fact-checking journalists at PolitiFact.com gave their 2010 Lie of the Year award to the notion that ObamaCare is “a government takeover of health care,” and in 2009 gave the same award to Sarah Palin’s “death panels” claim.  But as I explain in my latest column for Kaiser Health News, the fact-checkers left out a few facts.  Read the column to find out what PolitiFact missed.  Here’s my conclusion: From my vantage point, the evidence shows that ObamaCare is a government takeover of health care, and Sarah Palin’s “death panels” claim was essentially true. If that makes me Liar of the Year, so be it. But another way to look at it is this: PolitiFact has now misap... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394426 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 15:27:30 +0100 4394426 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4394750&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FiXHgRhTRH_Q%2F The embarassing mess that has become Johnson & Johnson has taken a severe toll on a once-storied corporate name as hundreds of millions of products have been recalled - from Tylenol, Rolaids and Benadryl to contact lenses and hip replacement devices. There was even a shortage of Tampons for awhile. The manufacturing flubs and corporate missteps have yielded government probes, a shuttered factory, layoffs, bonus cuts for some employees and, significantly, a tattered reputation (see this) for the way the healthcare giant has responded (back story here and here). We spoke with Erik Gordon, a professor at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, who believes the situation is so far gone that J&J ceo Bill Weldon should be shown the door right away… Pharmalot: J... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4394750 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:45:59 +0100 4394750 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337908&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FGE5MNSlFpJg%2F By Tad DeHavenThe Washington Times says that the upcoming farm bill re-write could “sow division in the GOP.” While House Republican leaders John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Kevin McCarthy voted against the 2008 farm bill, the new chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), is a dedicated supporter of farm subsidies. The Times recalls Boehner’s comments on the 2008 farm bill: “The farm bill has often been abused by politicians as a slush fund for bizarre earmarks and wasteful spending projects, and the latest version … is no different,” Mr. Boehner, then the GOP minority leader, said at the time. It’s too bad then that the Boehner-friendly Republican Steering Committee, which decided the committee chairs, didn’t appear to blink at handing the agric... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337908 Wed, 12 Jan 2011 18:39:56 +0100 4337908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4337920&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDkwGhT5SrxA%2F By Mark A. CalabriaMIT Professor Simon Johnson recently argued that Bill Daley’s appointment as Obama’s Chief of Staff signals that “too big to fail,” as it relates to our largest financial institutions, is here to stay.  Personally I never thought it was in doubt.  With Geithner at Treasury and Dodd-Frank further codifiying “too big to fail,” its been clear for some time that the bailout net is larger than it’s ever been, and is not being pulled back.  That said, Professor Johnson’s focus on Daley distracts from the real issue, which is changing our bank regulatory structure to end bailouts.  The focus on Daley has the potential to lead us down that path of “if we just had the right people in government…”  We shouldn&#... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4337920 Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:53:09 +0100 4337920 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331015&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Frepealing-healthcare-reform-to-gain-campaign-ammunition%2F2011.01.10 Repealing healthcare reform has become a way of stockpiling ammunition for the campaign trail. The Republican-led House has scheduled a repeal of healthcare reform for Wednesday, Jan. 12, and they’d garner as allies some but not all 13 Democrats that voted against healthcare reform to begin with. The House’s quixotic vote would then promptly die in the Democrat-held Senate. But recording votes on repeal would put pressure on already vulnerable lawmakers, as well as give a quick boost to incoming ones. A Gallup poll shows 46 percent of Americans want healthcare reform to be repealed, 40 percent don’t want repeal. Unfortunately, not only can’t the law be passed, it would add $230 billion to the federal debt by 2021, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Hous... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331015 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0100 4331015 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4322691&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAP9cHW0nUeY%2F Just before the holiday break, an interesting lawsuit was filed charging Johnson & Johnson board members and high-ranking execs with malfeasance, incompetency and indifference to patients and shareholders. And the 111-page complaint reads like an indictment as it delves into off-label marketing of prescription drugs, kickback schemes and manufacturing failures that led to those infamous product recalls of tens of millions of over-the-counter meds and surgical devices. In short, the lawsuit pulls no punches. One section of the complaint carries this heading: ‘J&J Suffers Fundamental Control Breakdowns Across All of its Business Segments Over the Better Part of the Past Decade.’ The lawsuit opens by arguing J&J officials displayed “utter disregard for their ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4322691 Fri, 07 Jan 2011 17:07:46 +0100 4322691 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4309593&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlJ-i99qAM7I%2F By Michael F. CannonNew York’s budget problem is actually a Medicaid problem.  In Sunday’s New York Post, I offer advice to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) on how to fix a budget gap that will grow to $17 billion during his term: Gov. Cuomo can’t fix Medicaid by himself. He needs the help of Congress. There is a solution… Block grants are how President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress reformed welfare back in 1996, to spectacular success. Welfare reform forced New York to be smarter about welfare spending, just as a block grant would force New York to rededicate Medicaid to its original mission — providing necessary medical care to the truly needy. There’s one place Gov. Cuomo can start on his own: Close the loopholes that allow well-to-do New Yorkers to f... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4309593 Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:00:47 +0100 4309593 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4305065&cid=t_106652_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F01%2F02%2Fa-recipe-for-the-new-year%2F On behalf of Libby’s H*O*P*E*™, we wish you and yours a happy and healthful New Year. On behalf of Libby’s H*O*P*E*™, we would like to wish you and yours a happy and healthful New Year. To the newly diagnosed ovarian cancer survivors, we stand ready to help you.  And, we extend our very best to [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4305065 Mon, 03 Jan 2011 04:08:35 +0100 4305065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4294936&cid=t_106652_136_f&fid=37846&url=http%3A%2F%2Fhealthinfoispower.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F28%2Fdetermined-teen-loses-ovarian-cancer-battle-but-her-courage-inspires-an-entire-community%2F On December 24, 2010, fifteen year old Meghan Redenbach lost her ovarian cancer battle. Although her physical presence is no longer, Meghan’s spirit will forever inspire her hometown community, as well as those who have read about and followed her courageous journey since 2008. On December 24, 2010, fifteen year old Meghan Redenbach lost her ovarian [...] (Source: Libby's H*O*P*E*) Libby's H*O*P*E* blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4294936 Wed, 29 Dec 2010 01:50:39 +0100 4294936 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4277820&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FlzMi7K3F1hg%2F By Chris EdwardsFormer President George W. Bush’s book Decision Points is apparently selling quite well. The book includes a defense of the president’s fiscal record, and a table on page 447 compares Bush to prior presidents on spending and debt (you can see the table on Amazon’s search inside feature). One problem with the table is that Bush claims credit for the low spending and debt of President Clinton’s last year, fiscal 2001. The first budget Bush crafted was for fiscal 2002. Here are the data reported by Bush, and data recalculated to better reflect the budgets that each president had some control over. Figures are averages over the fiscal year periods, measured as a share of GDP: Decision Points Comparison: Clinton (1993-2000) 19.8%, Bush (2001-2008) 19.6%... