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 'fair'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 01:53:36 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159840&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F0qGTbAcfmZ0%2F Six months after a federal appeals court decided a pair of GlaxoSmithKline sales reps are not eligible for overtime pay, they are now asking the US Supreme Court to review their case. And the implications for the pharmaceutical industry are likely to be far-reaching, given that drugmakers have been laying off thousands of sales reps as part of a massive wave of cost cutting in recent years. The petition, however, is not surprising, because there has been a split among appeals courts over this issue. Last year, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that Novartis reps are entitled to overtime (back story), and the Supreme Court earlier this year declined to review the decision (see here). That ruling came just two weeks after the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159840 Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:07:40 +0100 5159840 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5107894&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F6cPkh7gqR6A%2F In yet another victory for sales reps seeking overtime pay, a federal judge has ruled that the administrative exemption under the Fair Labor Standards Act does not apply to Schering-Plough reps. The ruling, though, is not surprising, given that the US Supreme Court recently chose not to hear an appeal of a lower-court finding of a similar ruling against Novartis (back story). The FLSA discusses two exemptions. The overtime compensation requirement does not apply to employees who work as outside salespeople, but the law does require employers to pay overtime for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week, unless an exemption applies. What are those exemptions? If an employee’s primary duty is to obtain orders or contracts (as defined by the statute) and regularly does so away from the employer�... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5107894 Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:12:55 +0100 5107894 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5029214&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FAAIOYoMxzQQ%2F In yet another victory for sales reps, a federal judge ruled that a Boehringer-Ingelheim rep is not exempt from overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and should be paid overtime. The ruling, which came in the form of a summary judgment and is now headed to trial to determine damages, is the latest in a highly contentious decision that has divided courts across the country For the past few years, a growing number of sales reps have argued they were unfairly denied overtime and nearly every drugmaker has been taken to court (look here and here). The US Department of Labor, however, has sided with the reps, arguing that many of the biggest drugmakers have misinterpreted the Fair Labor Standards Act. Here is the issue: the FLSA overtime compensation requirement does not apply to ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5029214 Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:50:06 +0100 5029214 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4975838&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FvJgnjNUGgPE%2F By Mark A. CalabriaI wasn’t in the mood Friday to celebrate the 73rd birthday of the federal minimum wage, created under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.  Looking at youth unemployment numbers can be a little depressing.   Those figures should, however, sober up anyone who is still drunk under the spell of thinking the minimum wage has no impact on unemployment. The chart above shows the increase in unemployment overall (right axis) and the unemployment rate for workers age 16 to 19 (left axis).  The difference between these two numbers usually runs about 10 percent, even in good times.  Notice that when the minimum wage was raised in July 2009, overall unemployment had started to level off, while youth unemployment sky-rocketed.  We also witnessed a big spike in youth un... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4975838 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:12:13 +0100 4975838 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4723792&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FG4RMdp2wHCI%2F By Daniel J. MitchellSince it is tax-filing season and we all want to honor our wonderful tax system, let’s go into the archives and show this video from last year about the onerous compliance costs of the internal revenue code. Narrated by Hiwa Alaghebandian of the American Enterprise Institute, the mini-documentary explains how needless complexity creates an added burden – sort of like a hidden tax that we pay for the supposed privilege of paying taxes. Two things from the video are worth highlighting. First, we should make sure to put most of the blame on Congress. As Ms. Alaghebandian notes, the IRS is in the unenviable position of trying to enforce Byzantine tax laws. Yes, there are examples of grotesque IRS abuse, but even the most angelic group of bureaucrats would have... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4723792 Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:03:38 +0100 4723792 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4684755&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fd10VVkKY8lg%2F In yet another twist in the ongoing battle over sales reps and overtime pay, the US Department of Labor has filed an amicus curiae brief in support of two GlaxoSmithKline reps, who recently lost a case in which a federal appeals court ruled they are not eligible for overtime pay. The Labor Department, however, wants the entire appeals court to rehear the case if the appeals panel declines to do so. Two months ago, the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reached its decision after determining that pharmaceutical sales reps are exempt from relevant provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should not be paid overtime (see this and this). That decision affirmed a lower court ruling issued in November 2009 (which you can read here) and, significantly, contradicted a Labo... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4684755 Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:14:12 +0100 4684755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4532571&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F3ON0OinTH9Q%2F In what is being hailed as a victory for sales reps, the US Supreme Court has decided not to review lawsuits in which a lower court decided that Novartis and Schering-Plough should have paid overtime to its sales teams. The move means that still other lawsuits filed against several other drugmakers are likely to yield the same outcome, possibly prompting changes in the way sales reps are compensated (see the court denials here and here). Here’s the background: a federal appeals court last July ruled Novartis reps are not exempt from overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should be paid overtime. The same court also upheld a similar decision reached two years ago against Schering-Plough by a federal court, which denied a motion to dismiss a case brought ag... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4532571 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 17:17:56 +0100 4532571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4525168&cid=t_106100_151_f&fid=35818&url=http%3A%2F%2Frecoveryissexy.com%2Flifes-lessons%2F To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the list once more:1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.5. Pay off your credit cards every month.6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it.9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.1... Recovery Is Sexy.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4525168 Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:45:00 +0100 4525168 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4517352&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FIqBNbG7HvHU%2F The UK’s Office of Fair Trading has filed a claim against Reckitt Benckiser for abusing its dominant market position by allegedly preventing doctors from prescribing lower-cost generic versions of its Gaviscon heartburn medication. The OFT sent a so-called ’statement of objections’ to the consumer goods giant for seeking to restrict competition. In the episode cited by regulators, Reckitt allegedly withdrew its Gaviscon Original Liquid from the computer system maintained by the UK’s National Health Service before a generic name was assigned. And so any doc searching for the med would only find Gaviscon Advance Liquid, which still has patent protection and, therefore, no generic alternative at a lower price. “This case raises significant and complex competition... