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 'committees'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:37:48 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4841984&cid=t_115309_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FmsrQpBjd9A8%2F Four years ago, the FDA issued new rules concerning conflicts of interest for its advisory committees. The idea, of course, was to avoid the possibility that a panel member may have a financial connection of some sort to a company or type of drug to be reviewed (read here). Ever since, some critics charge the rules are too draconian and, worse, the effort amounted to overkill, because finding qualified panelists becomes harder. Last week, Janet Woodcock, who heads the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, made the same point. The conflict of interest guidelines made it “tough to find knowledgeable people” to serve on advisory committees, she told the Reuters Health Summit. “It’s a concern for all our staff…There is no doubt it is difficult findi... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4841984 Thu, 19 May 2011 11:58:03 +0100 4841984 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3494550&cid=t_115309_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FZAyqYFm0i5k%2F This is long overdue. In a bid to appear transparent, the agency is issuing a draft guidance that would expand disclosure when a conflict of interest waiver is granted to individuals who participate in its advisory committee meetings. The expanded disclosure about waivers would occur prior to committee meetings. Specifically, the FDA proposes to post online the name of the company or institution associated with the financial interest along with the type of conflict of interest. Typically, the agency redacts or omits info so that the nature of any possible conflict is difficult if not impossible to ascertain. There are 49 committees, by the way, and some 600 participants. This doesn’t mean the FDA will turn its nose at all conflicts. In a letter to agency staff, FDA commish Margaret ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3494550 Thu, 22 Apr 2010 12:17:01 +0100 3494550 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3171837&cid=t_115309_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2010%2F01%2F14%2Fquality-accounts-roles-of-commissioning-pcts-local-involvement-networks-links-and-local-authority-overview-and-scrutiny-committees-oscs%2F Title: Quality accounts: roles of commissioning PCTs, Local Involvement Networks (LINks) and local authority Overview and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs) Skinny: Dear Colleague Letter thats out the roles of PCTs, LINks and OSCs in the production of Quality Accounts. Publisher: DH Size of Publication: 8p. Published: 14/01/2010 Posted in Grey Literature, Local Authorities, NHS, Public Sector, Stakeholder Engagement Tagged: Commissioning, Dear Colleague Letters, LINks, Local Authorities, Overview and Scrutiny Committees, Quality (Source: Fade Library) Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3171837 Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:19:30 +0100 3171837 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2950810&cid=t_115309_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FtE2kF5Y_eLo%2F All I can say is that it’s very cool that ONC now has a blog. This is probably right up there with when I found past HHS secretary Mike Leavitt’s blog. Ok, yes I am a complete blog nerd. At least I’m able to admit it up front. Basically, Judy Sparrow has just done an introduction post where she talks about the Federal Advisory Committees and their role at ONC. She’s the ONC liason for these committees and so hopefully she’ll keep us updated on progress with these two very important committees. She also provides this explanation about the committees in her first ONC blog post: “FACAs” get their name from the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which lays out the guidelines for such committees. FACAs are advisory and intended to provide external guidance to the ... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2950810 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:13 +0100 2950810 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1575640&cid=t_115309_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F325898482%2F Most days, an FDA advisory committee meeting would not be mistaken for an episode of one of those talk shows where the guests - and maybe even the host or audience members - will curse, trade punches and throw things at one another. True, a member of the public can sometimes bring the FDA gathering to tears with harrowing stories of overwhelming side effects. But mostly, these are staid events. Just the same, a threatening rant by an apparently intoxicated speaker during a May 2007 open public hearing has prompted the FDA to tighten security at its meetings, according to The RPM Report. A formal announcement hasn’t been made, but John Jenkins, who heads the Office of New Drugs, discussed the new procedures at the Drug Information Association’s annual meeting last week. “We ha... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1575640 Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:04:53 +0100 1575640 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1432424&cid=t_115309_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2008%2F05%2F09%2Fdsm-vs-conflicts-of-interest%2F Earlier this week, the Boston Globe’s health blog dived into the issue of conflicts of interest for the latest mental disorder diagnostic manual being formulated. The diagnostic manual is known as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and a fifth version of it is currently in development. How a disorder makes it into the DSM — which is used by mental health professionals and insurance companies to legitimize and pay for a mental health concern — has been the subject of numerous research papers and essays. It is a messy process, like sausage-making, and involves a combination of expert testimony (often given by the same experts who lead a subcommittee on the specific disorder), research on the disorder, and, of course, a healthy dollop of politi... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1432424 Fri, 09 May 2008 15:27:43 +0100 1432424 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=867459&cid=t_115309_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F155643778%2F In conclusion, it is important to restore the public’s confidence in the integrity of the FDA’s decisions by having Congress restrict the number of waivers the FDA grants.” Share / E-mail (Source: Pharmalot) Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=867459 Wed, 12 Sep 2007 20:04:17 +0100 867459 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=786023&cid=t_115309_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F141602918%2F That’s the language attached to an agriculture appropriations bill passed by the House last week after a move by US Representative Maurice Hinchey, Democrat of New York. The funding measure heads to the Senate, where the language faces a tough fight - opponents include Ted Kennedy, the Senator from Massachusetts, The Boston Globe reports. Hinchey’s proposal goes further than a rule the FDA itself proposed earlier this year. The agency suggested barring panel members with financial ties to drug and medical device makers that exceed $50,000. Members whose grants or consulting fees totaled less than $50,000 during the previous 12 months would be allowed to serve on panels, but not vote. The FDA is still sifting public comments and has not issued a final proposal. The issue has com... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=786023 Tue, 07 Aug 2007 13:51:25 +0100 786023 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=764506&cid=t_115309_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F138279447%2F You read it here first. Of the 16 voting members of the two committees meeting Tuesday - the Gastrointestinal Drugs Advisory Committee and the Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee - three members reported conflicts of interest, and received waivers. One, in particular, appears to violate the FDA’s own, newly proposed rules for panel members. First, Carol Koski, a retired neurology professor with the Guillain Barre Syndrome/CIDP Foundation International, reports holding up to $25,000 in stock in a competing company and Jim Neaton, a biostatistics professor at the University of Minnesota, says he is a consultant to a rival that pays up to $10,000 a year. You can read each waiver form here, here and here. But Terry Davis, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at Louisiana... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=764506 Sat, 28 Jul 2007 15:30:18 +0100 764506