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4277820 Tue, 21 Dec 2010 16:03:18 +0100 4277820 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4275309&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5LV4BGwTASo%2F By Ilya ShapiroGood news out of Congress this week (and by good news, I mean they didn’t screw things up any more than they already are):  The infamous Akaka Bill, which would create a “Native Hawaiian” government for purposes of racial preferences and other unconstitutional goodies, will not be a part of the slimmed-down legislation that funds the government until Congress gets around to passing an actual budget.  (For background, see my op-eds here – for which I was attacked by Hawaii’s Governor-Elect Neil Abercrombie – and here, and watch the Cato Capitol Hill Briefing.  And for coverage of a related recent Supreme Court case, see these two blogposts and Cato’s amicus brief.) Three weeks ago, there had been fears that the Akaka language w... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4275309 Mon, 20 Dec 2010 23:03:13 +0100 4275309 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266136&cid=t_106652_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F17%2Fa-simple-gesture-over-the-holidays-that-could-make-a-world-of-difference%2F   I know that I was not the only Canadian very proud a few years back when Parliament passed legislation designed to make it easier for generic pharmaceutical companies to ship life-saving AIDS medications, and others, to developing nations of the south. So it was rather shameful to learn that, so far, only one shipment [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266136 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:49:11 +0100 4266136 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265679&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Ft-yjBfmZUvk%2F By David BoazThe Washington Post reported yesterday that Republican senators were turning their back on a massive spending bill stuffed full of their own earmarks. Those earmarks, the Post noted, included quite a few to benefit Mississippi, the home state of Senators Roger Wicker and Thad Cochran: Wicker, along with Cochran, had by then already sponsored earmarks in the spending bill that would fund an airport expansion in Tunica ($1.75 million), new riverwalk lights in Columbus ($300,000), improvements to a hiking and biking trail in Hattiesburg ($700,000) and improvements to an assortment of bridges, highways, trails, railways and streets across Mississippi. A burgeoning Tea Party revolt against earmarks caused the bill to be withdrawn. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid held a press conf... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265679 Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:29:22 +0100 4265679 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266265&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fovce1alH0D8%2F File this under eminence grise. For all the chatter about the sudden departure of Jeff Kindler, a focal point of this boardroom drama might just be Bill Steere. How so? As chairman emeritus for nearly a decade, the 73-year-old Steere has wielded tangible influence over the drugmaker and its strategic direction, including the push for outsized acquisitions, according to sources. Steere, of course, has been around Pfizer a long time. He was ceo from 1991 to 2000, and chairman from 1992 until 2001. Near the end of his reign, he engineered the takeover of Warner-Lambert - in order to gain rights to the Lipitor cholesterol pill - and then the acquistion of Pharmacia. In other words, he was responsible for the bigger-is-better philosophy that transformed Pfizer into the world’s biggest dru... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266265 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 18:17:04 +0100 4266265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4265690&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FE5YfIgimkjo%2F By Ilya ShapiroAs Tim Lynch has already blogged — and as Cato is currently featuring on its front page, today is Bill of Rights Day.  But of course, this is less of a big deal than Constitution Day (September 17, when we release the Cato Supreme Court Review at an annual conference) — because the Bill of Rights is essentially redundant of the Constitution’s original structural protections:  Whenever the government exceeds its constitutionally granted powers, it violates rights of some sort. Tim Sandefur explains over at the Pacific Legal Foundation’s blog: Madison, along with his colleagues like James Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, and others, expected the Constitution to give Congress only a limited set of powers—powers that were listed in the text of the docu... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4265690 Wed, 15 Dec 2010 21:45:08 +0100 4265690 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4258835&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FwJtIn6mLNdM%2F By Walter OlsonAs Dan Mitchell pointed out this morning, proposals to abolish the $100 bill, on the grounds that it’s too easily used in underground-economy activities such as tax evasion and drug dealing, are another instance in which ordinary citizens are called on to sacrifice convenience and privacy to help in the ever-expanding federal fight against “money laundering.” I’ve long been fascinated by the unintended consequences that arise from these laws, especially from the federal “know your customer” rules under which banks (and increasingly other businesses) are required to pry into their customers’ earnings sources, family relationships, overseas ties and other sensitive matters. Those who cannot furnish satisfactory answers — such as ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4258835 Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:20:52 +0100 4258835 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4253397&cid=t_106652_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F12%2Fthe-re-activation-of-an-aids-activist%2F While no one could say that I had ever completely stopped my AIDS activism I have, I would suggest, limited myself in recent years to writing or speaking about it on a smaller scale. It was consistent, determined protests – some of which I was a part of – that led to government speeding up [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4253397 Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:45:55 +0100 4253397 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245285&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FpKb4J81JWAs%2F By Neal McCluskey I have no love of for-profit colleges and universities — they are as greedy at the public trough as any other higher ed sector — but it is becoming increasingly difficult to not get very angry about the treatment they’re receiving in Washington. Just one day after it was revealed that the GAO had substantially revised a report used back in August to smear proprietary colleges, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) — the driving force, along with the U.S. Department of Education, behind the war on profits — released a new report alleging that for-profit schools are ripping off G.I. Bill-using veterans.  At least, that’s what the media stories are suggesting. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to verify the actual content of the report... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245285 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 20:45:31 +0100 4245285 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245287&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FJC0c-yGFhaI%2F By Daniel GriswoldWhere will the new Tea-Party-backed members of Congress come down on trade issues, such as the newly revised trade agreement with South Korea or the next farm bill? Those elected to the House are the biggest question marks because very few of them have had to think much about trade, never mind actually cast a vote on it. In an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer this week, I try to discern what direction the new members will take the generally pro-trade Republican Party, and which direction they should take it in light of the movement’s free-market, limited-government principles. For my full take, see “Are Tea Partiers Anti-trade?” Are Tea Partiers Anti-trade? is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245287 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:44:07 +0100 4245287 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4245490&cid=t_106652_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F09%2Fdie-for-access-to-generic-aids-meds-in-the-poorest-of-countries-it-wont-kill-you%2F Over the lunch hour this coming Monday the Bill C-393 Student Coalition, along with members of AIDS ACTION NOW and other allies, will join in creative protest in support of vital legislation before Canada’s Parliament. Bill C-393 is designed to reform CAMR (Canada’s Access to Medicines Regime), the legislation passed back in the dying days [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4245490 Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:37:35 +0100 4245490 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4238058&cid=t_106652_131_f&fid=34989&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FGeneticsHealth%2F%7E3%2FITIH5pA4UIA%2F It was recently reported that one in three Americans have been vaccinated for the flu. While that’s on par with the number of seasonal flu vaccinations in the past, many doctors are hoping that the number will increase before the flu season peaks between January and March.  