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4517352 Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:44:30 +0100 4517352 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4478154&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FsV05nxGEdwk%2F In the latest twist in the ongoing battle over sales reps and overtime pay, a federal appeals court yesterday ruled that two Glaxo reps are exempt from relevant provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should not be paid overtime. The decision affirms a lower court ruling issued in November 2009 (which you can read here) and, significantly, contradicts a US Labor Department brief filed in this and other cases supporting overtime pay for sales reps (read the brief here). The latest decision suggests, once again, that the issue could eventually reach the US Supreme Court, since courts across the country have been so divided. Last summer, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that Novartis reps are entitled to overtime (back story). Here is a primer: The FLSA�... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4478154 Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:22:14 +0100 4478154 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4470457&cid=t_106100_113_f&fid=34634&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FEmrAndHipaa%2F%7E3%2FOJbSxg3uq_M%2F I know I’ve talked far too much about HIMSS already, but I figured it’s the weekend and so not many of you are reading the site any way. So, I’ll take the topic du jour it seems and talk about my thoughts on making the most of your time at HIMSS. I will offer the disclaimer that this is only my second year, so I’m interested to hear your ideas as well. However, I learned a lot my first year and so I figured I’d share a few thoughts. Be Selective My biggest suggestion for people is to be selective in what they want to do. 30,000 people, a ton of overlapping sessions and a ginormous (it’s not a word, but should be) exhibit hall. Yet, you have to pack that all into a couple days. It’s really important for you to be selective about who and what you wan... EMR and HIPAA blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4470457 Sat, 12 Feb 2011 16:53:06 +0100 4470457 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4455434&cid=t_106100_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2011%2F02%2F09%2Fshelter-from-the-st-valentine%25e2%2599%25a5s-day-maacre%2F Having, hopefully, just paid at least the minimum owing on their Christmas credit card bills, gluttonous consumers are now being cajoled into the can’t-win Valentine’s Day debacle. Take heart…PLEASE! First of all, what are we teaching our kids when we buy them Flat Stanley-sized boxes of Valentine’s Day cards, so intimately perforated along the edges, [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4455434 Wed, 09 Feb 2011 15:36:55 +0100 4455434 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4183539&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FpEZQOSs-dT8%2F There is a virtual parade of lawsuits working their way through the court system over charges that drugmakers have successfully schemed to avoid paying their sales reps overtime. The latest was filed by Jeff Bethune, who worked as a territory manager in Washington and Oregon for Bristol-Myers Squibb between 2006 and 2008. The lawsuit, by the way, seeks class-action status. Typically, sales reps argue they are not exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should be paid overtime. The FLSA’s overtime compensation requirement doesn’t apply to employees who work as outside salespeople, but the law does require employers to pay overtime for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week, unless a FLSA exemption applies. What are those exemptions? If an employe... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4183539 Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:15:15 +0100 4183539 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4118880&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FVdlSKYilLUY%2F By Daniel J. MitchellIn the past 15 years, I’ve debated in favor of a national sales tax, testified before Congress on the merits of a national sales tax, gone on TV to advocate for a national sales tax, and spoken with dozens of reporters to explain why a national sales tax is a good idea. Even though I prefer a flat tax, I’ve been an ardent defender of sales tax proposals such as the FAIR tax because it would be a great idea to replace the current system with any low-rate system that gets rid of the tax bias against saving and investment. I even narrated this video explaining that a national sales tax and flat tax are different sides of the same coin — and therefore either tax reform proposal would significantly improve prosperity and competitiveness. I will continue to d... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4118880 Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:24:37 +0100 4118880 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4098492&cid=t_106100_160_f&fid=36193&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aloha-dermatology.com%2Faloha-dermatology-blog%2Fmaui-county-37th-annual-senior-citizens-health-fair%2F Doctor Micki Ly MD, her staff, and her kids and friends man the Aloha Dermatology and Laser Center "Skin Cancer Awareness Booth" at the 2010 Maui County Senior Fair. (Source: aloha-dermatology.com) aloha-dermatology.com blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4098492 Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:04:53 +0100 4098492 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4013139&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FMU9YDW-f0tE%2F By Jim HarperIf you blinked, you missed it. Heaven knows, I did. The OECD privacy guidelines celebrated their 30th birthday on Thursday last week. They were introduced as a Recommendation by the Council of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development on September 23, 1980, and were meant to harmonize global privacy regulation. Should we fete the guidelines on their birthday, crediting how they have solved our privacy problems? Not so much. When they came out, people felt insecure about their privacy, and demand for national privacy legislation was rising, risking the creation of tensions among national privacy regimes. Today, people feel insecure about their privacy, and demand for national privacy legislation is rising, risking the creation of tensions among national privacy ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4013139 Wed, 29 Sep 2010 19:15:54 +0100 4013139 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3920827&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FmipidtQECHg%2F By Jim HarperH.R. 3421, the “Medical Debt Relief Act of 2009,” has nothing to do with relieving people of medical debts. It adds to the list of information credit reporting agencies may not communicate to their clients. Current law bars credit bureaus from sharing truthful information about bankruptcies occuring more than ten years in the past, and lawsuits, judgments, tax liens, accounts placed in collection, or other adverse information more than seven years old, except in certain high-dollar credit transactions. This bill would add a new item to the list of officially banned information: medical debts that have been paid more than thirty days before a credit report is issued. There are many cases, of course, where people who incur medical debts deserve our sympathy. But do ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3920827 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:43:59 +0100 3920827 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3862190&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FUKxmyvU6_vc%2F For the second time in the past year, the US Department of Labor has filed an amicus brief with a federal appeals court, contending that a lower court was wrong to rule against sales reps fighting for overtime pay. This time, the agency is supporting two GlaxoSmithKline reps who were told by a federal court in Arizona ruled they are exempt from overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Last fall, the Labor Department filed its first such brief in a case involving a Novartis sales rep (back story). In both briefs, Labor Department attorneys say the lower courts committed “legal error.” A quick primer: The FLSA’s overtime compensation requirement doesn’t apply to employees who work as outside salespeople, but the law does require employers to pay overtime for hours... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3862190 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 12:19:49 +0100 3862190 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3848872&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=39187&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgetbetterhealth.com%2Ffair-pay-and-unfunded-mandates%2F2010.08.09 This is my column in [the August 3rd] Atlanta Journal Constitution: Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis recently produced an interesting public service announcement. In it, she stated that every worker deserves to be paid fairly for his or her labor (whether the worker is documented or not), and offered both a website and telephone hot-line which workers could use to report unfair payment by employers. (Incidentally, here’s the link: www.dol.gov/wecanhelp.) In the video, she stated succinctly, “You work hard, and you deserve to be paid fairly.” Those of us who practice medicine completely agree. So we might reasonably ask if this announcement also applies to physicians who are undercompensated for their work. This routinely happens when patients are covered by Medicare and Medic... Better Health blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3848872 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 14:00:42 +0100 3848872 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3790921&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2Fo2KQPYyfpyg%2F In the latest twist in the ongoing battle over whether sales reps should be paid overtime, a federal court in New Jersey last week ruled that an Alpharma rep is exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should not be paid overtime (Alpharma is now owned by King Pharmaceuticals). The decision contradicts a US Labor Department brief filed recently in a Novartis case supporting overtime payments (see here) and, moreover, continues a very confusing trend in which different federal courts have come down squarely on either side of the issue, prompting some lawyers to say the debate is increasingly likely to end up before the US Supreme Court, even as drugmakers accelerate plans to eliminate more sales reps. A primer: the FLSA’s overtime compensation re... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3790921 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:53:24 +0100 3790921 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3733297&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FMvfPhICiUw0%2F In the latest victory for sales reps, a federal appeals court ruled Novartis reps are not exempt from overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should be paid overtime. The same court also upheld a similar decision reached last year against Schering-Plough by a federal court, which denied a motion to dismiss a case brought against the drugmaker by some of its sales reps (see the rulings here and here). The rulings are the latest in a highly contentious issue that has divided courts across the country and, some lawyers speculate, could eventually reach the US Supreme Court. Abbott reps won a similar battle last month (back story). Ironically, the decisions come at the same time that the pharmaceutical industry is accelerating plans to eliminate still more sales pos... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3733297 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 12:11:29 +0100 3733297 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3729848&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fwhat-does-your-hair-color-say-about-your-health%2F photo: Thinkstock We all love our hair. (Or we hate it.) We preen over it for way too long in the morning, we spend months deciding on a new cut or color, and definitely think our luscious locks add to our feminine wiles. But apparently, our hair can even alert us to possible health risks. Check out what your natural hair color could say about your well being, courtesy of Women’s Health: Blondes You’re at risk for developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD), an eye condition that can lead to blindness. Eat food rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, like kale, spinach, and snow peas. Blondes are also at the highest risk for melanoma. Make sure you wear a full-spectrum SPF 30, and wear a hat in direct sunlight. Check out some of our favorite eco-friendly hats here. Brunettes Y... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3729848 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:49:48 +0100 3729848 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3662932&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FioCvk6N5dh4%2F In a victory for sales reps, a federal court judge has ruled Abbott Lab reps are not exempt from overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should be paid overtime. The ruling, which came in the form of a summary judgment and is now headed to trial to determine damages for about 80 Abbott reps, is the latest in a highly contentious decision that has divided courts across the country and, some lawyers speculate, could eventually reach the US Supreme Court. The FLSA’s overtime compensation requirement doesn’t apply to employees who work as outside salespeople, but the law does require employers to pay overtime for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week, unless a FLSA exemption applies. What are those exemptions? If an employee’s primary duty is to obtain orders or... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3662932 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:17:28 +0100 3662932 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3599359&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2Fasg8hAKKiiM%2F By Walter OlsonThe California Department of Fair Employment and Housing has agreed to stop investigating citizens on the theory that their political expression in and of itself constitutes a potential violation of laws against housing discrimination. The concession came in a settlement with Julie Waltz, whom it had dragged through an investigation for publicly opposing the placement of subsidized group homes in and near her Norco, Calif. residence. A news release from the Center for Individual Rights: During the year-long investigation, state investigators told Waltz that her speech violated state fair housing laws, requested that she refrain from her speech activities, and threatened her with prosecution. An investigator also told her that the investigation would end if she removed signs ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3599359 Tue, 25 May 2010 19:12:24 +0100 3599359 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3545423&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fworld-fair-trade-day-is-tomorrow%2F World Fair Trade Day (Saturday, May is a global celebration of Fair Trade, the trading partnership initiative that aims to combat poverty, food crises, and global warming. Tomorrow there will be indoor and outdoor Fair Trade events around the world with food, coffee, music, games, films, shopping, chocolate, ice cream, and lots of other Fair Trade products and activities. Check out the World Fair Trade Day website to find an event near you. Post from: BlissTree World Fair Trade Day Is Tomorrow! (Source: Breastfeeding 1-2-3) Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3545423 Fri, 07 May 2010 19:43:53 +0100 3545423 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3490618&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F8s6EC1W4Izk%2F By Daniel J. MitchellGloominess and despair are not uncommon traits among supporters of limited government — and with good reason. Government has grown rapidly in recent years and it is expected to get much bigger in the future. To make matters worse, it seems that the deck is stacked against reforms to restrain government. One problem is that 47 percent of Americans are exempt from paying income taxes, which presumably means they no longer have any incentive to resist big government. Mark Steyn recently wrote a very depressing column for National Review Online about this phenomenon, noting that, “By 2012, America could be holding the first federal election in which a majority of the population will be able to vote themselves more government lollipops paid for by the ever shrin... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3490618 Wed, 21 Apr 2010 12:48:45 +0100 3490618 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453868&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=36050&url=http%3A%2F%2Fblisstree.com%2Flive%2Fstarbucks-giveaway-%25e2%2580%2593-last-day%2F Blisstree announced our first giveaway on Monday (see below for details) – remember to leave a comment by tonight at 9 p.m. ET for a chance to win! Look! It’s our very first reader giveaway since we launched! (But it won’t be our last.) And the sweet prizes come from a little Seattle-based coffee shop called Starbucks. Heard of it? Right now, Starbucks buys 75 percent of all its coffee from responsibly grown, ethically traded sources, and the company aims to up that number to 100 percent by 2015. (Last year, Starbucks also bought 40 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified coffee, which means it purchases more Fair Trade Certified coffee than anyone else in the world.) Pretty cool, huh? So Blisstree partnered with Starbucks to give a little something back to our readers. Two l... Breastfeeding 1-2-3 blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453868 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:30:21 +0100 3453868 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3403844&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FZCDfBbsuRbw%2Fbioethicists-weigh-in-on-healthcare_22.html As the readers of this blog know, both myself and several of our bloggers have posted about universal health care coverage many, many times as an ethical and moral imperative. In the last year, my hopes (along with many other bioethicists, I'm sure ) of attaining universal coverage have gone up, down and sideways, like a roller-coaster ride, exhilarating and frightening, with emotions ranging from inspiration to resignation.   