But why listen to doctors when there are so many celebrities willing to inform us about the pros and cons of vaccinations?  Save yourself the trouble of waiting in a crowded medical clinic or trying to find time in your schedule for a doctor’s appointment.  Instead, if you’re not sure what your stance on immunizations is – and don’t limit your opinion to just flu shots – look to these celebrities for guidance: ... Genetics and Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4238058 Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:42:00 +0100 4238058 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4220454&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fxqi0xobah4I%2F The possibility that the FDA may take more severe action against Johnson & Johnson may be more likely. After all, the agency last month issued a 483 enforcement report, which detailed all sorts of problems at the healthcare giant’s Las Piedras facility in Puerto Rico, mostly to do with quality control and following written procedures (take a look). Yet some violations cited were also found in a previous 483 report stemming from FDA inspections at the same facility last January and February. Being a repeat offender, especially after being warned not to do so amid multiple and serious manufacturing issues at this plant and another in Fort Washington, Pa., does not bode well for Johnson & Johnson. Consequently, “we see increased risk of a consent decree or seizure, eithe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4220454 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:44:46 +0100 4220454 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4220417&cid=t_106652_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F12%2F01%2Fworld-aids-day-2010-collected-stories-4-the-prequel-to-my-journey-with-aids-and-more-by-kenn-chaplin%2F These days I still only started to think about trying to get a meal in my stomach once an almost painful hunger came upon me, seemingly out of nowhere, on this occasion at about three in the afternoon. I had just been to Sunnybrook Hospital where I was part of a clinical trial combining AZT [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4220417 Wed, 01 Dec 2010 08:16:44 +0100 4220417 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197341&cid=t_106652_147_f&fid=39273&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FUptKPEtGH5g%2Fbill-gates-on-digital-healthcare.html Recently, Bill Gates looked at how mobile health was going to take off and revolutionize the healthcare industry. He looks at the successes in cloud computing as a precursor to the coming revolution in how Mobile Health will revolutionize the industry. This is only further aided by the increasing rates at which technology is being substituted for labor.The Economist concluded the article concluded on this note:“Middle-income countries are where most innovation in health care is going to come from.”What do you think about that closing statement? Why will middle income countries be the future of the healthcare revolution?The technology revolution is an important part of the future of the pharmaceutical industry and the ePharma Summit wants to keep you in the loop. Join us for a special p... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197341 Wed, 24 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0100 4197341 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4197371&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fwhat-is-alcoholics-anonymous%2F AA's logoAmerican history includes many social movements that aimed to help people stop drinking. There was Prohibition, of course. But there was also the Anti-Saloon League, the American Temperance Society, the Washingtonian Temperance Society, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union, and more. Only one such movement survived — Alcoholics Anonymous (AA).AA not only survived, it spread across the world. Today, AA lists its membership at over 2 million, with over 100,00 groups in Australia, Africa, Asia, and Europe as well as North and South America, even Russia. If ever there was evidence that sobriety can be mass-produced, it is in AA.AA began with the chance meeting of two people on May 12, 1935: Bill W., an alcoholic stockbroker from New York, and Dr Bob S., an alcoholic surg... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4197371 Sat, 20 Nov 2010 16:31:49 +0100 4197371 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183280&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F16O_EAuNob4%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonBill Gates is addressing the Council of Chief State School Officers today. According to the NYT, he’ll tell them to bite the bullet and start making sound budgetary decisions like rewarding teachers based on merit instead of time served, and not handing out raises simply for the trappings of higher learning, but rather for demonstrated prowess in the classroom. In principle, that’s good advice. But it’s an ultimately futile effort, and here’s why: Bill established himself early on as a pretty sharp computer programmer, and no doubt he still is. But there’s only so much you can do when the hardware you’re writing for is a pile of junk. Public schooling is the Coleco Adam of education systems. The Adam was a pretty cute looking machine ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183280 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 18:57:30 +0100 4183280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183284&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FaYRbtb2N_LI%2F By David RittgersYou’ve probably heard that a jury found Al Qaeda bomber Ahmed Ghailani guilty on only one out of 286 charges associated with the 1998 embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania. A predictable debate followed. Glenn Greenwald cited the outcome as proof that the system works, while Liz Cheney, Debra Burlingame and Bill Kristol described the trial as a reckless experiment. Thomas Joscelyn called the trial a miscarriage of justice. The most insightful commentary I’ve seen is over at Lawfare. Benjamin Wittes and Robert Chesney summed things up pretty well: “Trial in federal court didn’t work out the way the Obama administration wanted, but it wasn’t a disaster–and we can’t honestly say it worked out worse than the military commission alternative would likely have done... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183284 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 22:51:29 +0100 4183284 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4179323&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fbill-gates-at-mhealth-how-mobile-health-can-improve-healthcare%2F2010.11.18 We reported last week from the mHealth Summit in Washington, DC -- a conference covering the integration of mobile technologies with medical research, information, diagnosis, treatment, and care.] One of the highlights of last week’s mHealth Summit was the keynote interview of Bill Gates. While inseparable from his history as founder and leader of Microsoft from 1975 to 2008, his current passion is global health. Through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has now given 3.8 billion (with a “b”) of targeted philanthropy into global health since 1994, he and his wife Melinda are helping bring about profound change to the lives of millions around the world. In a meeting dedicated to exploring the power of mobile devices to shape health in developed and developing countr... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4179323 Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:00:56 +0100 4179323 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4155413&cid=t_106652_167_f&fid=36994&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition-news.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F11%2Fplaneat-health-nutrition-truths.html Home Page | PLANEAT:We were invited to the premiere of a new documentary movie last night in London. Planeat features interviews with the Doctors who are behind President Bill Clinton's experimentation with a vegan / plant based diet.Although the numbers in the study are still small the results are outstanding, they are saving peoples lives and rather than just stopping the progression of chronic disease they are repairing sick people's bodies.Trailer linked to planeat.tv from PLANEAT on Vimeo.Let's hope Bill Clinton's example can alert the western world that the sense of hopelessness and 'Fait de Complété' can be blamed on myths propagated by a culture of an over-reliance on drugsIf you know anyone suffering from any of the major chronic diseases that plague our modern western society w... Healthy Eating and Nutrition News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4155413 Thu, 11 Nov 2010 10:26:00 +0100 4155413 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4151748&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9kSlqu3UEUs%2F By Christopher PrebleMore and more figures on the right — especially some darlings of the all-important tea party movement — are coming forward to utter a conservative heresy: that the Pentagon budget cow perhaps should not be so sacred after all. Sen.-elect Rand Paul of Kentucky was the latest, declaring on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that military spending should not be exempt from the electorate’s clear desire to reduce the massive federal deficit.  His comments follow similar musings by leading fiscal hawks Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana, a presumptive contender for the GOP nomination in 2012.  Others who agree that military spending shouldn’t get a free pass as we search for savings include Sen. Johnny Isa... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4151748 Wed, 10 Nov 2010 17:14:14 +0100 4151748 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4159518&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FRecoveryIsSexycom%2F%7E3%2F7fKiJ3Jw9uY%2F A Bill of Rights For Adult Children of Alcoholics / Addicts and, in fact, all people. Bill of rights I do not have to feel guilty just because someone else does not like what I do, say, think, or feel. It is OK for me to feel angry and to express it in responsible ways. I do not have to assume full responsibility for making decisions, particularly where others share responsibility for making the decision. I have the right to say, "I don’t understand" without feeling stupid or guilty. I have the right to say "I don’t know" I have the right to say "no" without feeling guilty. I do not have to apologize or give reasons when I say no. I have the right to ask others to do things for me. I have the right to refuse requests which others make of... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4159518 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 16:19:00 +0100 4159518 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4152155&cid=t_106652_136_f&fid=35302&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWhitePebble%2F%7E3%2FcP50FqKtDSk%2F Image by PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE via Flickr I have assigned myself the task of listening to Bill Bryson‘s A Short History of Nearly Everything by the time of next Saturday night’s lecture at the Mercantile.This book sits currently (in my mental bookcase if not my physical bookcase) with Richard Dawkins and my fancy anniversary illustrated copy of The Origin of the Species. It continues my fascination with discovering how the world works. That is why I loved math: it was like suddenly being let in on the secrets of the universe. The fundamental theorem of calculus describes the whole universe. Book Crush: At Home by Bill Bryson (omnivoracious.com) Bill Bryson’s *At Home* (marginalrevolution.com) The Poetry of Science: Richard Dawkins and Neil deGrasse Tyson (3quarksdaily.com) ... white pebble blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4152155 Tue, 09 Nov 2010 01:22:56 +0100 4152155 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4133671&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FDeOi65dU6nM%2F By Sallie JamesMy colleagues have done a thorough job of analyzing the policy implications of Tuesday’s federal election outcome as it affects trade policy, health care, immigration, education, and the scope and size of government generally (more here on federal spending). Most of them are cautiously optimistic that a Republican-controlled House is good news for liberty-minded folk. Let’s hope so. Unfortunately, there are fewer obvious reasons for optimism that Tuesday’s result will mean big changes in agricultural policy, a depressingly bipartisan area of federal intervention. Even Rand Paul, the poster child for the Tea Party, expressed “moderate” views on farm subsidies during his campaign. On the positive side of the ledger, our friends at the Envir... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4133671 Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:19:46 +0100 4133671 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4124988&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FN0d3BALkRh8%2F By Michael D. TannerWith Tuesday’s election widely predicted to bring a near-historic shake-up of the political establishment, here are some things we can say for certain even before the first results are tallied: This election will be a win for economic conservatives, not social conservatives.  Not surprisingly given the economic climate, economic issues dominated the campaign, with social issues barely registering.  This was particularly helpful for Republicans, since economically conservative, socially moderate suburban voters, who backed Democrats in 2006 and 2008, switched to Republicans this year. There is a lesson here for Republicans in the future. In the months leading up to the election, we have heard a great deal about the so-called “civil war” in the Republican Party.�... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4124988 Mon, 01 Nov 2010 19:13:22 +0100 4124988 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098458&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWhw08OSezIA%2F In the latest chapter in the Stephen Ondra saga, US Senator Chuck Grassley has written both the US Department of Veterans Affairs and Medtronic in search of still more information about the prominent spinal surgeon and his dealings with device maker both before and after he accepted his current government position as the VA’s senior policy advisor for health affairs. The backdrop is an inquiry begun late last month, when Grassley - the ranking Republican the Senate Finance Committee who has undertaken numerous conflict-of-interest probes into drug and device makers - noted that Ondra was paid about $4 million in royalties by Medtronic in the two years before joining the VA in 2009. And the senator cited emails in which Medtronic officials are attempting to secure a position for Ondra... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098458 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 19:30:26 +0100 4098458 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4065475&cid=t_106652_122_f&fid=36582&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FSharpBrains%2F%7E3%2FerRhdya4ya0%2F Quick note: I will be speaking at the UCLA Technology & Aging Conference on Friday, October 29th, in Los Angeles. Please drop me a line or introduce yourself if you are planning to attend. The Schedule features many good sessions, including one on Brain Fitness: Description: Growing scientific evidence suggests that such strategies as physical and mental exercise can improve brain health and cognitive performance. This session will review the latest research supporting brain fitness methods, highlight new cognitive training devices, and discuss the challenge of determining the effectiveness of these technologies. Speakers: Bill Reichman (Baycrest), Steven Aldrich (Posit Science), Gary & Rita Considine (Garri Productions), Alvaro Fernandez of (SharpBrains). Moderator: Gary Small (U... SharpBrains blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4065475 Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:30:46 +0100 4065475 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4061077&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpsGHxoA_0cE%2F File this under a touch of irony. Early last year, Stephen Ondra headed spine surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, and was successfully touted by Medtronic for a position in the Obama administration. Among his attributes: consulting for the device maker, previous efforts on behalf of the Obama team and his work on physician-industry relationships and transparency, according to various emails between Medtronic execs (look here). Within a few days, however, Ondra objected to the proposed nomination of another spine surgeon, Charles Rosen, as US Surgeon General. Why? As founder of the Association of Medical Ethics, Rosen publicly questioned consulting ties between doctors and device makers and, for his trouble, allegedly suffered retaliation by members of the American Academy... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4061077 Tue, 12 Oct 2010 12:23:05 +0100 4061077 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4053436&cid=t_106652_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2FaOYoE4GqG0A%2Fi-loved-tcoyd-des-moines-ia-taking-control-of-your-diabetes.php I didn't think too long before deciding to head down for the Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) Conference that happened on September 25, 2010.  It's less than a single tank of gas, and only a four hour drive from my house to downtown Des Moines, IA.  Add in a night or two in a hotel, and it's a perfect recipe for recharging my "Diabetes Battery" and visiting with some folks from around the DOC.I played basketball on Friday afternoon, then got in my car and sat behind the wheel for four hours straight.  When I got down to Des Moines I was so stiff and sore I didn't think I'd be able to get out of my car!  