Now that the US House of Representative has finally passed a health reform bill, I've requested several bioethicists (and friends of the WBP) to share their thoughts on the ethical implications of the passage of this bill: Art Caplan of UPenn:  "The passage of this bill, flaws and all, represents the elimination of the single greatest failure in Americ... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3403844 Wed, 24 Mar 2010 22:13:03 +0100 3403844 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3395086&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=35052&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FWomensBioethicsBlog%2F%7E3%2FZCDfBbsuRbw%2Fbioethicists-weigh-in-on-healthcare_22.html As the readers of this blog know, both myself and several of our bloggers have posted about universal health care coverage many, many times as an ethical and moral imperative. In the last year, my hopes (along with many other bioethicists, I'm sure ) of attaining universal coverage have gone up, down and sideways, like a roller-coaster ride, exhilarating and frightening, with emotions ranging from inspiration to resignation.   Now that the US House of Representative has finally passed a health reform bill, I've requested several bioethicists (and friends of the WBP) to share their thoughts on the ethical implications of the passage of this bill: Art Caplan of UPenn:  "The passage of this bill, flaws and all, represents the elimination of the single greatest failure in Americ... Women's Bioethics Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3395086 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:50:59 +0100 3395086 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3236085&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FWLZo0q2VTwI%2F An appeals court upheld a decision in favor of Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit alleging the drugmaker misclassified sales reps as exempt from overtime pay. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that Patty Lee Smith, a former sales representative for J&J’s Ortho-McNeil unit, wasn’t due overtime because she wasn’t exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The FLSA’s overtime compensation requirement doesn’t apply to employees who work as outside salespeople, but the law does require employers to pay overtime for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week, unless a FLSA exemption applies. What are those exemptions? If an employee’s primary duty is to obtain orders or contracts (as defined by the statute) and regularly does ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3236085 Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:04:02 +0100 3236085 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3097065&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FYktGNrThZdo%2F Yet another sales rep has joined the battle about overtime pay. The latest involves a Sanofi-Aventis rep in Minnesota, Dede Evavold, who alleges in a putative class action lawsuit (see here) that she and others were denied overtime pay in violation of federal law. Typically, sales reps argue they are not exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should be paid overtime. The FLSA’s overtime compensation requirement doesn’t apply to employees who work as outside salespeople, but the law does require employers to pay overtime for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week, unless a FLSA exemption applies. What are those exemptions? If an employee’s primary duty is to obtain orders or contracts (as defined by the statute) and regularly does so away fro... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3097065 Thu, 17 Dec 2009 12:46:46 +0100 3097065 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3059771&cid=t_106100_109_f&fid=38950&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.shockmd.com%2F2009%2F12%2F05%2Ffair-trade-chocolate-and-sinterklaas%2F Sinterklaas and Saint Nicolas in French, is a holiday tradition in the Netherlands and Belgium, celebrated every year on Saint Nicholas’ eve (December 5) or, in Belgium, on the morning of December 6. The feast celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of, among other things, children. Special candy is made for this event such as chocolate characters and pepernoten. These chocolate characters come in all varieties and all kinds of chocolate. Dr Shock prefers the dark chocolate type. But he sure likes fair trade dark chocolate, because: Cocoa is an important world commodity, produced and consumed around the globe. However, the fluctuation of the world market price poses real obstacles to earning a decent livelihood for the millions of farmers working to cultivate cocoa on sma... Dr Shock MD PhD blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3059771 Sat, 05 Dec 2009 07:40:30 +0100 3059771 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3040017&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F1YT2oTgd0IQ%2F In yet another twist in the ongoing battle over whether sales reps should be paid overtime, a federal court in Arizona recently ruled that two Glaxo reps are not exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should not be paid overtime. The decision contradicts a US Labor Department brief filed recently in a Novartis case supporting overtime payments (see here). The FLSA’s overtime compensation requirement doesn’t apply to employees who work as outside salespeople, but the law does require employers to pay overtime for hours worked beyond 40 hours a week, unless a FLSA exemption applies. What are those exemptions? If an employee’s primary duty is to obtain orders or contracts (as defined by the statute) and regularly does so away from the... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3040017 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:28:57 +0100 3040017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3004055&cid=t_106100_136_f&fid=37852&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdonnatrussell.com%2F2009%2F11%2F18%2Foff-to-see-the-job-fairy%2F New cartoon by Trussell & Trussell on AOL’s Politics Daily. Off to See the Job Fairy. Posted in Politics Daily Tagged: chaos theory, great recession, job fair, jobless recovery, obama job summit, political cartoon, unemployment (Source: Donna Trussell) Donna Trussell blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3004055 Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:50:03 +0100 3004055 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2890648&cid=t_106100_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2329 Two weeks left to stop the Department of Health making a fool of itself. Email your response to tne Pittilo consultation to this email address HRDListening@dh.gsi.gov.uk I’ve had permission to post a submission that has been sent to the Pittilo consultation. The whole document can be downloaded here. I have removed the name of the author. It is written by the person who has made some excellent contributions to this blog under the pseudonym "Allo V Psycho". The document is a model of clarity, and it ends with constructive suggestions for forms of regulation that will, unlike the Pittilo proposals, really protect patients Here is the summary. The full document explains each point in detail. Executive Summary Statutory regulation lends prestige, but needs to be balanced ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2890648 Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:37:04 +0100 2890648 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2757755&cid=t_106100_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2131 This report outlines areas of potential consensus to guide research funders, researchers, commissioners and complementary practitioners in developing and applying a robust evidence base for complementary practice.” As happens so often, there is implicit in this sentence the assumption that if you spend enough money evidence will emerge. That is precisely contrary to the experence in the USA where spending a billion dollars produced nothing beyond showing that a lot of things we already thought didn’t work were indeed ineffective. And inevitably, and tragically, NICE’s biggest mistake is invoked. “It is noteworthy that the evidence is now sufficiently robust for NICE to include acupuncture as a treatment for low back pain.” [p ] Did the advisory group not read... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2757755 Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:33:41 +0100 2757755 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2744265&cid=t_106100_134_f&fid=35187&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDiabetesDaily%2F%7E3%2F9_iCY_qb9aw%2Fits-never-just-one-thing.php I'm having a really crappy blood sugar day.  I know it happens to all of us, but that doesn't make it any easier.I know that I sometimes I cause my own bad days, especially when I can't contain my food cravings.  