I met up with C, Kim, Scott Strange, and Kelly Rawlings for a quick dinner, which was a lot of fun, and was where I was dubbed "Other Scott", then headed back t... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4053436 Sat, 09 Oct 2010 05:05:00 +0100 4053436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4036631&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F0DmXBgK2qaY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellI dislike taxes as much as the next person (and probably a lot more), but other policies matter as well, so if I had the choice of replacing current government policies with the ones that existed at the end of the Clinton years, I would gladly make that trade. Yes, it would mean higher tax rates, but it also would mean slashing government spending from 24 percent of GDP down to 18 percent of GDP. It would mean no sleazy TARP bailout, no Sarbanes-Oxley red tape, no expansion of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and no added power and authority for the federal government. This is the argument that I made in this interview on CNBC, though my opponent tried to do his version of the Brezhnev Doctrine (what’s mine is mine, what’s yours is negotiable), so I concluded th... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4036631 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 19:24:43 +0100 4036631 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4031215&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F9EyfR_v4p30%2F By David BoazFrom Greg Mankiw: Friedrich Hayek, The Fatal Conceit: “The curious task of economics is to demonstrate to men how little they really know about what they imagine they can design.” Bill Clinton, 9/21: “Do you know how many political and economic decisions are made in this world by people who don’t know what in the living daylights they are talking about?” Bill Clinton Channels Friedrich Hayek is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4031215 Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:53:35 +0100 4031215 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4025786&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Faa-original-manuscript-copy-on-sale%2F AA Original Manuscript Shows Debate Over Religion The original manuscript of the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) Big Book is being published for the first time, along with edits that changed its references to religion, the Washington Post reported. The first AA manual, called: "Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered from Alcoholism," was published in 1939, the Associated Press (AP) reported. First drafted by co-founder Bill Wilson, the 12-step manual has become known as the "Big Book" or "Bible." Wilson’s working manuscript is now being published by Hazelden under the title, "The Book That Started It All." The annotated manuscript shows that Wilson picked a group of people — whose identities are still ... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4025786 Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:29:00 +0100 4025786 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4018444&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FRcy7wuUbTis%2F This morning, Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon will finally make a public appearance to discuss the massive recall of millions of pediatric over-the-counter meds that have tarnished the storied image of the beloved health care giant (see this). That’s because the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold its second hearing into the mess and Bill is the featured speaker, although FDA deputy commish Josh Sharfstein will also testify (you can watch at 10 am EST here). The move is long overdue. Until now, Weldon studiously maintained an exceptionally low profile - his infrequent remarks to the media have been tightly controlled and, except for announcing a high-level executive shift, largely unrevealing. In short, he has been MIA. To soothe Wall Street, however, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4018444 Thu, 30 Sep 2010 13:09:34 +0100 4018444 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4001688&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fdiabetes-criminals-and-diabetes-police%2F2010.09.25 At TCOYD [Taking Control Of Your Diabetes], one of the sessions I attended was about Diabetes Police (Healthcare Providers) and Diabetes Criminals (People With Diabetes). And I was a little taken aback by the title of the session, but we used it to our advantage when we walked into the session a few minutes after it had already started. “Okay, we see a few late stragglers in here. It’s not like they had to be on time or anything,” Dr. Edelman quipped from the front of the room, giving us a smirk.   “I’m sorry we’re late. But what do you expect? We’re the criminals, man!” I shot back at him. And the crew of us “criminals” took up the last few rows, our smartphones at the ready to Tweet out the best of the session. (We were... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4001688 Sat, 25 Sep 2010 14:00:18 +0100 4001688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3998954&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FdfSHez0bTmw%2F By Michael F. CannonThat’s the headline of an article posted this week in Politico: Rarely have so many political strategists been so wrong about something so big. But when it comes to the health care bill, everyone from former President Bill Clinton on down whiffed on some of the more significant predictions. Democrats would run aggressively on the legislation? Nope. Voters would forget about the sausage-making aspects of the legislative process? Doesn’t seem that way, as the process contributed to the sense that the bill was deeply flawed. And Clinton’s own promise to jittery Democrats that their poll numbers would skyrocket after the bill finally passed also didn’t pan out, as the party is fighting for its life in the midterms. What can explain the miscalculation? ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3998954 Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:17:19 +0100 3998954 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994344&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FXifXOsvQnnE%2F In the latest twist in the Johnson & Johnson recall scandal, a high-priced law firm writes Congressional investigators that the FDA was “fully apprised” of a hush-hush effort to yank Motrin from store shelves, rather than announce a typical product recall. At the same time, though, the J&J lawyers concede there is no proof that an agreement actually existed to prove the FDA gave its blessing to what a Congressman is derogatorily calling a “phantom recall.” The health care giant, you may recall, is being probed by the House Oversight & Government Reform committee for its recall of millions of bottles of pediatric over-the-counter meds due to quality-control issues, such as incorrect amounts of active ingredients and metallic fleks. Citing internal J&#0... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994344 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 00:33:22 +0100 3994344 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3994347&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIplZB9_KYDE%2F There is a 12 noon (Eastern Standard Time) deadline for Johnson & Johnson to hand over some documents to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today. As a result, the Congressional stage is, once again, set for drama. The last time this committee demanded documents from J&J, the health care giant was accused of whizzing past the deadline, although the committee never followed through with its implied threat of issuing a subpoena (look here). What is it the committee wants this time? A copy of an alleged agreement between J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare, which has recalled tens of millions of bottles of over-the-counter meds, and the FDA that supposedly gave McNeil a green light to pursue a “soft market withdrawal” instead of a formal recall. ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3994347 Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:35:47 +0100 3994347 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3993889&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG5xocnyPod8%2F By Roger PilonToday POLITICO Arena asks: Does the Republican Party have a sore-loser problem? My response: Lisa Murkowski is Exhibit A of the GOP sore-loser syndrome. Poor little thing: She thought she was entitled to the seat. After all, Daddy gave it to her. But she’s not alone: Charlie Crist, Bill McCollum, Bob Bennett, Bob Inglis, Mike Castle, Dede Scozzafava — all sitting on the sidelines, running against the primary opponents who beat them, or even endorsing the Democrat in the race. They confirm the Tea Party contention: They have no clue about the changes taking place beneath their feet. Lisa Murkowski talks about the bacon she’s brought back to Alaska. But unlike the people marching in Paris to protest moving the retirement age from 60 to 62, the growing Tea Par... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3993889 Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:44:53 +0100 3993889 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3983560&cid=t_106652_167_f&fid=36994&url=http%3A%2F%2Fnutrition-news.blogspot.