But you know, those days are a little easier to handle because I know the cause of it.I woke up high this morning (well, technically morning I guess (11:37AM)).  I'm not sure, but I think it was something I didn't count right last night.  I hate that I was high much of the night, but stuff happens.  I realized I had my high BG alarms on my Navigator disabled, most likely from some trouble I was having a while back that I just never remembered to enable again.  Having those turned on would have been valuable last night.  20/20 hindsight.I had a li... Diabetes Daily blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2744265 Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:12:10 +0100 2744265 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2572908&cid=t_106100_86_f&fid=34445&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwomenshealthnews.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F05%2Fpalin-vanity-fair-and-postpartum-depression%2F Yes, I cracked and read Todd S. Purdum’s It Came from Wasilla in Vanity Fair. And something about it kept gnawing at the back of my mind, outside of the actual content about former VP candidate and now-former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin. It was this: Some top aides worried about her mental state: was it possible that she was experiencing postpartum depression? (Palin’s youngest son was less than six months old.) This line is nestled between comments that Palin did what she wanted to, wasn’t sure who to trust, and didn’t maintain “civil discourse” with one adviser. No, it wasn’t a snippet from a discussion about Palin’s actual health, it was part of speculation as to why she couldn’t be predictable and play nice. I’m no fan of Palin. ... Women's Health News blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2572908 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:07:58 +0100 2572908 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2511166&cid=t_106100_109_f&fid=34750&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpsychcentral.com%2Fblog%2Farchives%2F2009%2F06%2F15%2Fonline-mental-health-journalism-awards-2009%2F As we noted here, Mental Health America recently announced the winners of the “2009 Media Awards” that recognize excellence in mental health journalism. Sadly, despite the Internet’s popularity for the past 15 years, the Internet as a category is still missing from the awards. Apparently you can do good journalism online, you just won’t be acknowledged for it. (In Mental Health America’s defense, Pulitzer only began recognizing online journalism this year, too, so go figure.) We thought we’d acknowledge some examples of outstanding online mental health and psychiatry journalism in 2008. You might argue with our broad interpretation of “journalism,” but we believe that writers or producers who can bring new insight, analysis or understanding a... World of Psychology blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2511166 Mon, 15 Jun 2009 19:29:36 +0100 2511166 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2473436&cid=t_106100_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1704 Jump to follow-up This is another short interruption in the epic self-destruction of chiropractors.  In a sense it is more serious.  One expects quacks to advocate quackery.  What you don’t expect is that the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) will endorse it.  Neither do you expect the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to betray its mandate to make sure that medicines work. The saga of the NICE low back pain guidance has been the subject of a deluge of criticism, It seems doubtful that the guidance can survive, not least because of its absurd endorsement of chiropractic, at a time when chiropractic is undergoing self-immolation as a consequence of the persecution of Simon Singh by the British Chiropractic Association (see he... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2473436 Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:37:28 +0100 2473436 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414821&cid=t_106100_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1466 This study is no more informative than the infamous Spence (2005) ’study’ of the same type, which seems to be the only thing that homeopaths can produce to support their case. There is an excellent analysis of the Northern Ireland ’study’ by Andy Lewis, The Northern Ireland NHS Alternative Medicine ‘Trial’.  He explains patiently, yet again, what constitutes evidence and why studies like this are useless. His analogy start ” . . . the Apple Marketing Board approach the NHS and ask for £200,000 to do a study to show the truth behind the statement ‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’. The Minister, being particularly fond of apples, agrees and the study begins.” 16.30 Social enterprise and whole systems integrated care.  Dee Ky... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414821 Sun, 17 May 2009 07:18:25 +0100 2414821 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2375801&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=38368&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FDisruptiveWomenInHealthCare%2F%7E3%2F33Nq52mHUKI%2F Today, April 28th, is Blog for Fair Pay Day. In recognition of this important day, our guest post by Lisa Codispoti, Senior Counsel for Health and Reproductive Rights, National Women’s Law Center, relates to health care and equal pay. Between 2000 and 2006, health insurance premiums increased 87.5 percent—4 times more than wages. In addition to the burden of inflated health care costs, women are still paid only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men—with women of color earning even less. In a world where women are earning significantly less than men for comparable work, how can they also afford health care? Pay inequity for women compounds the issues that already exist with our broken health care system. This is a system that makes unfair practices by insurance companies flourish, s... Disruptive Women in Health Care blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2375801 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:30:54 +0100 2375801 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2365006&cid=t_106100_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1372 Jump to follow-up It seems that bits of good news don’t come singly. First honours degrees in acupuncture vanish, Now a big chain of shops selling Chinese herbs and acupuncture has gone into administration. It seems that, at last, people are getting fed up with being conned out of their hard-earned money Herbmedic Barking A local [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2365006 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:37:52 +0100 2365006 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2217362&cid=t_106100_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1196 Recently I wrote a piece for the National Health Executive (”the Independent Journal for Senior Health Service Managers”), with the title Medicines that contain no medicine and other follies. In the interests of what journalists call balance (but might better be called equal time for the Flat Earth Society), an article appeared straight after mine, [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2217362 Thu, 26 Feb 2009 22:36:36 +0100 2217362 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2205541&cid=t_106100_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1170 It is almost six months now since I posted Quackery creeps into good universities too -but through Human Resources. One example given there was the University of Leicester. This is an excellent university.  It does first class research and it was the alma mater of the incomparable David Attenborough who [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2205541 Sun, 22 Feb 2009 15:19:10 +0100 2205541 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2184118&cid=t_106100_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2Faspieweb%2F%7E3%2FwwBhkqtC_dw%2F It just happened - an apartment complex has sent eviction paperwork to me because of the companion dog I keep to help me with Aspergers. Background I sublease through a mental health service provider an apartment in Concord Place Apartments in Kalamazoo, MI.  Before moving to this apartment I subleased from the service provider a more [...] This is an excerpt from an article on AspieWeb.net, A blog writen by an Autistic Blogger. (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2184118 Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:51:28 +0100 2184118 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2104904&cid=t_106100_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D790 I’m perfectly happy to think of alternative medicine as being a voluntary, self-imposed tax on the gullible (to paraphrase Goldacre again). But only as long as they do no harm and only as long as the obey the law of the land.  