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fbill-clinton-vegan-for-heart-health.html Bill Clinton vegan for heart health + Weight: In an interview to promote CGI , Clinton Global Initiative, Bill Clinton reveals he's been trialling a plant based diet for weight loss and improving his heart health following trials he's seen where over 80% of the subjects have seen improvements in heart health markers.He says the trial started in 1986 and he wants to join the "experimenters" in trialling the plant based diet to see if it can make a difference to his health. His traveling means he occasionally eats fish but he's says he is quite strict about his diet and it's vegan where ever practically possible.Harley Street Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston says "Bill Clinton quotes statistics of an 82% success rate in improving heart health markers on the plant based diet trial. Pharmaceu... Healthy Eating and Nutrition News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3983560 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 10:55:00 +0100 3983560 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3980812&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F2fQuOVJ_9zE%2F By Roger PilonOn September 17, 1787, the Framers of the Constitution of the United States of America, having completed their work over that long hot summer, sent the document out to the states with the hope that conventions in the states, pursuant to Article VII, would see fit to ratify it. Nine months later, on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so, making the Constitution effective between those states. Shortly thereafter, three more states ratified the document; and Rhode Island, the last, did so on May 29, 1790. The Constitution was not perfect – what human creation is? – not least in its oblique recognition of slavery, believed necessary to ensure union. But it provided for amendment, as with the addition of the Bill of Rights in 1791 and the Civil War Amend... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3980812 Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:26:09 +0100 3980812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976705&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fr0fWl66kRMk%2F Just months after the widespread recall of over-the-counter meds erupted into a scandal, Colleen Goggins has announced her retirement as worldwide chair of the Johnson & Johnson consumer group. Her departure becomes effective March 1, after nearly 30 years with the health care giant. Although the 56-year-old exec has played a key role at J&J for many years, she only came into public view last May at a congressional hearing held to examine what the health care company did - and didn’t - do about quality-control problems that caused some products to have musty smells or contain metallic flecks. Tens of millions of over-the-counter pediatric meds have since been recalled. At the May congressional hearing, Goggins filled in for J&J ceo Bill Weldon, who was said to be recup... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976705 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 21:52:03 +0100 3976705 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976707&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fa-ZUu8Bbtq4%2F Picking up where he left off last spring, the chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform plans to hold a hearing on Thursday, Sept. 30, to once again interrogate Johnson & Johnson execs about the huge recall this year of millions of bottles of over-the-counter meds, including such veritable brands as Children’s Tylenol, due to quality-control issues. And in announcing the hearing, Ed Towns, a New York Democrat who chairs the committee, made a point of noting that he intends to further explore what has come to be known as the ‘phantom recall,’ a reference to a move by J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit to hire contractors to quietly purchase OTC meds from stores in order to avoid publicity (read here, here and here). Among those invi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976707 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 19:21:56 +0100 3976707 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3976489&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVjjlsGiLkwQ%2F By Tad DeHavenWisconsin has become a battleground over the Obama administration’s plan to create a national system of high-speed rail. Of the $8 billion in HSR grants awarded to the states in the stimulus bill, $810 million of it went toward a high-speed route between Milwaukee and Madison. Ironically, this Wisconsin “high-speed” route would only achieve speeds of 79 mph initially and 110 mph by 2016. As a Cato essay on high-speed rail points out, HSR aficionados don’t even consider 110 mph to be true high-speed. In fact, passenger trains were being run at speeds of 110 mph or more back in the 1930s. And those “high-speed” trains didn’t prevent the decline of passenger trains after World War II. The Cato essay also notes that the 85-mile line between Milwaukee and Madison “... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3976489 Thu, 16 Sep 2010 13:58:12 +0100 3976489 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3969188&cid=t_106652_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Fgod-as-we-understood-him%2F Bill W. Co-founder of AA Historical Roots of the Concept ‘Higher Power’. The basic principles of Alcoholics Anonymous were worked out in the late 1930s and early 1940s, during what co-founder Bill W. often referred to as the Fellowship’s period of “trial and error.” The founding members had been using six steps borrowed from the Oxford Groups, where many of them started out. Bill felt that more specific instructions would be better, and in the course of writing A.A.’s basic text, Alcoholics Anonymous, he expanded them to twelve. But he was dealing with a group of newly sober drunks, and not surprisingly his new version met with spirited opposition. Even though the founding members were in many ways a homogeneous bunch (white, middle-class, almost exclusively male, and primarily... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3969188 Mon, 13 Sep 2010 15:12:01 +0100 3969188 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3946688&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fkq_ZM9OV-PQ%2F What can Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon do with all those millions of bottles of pediatric Tylenol that have been recalled this year? Rather than throw them in the trash, Bill can donate them to the US military for a perfectly good cause. How so? Well, it turns out the military is giving a children’s dose of acetamnophen, which is the active ingredient in Tylenol, to dead mice that are then dropped by helicopter into the jungle in Guam in hopes of eradicating invasive brown tree snakes from around the naval base there. Snakes, after all, do not care if their Tylenol smells musty or contains metallic flecks. Grind ‘em up, feed ‘em to the mice, drop the mice in the jungle and, voila, no snakes. And for Weldon, no embarassing trips to the landfill. “The discovery t... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3946688 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 12:02:44 +0100 3946688 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3943030&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3hInnF9Llts%2F Welcome back, everyone. We hope your weekend was splendid and you had a chance to recharge. The weather, after all, was magnificent. Now, of course, the time has come to return to the routine. So as you brace for those meetings and deadlines, please join us as we reach for our treasured cup of stimulation and dig in for another day. Hope yours goes well. And do stay in touch… Glaxo Will Not Bid For Genzyme (Reuters) The Problem With Gardasil (Fortune) Abbott Signs R&D Deal With Israeli Science Office (Globes) A Painful Summer For J&J CEO Bill Weldon (Fortune) Actus And Sequoia To Sell Stake In Paras (Bloomberg News) Genzyme Job Cuts To Follow Takeover (The Boston Globe) Roche Strikes Deal For Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s Drugs (Reuters) AstraZeneca Signs Emerging... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3943030 Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:52:27 +0100 3943030 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3929235&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fpatient-bill-of-rights-what-ever-happened-to-it%2F2010.09.02 One of the more surprising twists and turns in the continuing debate over healthcare reform is that many physicians who now object to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) were just a few years back advocates for more federal regulation. In fact, in the early 2000s, more than 200 “provider” and consumer groups — including many state medical and national medical specialty societies that now oppose the ACA because of concerns about “excessive regulation” — were among the fiercest champions of federal legislation to mandate that health insurers comply with a Patient Bill of Rights. A bipartisan bill introduced by Senator John McCain (R-AZ) and the late Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) would have ensured that patients have the “right” to appeal insurance compa... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3929235 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:00:00 +0100 3929235 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3924816&cid=t_106652_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F09%2Fdna-pcr-test-tuberculosis-shows-great-promise-speedy-diagnosis-treatment%2F A new testing method to determine if a patient is infected with tuberculosis has been developed by a consortium of research institutions with funding coming from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Drs. Peter Small and Mario Raviglione comment. (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3924816 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 02:32:29 +0100 3924816 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3925089&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIJjaeSI4FKc%2F Eliminating jobs is never easy, but some CEOs suffer less than others when it comes time to living with the consequences. For instance, did you know that the CEOs of the 50 companies that trimmed the most jobs since the latest recession began took home 42 percent more pay than their peers at S&P 500 firms? Who were the layoff leaders? Topping the list was Fred Hassan, the former Schering-Plough ceo, according to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies. Hassan received a $33 million golden parachute when the drugmaker was bought by Merck last year. Meanwhile, 16,000 jobs are being eliminated (background). Hassan’s total 2009 pay of nearly $50 million could cover the average cost of these workers’ jobless benefits for more than 10 weeks. Next up is the king of recalls, ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3925089 Wed, 01 Sep 2010 13:01:48 +0100 3925089 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3915288&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FXZpKbvWiaCk%2F Okay, it is only Monday, so maybe another comment will come along. But how’s this for being direct? In a remark given to the Associated Press, which spoke briefly with Johnson & Johnson ceo Bill Weldon, corporate image consultant Al Ries echoes other criticism that the health care giant should do more than appoint a vice president to fix quality control problems that led to a string of product recalls (see this). Appointing one vice president to resolve the quality problems “seems trivial…If I were the ceo, I would call a special board meeting and I would resign,” Ries tells the AP, adding that if the board did not agree, the CEO should propose major internal changes. The board is unlikely to agree that Weldon should resign, though, as The Wall Street Journal n... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3915288 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:15:54 +0100 3915288 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3907585&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMKS0ao40eJQ%2F By Adam SchaefferThe new PDK/Gallup education poll for 2010 is out, with the standard problems we can expect from this pro-government school/anti-choice outfit. Randi Weingarten even gets some column space! Oh Randi, you proud yet humble teacher. The “Commentary” sidebars in general were cringe-inducingly hackish and treacly. It is interesting that there was a big spike in the percentage of people saying the biggest problem schools must deal with is a lack of funds. They’ve done a great job convincing folks there’s no money. Of course, the way the question is worded, it encourages respondents to think about the difficulties schools are facing, which despite their flush accounts probably is dealing with funding issues. I’d like to see the answers to “What do you thin... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3907585 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:38:50 +0100 3907585 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3902882&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F5VP7Cs25jaM%2F Jimmy Carter is off in North Korea again.  He’s supposed to bring home 31-year-old Aijalon Mahli Gomes, a Boston resident who was arrested in January for illegally crossing into the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from China. Obviously Kim Jong-il believes that allowing such high-profile rescue missions provides some propaganda value.  Former President Bill Clinton visited for a similar reason last year.  The little advantage that Kim gets from trying to appear magnanimous is a reasonable price to pay for winning the release of imprisoned Americans. But the strange spectacle of regularly sending unofficial representatives to Pyongyang suggests that it is time to establish diplomatic ties.  The North Koreans undoubtedly would try to present that as a great victory, but it woul... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3902882 Wed, 25 Aug 2010 16:59:08 +0100 3902882 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899346&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2F5-reasons-jennifer-aniston-is-bad-for-society-from-lemondrops-nick-hadel%2F photo: Getty Images A certain gentleman and I have a habit of arguing over actresses that we do and don’t like: I don’t mind Julia Roberts, but he thinks she’s a horrid actress. I’m no fan of Brooklyn Decker (she looks like a pug!), he thinks she’s not so bad (uh-huh). The other night, we broached the topic of Jennifer Aniston: He hates her for a number of reasons, but his favorite way to sum it all up is by referring to her as “beige.” (I think he got this trick from his favorite film critic.) I feigned some resistance to his logic, but by and large, I think he might be right. So this one’s for him. Nick Hadel’s 5 Reasons Jennifer Aniston Is Harmful to Society (That Don’t Have to Do With Bill O’Reilly): 5. She Plays Jennif... Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899346 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:42:15 +0100 3899346 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899484&cid=t_106652_113_f&fid=38236&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.healthcareitnews.com%2Fblog%2Fassessment-ingenix-makes-hie-move-acquiring-axolotl Last week, Ingenix announced that it would be acquiring Axolotl. Probably no one was happier than the folks at Gilat Satellite Networks who had invested $4.5M in Axolotl over ten years ago, had written off that investment during the dot-com bust in 2001 and now is looking at getting some $24M in cash plus another $3M by year’s end. (Source: Healthcare IT News Blog) Healthcare IT News Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899484 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:20:29 +0100 3899484 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899640&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=38374&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FePharmaSummit%2F%7E3%2FKes8HMA-yac%2Fpharma-social-marketing-and-data-its.html Bill Harriss of the Sigma Marketing Group commented on the winning uphill climb of social media marketing regulations and the FDA. He believes that Pharma is winning the battle, but in addition, the rich data that can come from online analytics that supplement offline data about the behavior of patients in addition to their conversion and adherence rates.Not to mention this brief filed with the US District court:The Washington Legal Foundation (WLF) and Pfizer filed a brief with the U.S. District Court in April requesting to limit the FDA’s guidance to prevent the free speech of drug manufacturers on social media sites such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter.Do you believe that Pharma should be granted free speech when it comes to social media marketing? What benefits and drawbacks could thi... ePharma Summit blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899640 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 13:15:00 +0100 3899640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899636&cid=t_106652_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FskK1IeiGpiI%2F Usually, this site contents itself with issues pertaining to medicines, but given the unusual string of difficulties that Johnson & Johnson is having with quality control, we thought we would note that the health care giant - which has already recalled tens of millions of bottles of over-the-counter pediatric meds - is now recalling millions of 1 Day Acuvue contact lenses that were sold in Asia and Europe. In fact, J&J ceo Bill Weldon essentially invited us to pay closer attention to this development after he announced last week that all chief quality officers and manufacturing managers will report to Ajit Shetty, a J&J veteran who will now oversee these folks at the pharma, device and consumer units. In other words, whether we’re talking about Tylenol or contact lense... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899636 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:22:28 +0100 3899636 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3899352&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=34872&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Ffeel%2Fbill-watterson-on-bad-moods%2F Nothing helps a bad mood like spreading it around. – Bill Watterson Post from: BlissTree Bill Watterson on Bad Moods (Source: Healthbolt) Healthbolt blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3899352 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 11:00:38 +0100 3899352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3880842&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FLtfeF_I5PuQ%2F Prior to last week’s passage of another $26 billion in bailout money for state and local governments, I noted that the legislation wasn’t really offset: Congressional Democrats say the measure is paid for with a combination of spending cuts elsewhere and tax increases. However, the new spending is front loaded and much of the spending cuts wouldn’t be realized until after 2013. For example, the Congressional Budget Office’s score of the legislation shows savings from the food stamps program of $12 billion from 2014-2018. Congress can come back any time before that and rescind the cuts. It’s typical Beltway budgetary sleight-of-hand: increase spending up front and “cut” spending on the back-end to get a more deficit-friendly score from the CBO. Democrats don’t really intend ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3880842 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:24:04 +0100 3880842 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3861986&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fjennifer-aniston-is-empowering-women-destroying-america%2F This is the face that is ruining America. photo: WENN.com Jennifer Aniston’s been busy promoting her new movie, The Switch, about a single woman using a sperm donor to have a child. Aniston said, “Women are realizing more and more that you don’t have to settle. They don’t have to fiddle with a man to have that child.” Yes, that’s right — Aniston said that women don’t need men to have a baby. How. Dare. She. Bill O’Reilly said on Tuesday that Aniston’s comments were “destructive to our society.” If women realize they don’t need men to have a baby, what else will they think they can do on their own? Drive a car? Run a business? We’re so lucky that Bill O’Reilly is brave enough to tell the truth, no matte... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3861986 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:28:27 +0100 3861986 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845092&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FId5uW_Skie8%2F By Jim HarperGive up? Both have adopted highly unconventional names in their lifetimes. In Prince’s case, it was the adoption of a symbol to protest Warner Brothers’ artistic and financial control of his output. Following suit, H.R. 1586 has adopted the name, the “______Act of____,” apparently because of the haste with which the Senate wanted to pass the bill last week. The Senate’s substitute amendment on this $26 billion spending bill had a placeholder bill name, and it could not take time to replace the placeholder. The House is expected to return this week and pass the Senate amendment, sending it to the president. As reported on the WashingtonWatch.com blog and cnet news, this highly unconventional name may be what goes into law. With the Senate out of to... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845092 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 13:42:59 +0100 3845092 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3845093&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FeTLB4WJAkxA%2F By Andrew J. CoulsonAt the Techonomy conference last week, Bill Gates declared that going to school would soon be obsolete, and that ”five years from now, on the web, for free, you’ll be able to find the best lectures in the world.” What’s interesting is that Bill was quick to note that he was talking only of higher education. K-12 education should still be tied to physical schools, he is reported to have added. Certainly there’s a custodial aspect to the education of young children, but there’s no reason that electronic learning options cannot be combined with custodial supervision — and much more affordably than traditional schooling. Homeschooling already consists of hybrids of parent lessons, lessons taught by paid tutors and guest lecturers, web cl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3845093 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:28:21 +0100 3845093 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3826999&cid=t_106652_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F08%2Fhide-dollar-bill-internist%2F Put it under the patient’s bandage. Anonymous (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3826999 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 16:00:31 +0100 3826999 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3822907&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FYCk0EcGetrc%2F By David BoazAs Roger Pilon mentioned, yesterday’s Politico question was “Is Health Care Repeal Gaining Steam?” A timely question in light of Monday’s court decision allowing a lawsuit against the health care mandate to proceed. And perhaps an even more timely question today, now that 71 percent of Missouri voters have voted for a proposition to exempt the state from the mandate. Polls show continuing opposition to the Obama-Reid-Pelosi health care overhaul. It’s constitutionally dubious. And now, in the only popular vote on the bill, it received a full 29 percent of the vote. Just maybe this wasn’t a good idea. (Source: Cato-at-liberty) Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3822907 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 16:07:47 +0100 3822907 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3813153&cid=t_106652_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2F671pfzaKFGc%2Fno-sugar-added-poetry-book.php "From words, carefully chosen, purposefully arranged, emerges a shared experience and mutual understanding" - Lee Ann Thill, in the introduction of No-Sugar Added Poetry. I received a copy of No-Sugar Added Poetry at the 2010 Roche Social Media Summit (Roche Diagnostics sponsored the publishing of this book).  I recently sat down and read through it, and was touched by these poems from cover to cover.In 2008, a member of the TuDiabetes.org community, Sohair Abdel-Rahman, dreamed of a poetry book written by the members of TuDiabetes.  In 2009 the Diabetes Hands Foundation (the non-profit organization behind TuDiabetes.org and the Spanish EsTuDiabetes.org ) held a  poetry contest.  They had to choose from over 100 beautiful poems, which must have been an impossible task, ... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3813153 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 06:06:00 +0100 3813153 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3807357&cid=t_106652_83_f&fid=34856&url=http%3A%2F%2Finsidesurgery.com%2F2010%2F07%2Fhide-dollar-bill-neurosurgeon%2F Tape it onto their kid. Anonymous (Source: Inside Surgery) Inside Surgery blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3807357 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:20:34 +0100 3807357 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3807393&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Fthe-global-burden-of-diseases-whos-healthier-on-the-planet%2F2010.07.31 My friend and colleague Bill Heisel, one of our news reviewers, also works at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. He wrote to me that this group: “… has launched a major global health survey to measure the impact of more than 300 diseases or injuries and more than 40 risk factors. This is the most ambitious global health measurement project in two decades. And when people answer the survey, they will be providing information that will directly shape the final outcome of the research because ‘disease burden’ is partly objective but partly subjective.” And his pitch to anyone to take the 15-minute, anonymous, online survey is this: “With unprecedented money and attention pouring into global health effort... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3807393 Sat, 31 Jul 2010 18:00:26 +0100 3807393 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3805807&cid=t_106652_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FTRI1NV8M0e8%2F By Alan ReynoldsFrom January 2009 to the present, President Obama and his team have repeatedly made grandiose claims about the economic benefits of shoveling money at shovel-ready projects or green jobs.  “It is largely thanks to the Recovery Act that a second Depression is no longer a possibility,” said the President.   He also claimed that lavish spending alone (not Federal Reserve actions or bank bailouts) is what prevented the unemployment rate from “getting up to . . . 15%.” If any of that were remotely close to being true then, as a matter of simple accounting, rising federal spending would have shown up as a huge offset to falling GDP in 2009, and also as a major component of the modest increase in GDP growth in early 2010.   On the contrary, the tabl... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3805807 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:21:11 +0100 3805807