Only too often, though, they do neither. When I talk about law, I don’t [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2104904 Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:49:10 +0100 2104904 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2005723&cid=t_106100_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F12%2Fgifts-that-give-more.html As many of us gear up for the holiday season, purchasing gifts for everyone on our list can be difficult. This is especially true when we would rather not spend our money at Big Box stores that care little about where products are made, how the workers who made them were treated, and other factors that make being a conscious consumer a morally and ethically painful experience.With that thought in mind, here are suggestions for ways to give that will delight the recipients while also giving back something meaningful to the world at large. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, but it is a good start for those who wish to shop in a manner that has a ripple effect beyond the cash register.Global Exchange Fair Trade Store: fair trade gifts from around the worldThe Hunger Site Store: gift... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2005723 Tue, 02 Dec 2008 12:33:00 +0100 2005723 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1961800&cid=t_106100_133_f&fid=37107&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aspieweb.net%2Fgovt-sues-over-companion-dog%2F Apparently Federal Prosecutors have filed a lawsuit on behalf of a child with Aspergers Syndrome because his landlord placed burdensome restrictions on his need for a service dog including it had to be less then 10 pounds, carried through common areas, not be left alone for more than 2 hours, and $1 million USD in [...] (Source: AspieWeb.net) AspieWeb.net blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1961800 Sat, 15 Nov 2008 06:54:14 +0100 1961800 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1940919&cid=t_106100_88_f&fid=38129&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nma.gov.au%2Fshared%2Flibraries%2Fembedded_files%2Faussie_english_audio%2Ffair_go_audio%2Ffiles%2F15986%2FFair_Go.mp3 • Flat out as like a lizard drinking Extremely busy, under pressure Literal sense - to lie fully stretched out (like a lizard) Figurative sense - as fast as possible. Can be shortened - ‘we’re flat out like a lizard trying to clear the waiting room’.  • fairy bread Slices of white bread cut into triangles, buttered and sprinkled with tiny, coloured sugar [...] (Source: Life in the Fast Lane) Life in the Fast Lane blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1940919 Thu, 06 Nov 2008 03:21:48 +0100 1940919 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1853935&cid=t_106100_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D258 We know all about the sixteen or so universities that run “BSc” degrees in hokum. They are all “post-1992″ universities, which used to be polytechnics. That is one reason why it saddens me to see them destroying their own attempts to achieve parity with older universities by running courses that I would regard as plain [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1853935 Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:33:59 +0100 1853935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1779111&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fhurricane-sarah-continues-to-blow.html Never has a vice presidential selection caused such a firestorm of con and pro--or generated what can only be called hatred in some of her opponents. The conservative columnist Mona Charen thinks, as I do, that a lot of this is about Trig: From her column:Something about Sarah Palin set them [the MSM] off before their own politically correct impulses ("Must Avoid Sexism") could inhibit them. By the ferocity of the response, you might have thought Palin was a secret member of a polygamous cult or had forced her daughter to give birth after a rape. But no, she was just the mother of five, hunting, fishing, NRA member, and governor.I wonder if it was that baby.However, nothing stays static and the media hurricane over Sarah Palin is heading in a new direction, away from the baby and Bristol P... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1779111 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:48:00 +0100 1779111 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1773152&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=34825&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wesleyjsmith.com%2Fblog%2F2008%2F09%2Fstory-of-unconditional-love-birth-of.html Earlier today I posted that the NYT was planning a front page story on the birth of Trig Palin. I was inclined to expect the worst, but Secondhand Smokette told me to cool my jets until it came out. Good advice as always from Debra. The story is now out--and it is not a hit job--although it feels invasive, particularly when it discusses the reactions of Trig's siblings to his birth. And, the reporter makes a point that Palin is using her motherhood as a political prop in a whole new way; a fair comment, I think, given the "hockey mom" self definition. But I don't think she is using Trig, as the story seems to me to imply.But relevant to the issues we deal with here at SHS, "Fusing Motherhood and Politics in a New Way" casts a warm glow on the Palins' wholehearted embrace of their son. From... Secondhand Smoke blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1773152 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:13:00 +0100 1773152 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1677367&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F353651342%2F Under sustained pressure from AIDS activitists, the drugmaker has frozen the price charged to state-run ADAP programs for Isentress, a novel HIV med that was recently introduced. In a letter to the Fair Pricing Coalition, Merck writes that the launch price will now remain the same through the end of 2010, the POZ blog reports. The moves comes after the activist group last fall initiated an Internet protest asking the drugmaker to “set a price that offers a reasonable profit without worsening the economic problems faced by patients and payers.” The activist group has been concerned that Isentress pricing - $27 a day wholesale, or about $9,900 a year - would have hurt state-run AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. In talks with activists last year, Merck indicated it would price Isentress in l... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1677367 Sat, 02 Aug 2008 16:00:57 +0100 1677367 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1429289&cid=t_106100_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F286211908%2Fgiving_intelligence_fair_feedb.html   You’ll likely measure our workplace offerings fairly… only if you:1. Look more at evidence of our work … than approaches used to get there.2. Allow for the fact that our brains wire and operate differently from yours.3. Consider multiple intelligences tossed into the mix of our offerings.4. Ask questions that invite genuine solutions or parts of an answer.5. Create more pathways toward creations than trails toward criticisms.6. Expect inventions that could change and improve your workplace world.7. Demonstrate and model the benefits of  tone to the finish line.8. Welcome targets with wings that advance our workplace.9. Capitalize on brainpower based on new research about intelligence.10. Lay out expectations clearly  – with more brain ch... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1429289 Thu, 08 May 2008 17:57:57 +0100 1429289 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1409905&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F280811223%2F No sales reps need apply. But the agency hopes to fill more than 600 new positions and more than 700 others that have gone begging. Such as? FDA officials say they want biologists, chemists, medical officers, epidemiologists and statisticians as part of a “multi-year hiring initiative.” “It takes a large pool of talented people for the FDA to protect and promote the public health,” John Dyer, the FDA’s deputy commish for operations and chief operating officer, says in a statement. “Each month there is a delay in bringing critical staff on board impairs the agency’s ability to fulfill this mission.” The effort is a result of legislation and initiatives, such as the FDA Amendments Act of 2007 and the Import Safety Plan, which are designed to improve reviews and ov... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1409905 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:01:54 +0100 1409905 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1156046&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F217605830%2F The Fair Pricing Coalition, an independent community group that works to contain the prices of drugs used to treat HIV, is condemning price increases announced this week by Bristol-Myers Squibb, which failed to meet with the umbrella group, as most other drugmakers do, to discuss pricing. The increases, which ranged from 6.9 percent to 9 percent for all of Bristol’s HIV products “are well beyond any increases in the Consumer Price Index and above the increases taken by any other company”, says Martin Delaney of the FPC, in a statement. “These drugs have been on the market for several years and their development costs have long been recovered. There is no justification for this kind of increase.” Another FPC spokesperson, Lynda Dee of the AIDS Treatment Activist Coalition and AIDS... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1156046 Wed, 16 Jan 2008 12:20:02 +0100 1156046 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1124895&cid=t_106100_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2008%2F01%2F01%2F1314%2F Facebook me! (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1124895 Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:18:50 +0100 1124895 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1104491&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F202728534%2F Just 10 days after the UK’s Office of Fair Trading criticized Pfizer for a new distribution arrangement that may cost the government hundreds of millions of dollars in higher costs, AstraZeneca is moving ahead with previously announced plans to do the same thing. The drugmaker plans to supply its meds exclusively through just two distributors, the Unichem unit of Alliance Boots and Celesio’s AAH Pharmaceuticals, Reuters reports. Earlier this month, the OFT issued a report urging the government to reform the Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme to ensure the National Health Service costs don’t rise as a result of these changes in distributions, which other drugmakers are expected to adopt. The NHS spends around $12 billion a year on branded meds dispensed by retail pharm... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1104491 Wed, 19 Dec 2007 13:51:22 +0100 1104491 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1085977&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F198598704%2F A controversial plan that changes the way prescription meds are distributed to patients by drugmakers could add millions of pounds to NHS drugs bills and result in longer waiting times for patients, The Times of London reports. The Office of Fair Trading today published a report on the impact of a distribution deal between Pfizer, the world’s largest drug maker, which bypasses its traditional wholesale suppliers to sell directly to pharmacies through UniChem, the wholesaling arm of Alliance Boots. (Here is the report). The report said there is a “significant risk” of higher drugs cost to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the UK’s National Health Service and any further use of exclusive distribution arrangements by industry may also lead to lon... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1085977 Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:52:38 +0100 1085977 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1064935&cid=t_106100_109_f&fid=35677&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FBrainBasedBusiness%2F%7E3%2F193952051%2Fsurprising_news_from_neuroscie.html Would you agree that people tend to be hardwired to follow the golden rule? If this question intrigues you, you'll likely also be curious about new research that shows surprising results related to your brain and to ethical actions. Interestingly,  neuron pathways open to support you whenever you do something altruistic. At least that’s what Dr. Donald Pfaff discovered recently. In Pfaff’s new book, The Neuroscience of Fair Play, he shows how selfless acts swing into action from the same neural connections that fired to help up raise children with care.Dr. Pfaff shows how this nurturing neural circuitry seems to spring into action to help us help others. How so?Pfaff explains how ethics, fairness and care work from the brain’s perspective.Neurobiologically, ... BrainBasedBusiness blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1064935 Sun, 02 Dec 2007 17:15:48 +0100 1064935 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=934116&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F166783468%2F Two more drugmakers plan to use an exclusive distribution arrangement for their meds in the UK. Schering-Plough and NAPP Pharmaceuticals are expected to follow Pfizer and use just three wholesalers - AAH, Phoenix and UniChem, according to The Times of London. Last July, Sanofi-Aventis also announced the same move will occur shortly. The planned moves come even as the UK’s Office of Fair Trading is conducting an investigation into accusations the switch will reduce competition and have raised monopoly fears. Smaller wholesalers and some docs say the tactic is really a bid to fight parallel trade, a legal practice in Europe in which meds can be imported for resale into the UK. Critics also claim the new arrangements could present a threat to patient safety by raising the possibility of... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=934116 Mon, 08 Oct 2007 03:52:10 +0100 934116 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=916219&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F163669761%2F A coalition of AIDS groups worried about the cost of Isentress, a novel HIV med that’s expected to be approved by the FDA this month, is orchestrating an Internet protest asking the drugmaker to “set a price that offers a reasonable profit without worsening the economic problems faced by patients and payers.” The Fair Pricing Coalition, which held meetings with Merck, is circulating a statement noting that “the pricing of this treatment will have a major impact on the various publicly funded programs like Medicaid, Medicare, and the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, all of which are already straining at the breaking point.” While the group praises Merck’s historical track record in pricing AIDS meds, it also invokes the famous line uttered by George Merck: &... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=916219 Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:04:05 +0100 916219 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=868264&cid=t_106100_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F09%2F13%2Farif-jinha-floats-a-great-idea-for-hersheys-plant%2F Arif Jinha, federal NDP candidate in the riding of Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox-Addington, sent this letter to members of his facebook group, outlining a terrific idea for the soon-to-be-closed Hershey’s plant in Smiths Falls:   Fair Trade in Smiths Falls To members of Arif4MP Lanark Frontenac Lennox and Addington Hi supporters of me! You are making my political head swell, really. So here’s [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=868264 Thu, 13 Sep 2007 07:06:37 +0100 868264 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=835495&cid=t_106100_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F150628316%2F New York Times theater critic Jason Zinoman reflects on the September 2007 Vanity Fair article about Arthur Miller and his son Daniel in A New Stage for Arthur Miller’s Most Private Drama of Fathers and Sons. While Zinoman notes that Daniel had been “something of an open secret for years,” he also says in the same sentence that “most people did not learn” about Daniel until the recent Vanity Fair article—but not included in that phrase “most people” would be the disability community, who had indeed been aware of Daniel’s existence. Zinoman records the reactions of those who knew Miller—”It’s a subject that most people who knew Miller would rather not discuss”—and of others, such as James Kirchick in a blog on Comm... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=835495 Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:00:12 +0100 835495 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=828184&cid=t_106100_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F149298685%2F 45 years ago, playwright Arthur Miller institutionalized his infant son, Daniel Miller, at a state facility in Connecticut. Miller did not mention his son in his own autobiography and did not visit him. 40 years ago, Lena DeRose gave birth to her sixth child, Randy who, like Daniel Miller, has Down Syndrome. Notes the August 28th Daily Herald (Utah): [Now 84-year-old Rose] has had her son by her side since the day four decades ago when she told off a doctor for suggesting she leave her newborn in the care of the state. “I said ‘How can you insult me like that?’ ” Facing the ravages of age, including death, groundbreaking parents like Lena [sic] are among the first who have to ask themselves what will happen to their 40 and even 50-year-old mentally disabled sons or... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=828184 Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:30:14 +0100 828184 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=807038&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F145504563%2F The drugmaker slashed the price of its blood pressure medication by up to one third in the UK, but denies the move was related to a government report on drug pricing, PharmaFocus reports. The blockbuster hypertension treatment has been on the market for more than 10 years and is one of the most widely prescribed angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) in the UK. Coincidentally, ARBs were among a number of drug classes identified in the Office of Fair Trading’s report on pharmaceutical pricing earlier this year as being priced significantly out of line with patient benefits. Merck announced the price cut shortly after the government responded to the OFT report - saying it would overhaul the current drug pricing system - but the drugmaker insists the timing was purely coincidental. A Me... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=807038 Sat, 18 Aug 2007 13:56:44 +0100 807038 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=775571&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F140022140%2F The government wants to reach a new agreement with drugmakers to ensure taxpayers get value for their money, UK officials said today. As Reuters notes, the move is the latest example of governments around the world studying new ways to rein in the cost of drugs as medical advances and aging populations strain healthcare budgets. The UK move follows a report by a government consumer watchdog, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), which called in February for a radical overhaul of the current Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme and a shift to a more value-based approach. The OFT estimated the National Health Service could save around $1 billion a year by scrapping the existing system that regulates profits but gives drugmakers a free hand to set prices. Instead, the OFT believes the governmen... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=775571 Thu, 02 Aug 2007 17:45:05 +0100 775571 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=765963&cid=t_106100_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F138799844%2F And then there were three. Sanofi-Aventis has announced plans for a new exclusive distribution arrangement for its meds in the UK. Beginning Nov. 1, the drugmaker will use just three wholesalers - AAH, Phoenix and UniChem - the same type of move Pfizer began earlier this year and AstraZeneca plans to mimic as well. Until now, Sanofi used a number of big and small wholesalers. The new arrangement will allow Sanofi to “maintain the service levels that our customers experience today, while improving supply chain efficiency in the delivery of our medicines to patients,” Mike Isles, the drugmaker’s UK supply chain director, tells PharmaTimes. Pfizer, for instance, justified its own switch, in part, as a means of minimizing counterfeits. But wholesalers and some doctors say suc... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=765963 Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:15:40 +0100 765963 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=693280&cid=t_106100_133_f&fid=35096&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAutismVox%2F%7E3%2F127534454%2F Chicken nuggets (Chicken McNuggets in particular)—-French fries—-whose autistic child does not eat these? Someone told me somewhere back that their child did not, but anecdotal communications, and my unscientific observations of general eating habits, would suggest that if you fry it, they will eat it. That’s the conclusion of an article in today’s New York Times which lists the following as not only fryable, but having been and currently being fried: pickles, Oreos, alligators, Twinkies, strawberries and avocados (in southern California), peanut butter-jelly-and-banana sandwiches, lettuce and Coke. (For the last item, you’ll have to head to the Texas State Fair where “a visionary named Abel Gonzales Jr. was able to create deep-fried Coke last year by mi... Autism Vox blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=693280 Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:36:57 +0100 693280 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=828598&cid=t_106100_129_f&fid=36013&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.myibsstory.com%2Fonline-ibs-health-fair%2F The IBS Self Help and Support Group has joined the Revolution Health Fair, an online event launched in partnership with 10 national nonprofit organizations who each host a virtual “booth.” Tags: health fair, health issues, ibs, IBS StoriesTechnorati Tags: health fair, health issues, ibs, IBS Storieshealth fair, health issues, ibs, IBS Stories (Source: My Irritable Bowel Syndrome Story) My Irritable Bowel Syndrome Story blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=828598 Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:58:32 +0100 828598 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=690031&cid=t_106100_135_f&fid=35263&url=http%3A%2F%2Fronhudson.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F06%2Frevolution-health-fair.html This is a press release from Revolution Health. Please take a moment to visit their healthfair. You may find some useful information on any number of diseases.I’m writing today with some important news, information that we hope you will pass along to your readers. The National Family Caregiver Association has joined the Revolution Health Fair, an online event launched in partnership with 10 national nonprofit organizations who each host a virtual “booth.” Until the end of June, for every visitor to a partner organization’s booth Revolution Health will make a donation to that partner for a total of up to $10,000.We hope you’ll let your readers know about this. They’ll get valuable information and help the groups who advocate for them to prosper. If you have any questions, pleas... 2sides2ron blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=690031 Fri, 22 Jun 2007 14:03:00 +0100 690031 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=612005&cid=t_106100_87_f&fid=34865&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecancerblog.com%2F2007%2F05%2F16%2Fcancer-by-the-numbers-melanoma%2F Filed under: Skin Cancer, Cancer by the NumbersWe're still basking in the hot sun, bronzing our bodies in tanning beds, and playing outdoors without slathering on the sunscreen. What will it take, I wonder, for our society to catch on, to take real steps toward preventing skin cancer?It seems education isn't enough. Most of us know by now all it takes is one bad sunburn to increase our risk of skin cancer, yet we continue to collect burn after burn after burn. Perhaps like all habit-forming behaviors -- think smoking -- it takes something tragic in our lives to inspire change. When someone we know gets lung cancer after a lifetime of smoking or someone we know develops melanoma after years of sunbathing, maybe we get the hint. MaybeNow, I know you don't personally know this young woman -- ... The Cancer Blog blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=612005 Wed, 16 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 612005 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=611807&cid=t_106100_111_f&fid=34712&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdigitaldoorway.blogspot.com%2F2007%2F05%2Fflowers-human-rights-fair-trade-and.html So, you've heard about Fair-Trade Coffee, wherein indigenous coffee-growers and harvesters earn living wages via trade practices which honor workers' rights, human rights, and the inevitable environmental impact of coffee growing, including widespread pesticide and herbicide use. Dean's Beans, Global Exchange, Equal Exchange, and other progressive companies have catapulted this practice into the mainstream, and Middle America is beginning to understand how its thirst for coffee can fuel worker exploitation and environmental degradation.That said, places like Starbucks (no link needed---they don't need free advertising) pay some lip service to fair trade, inconsistently offering one or two fair-trade flavors, but could do a great deal more to support the cause. With their profits through th... Digital Doorway blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=611807 Sat, 12 May 2007 15:41:00 +0100 611807 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=587990&cid=t_106100_133_f&fid=35452&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.graphictruth.com%2F2007%2F05%2Forielly-less-nuanced-than-father.html In this study, O'Reilly is a heavier and less-nuanced user of the propaganda devices than Coughlin."tag: Hate Speech, Hate Radio, conservative radio, Authoritarianism, integrety. Bill O'Rielly, Fair and BalancedYou can syndicate this site using our atom feed. (Source: Graphictruth) Graphictruth blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=587990 Thu, 03 May 2007 04:00:00 +0100 587990 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=515040&cid=t_106100_85_f&fid=34692&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpolitedissent.com%2Farchives%2F1609 Today on Pullet Dissent, I’ll take a look at some notable entries from the recent San Diego Chicken-Con: Plucky Owner: M. Sterling An early season favorite from a long and distinguished line. Plumage looks good, though the beak is a little unimpressive. Grade: B+ Kirk Owner: D. Wright Another strong contender from the California powerhouse. I expect multiple 4-H ribbons from the specimen, with a State Fair championship to top off the season. Grade: A Nitro Owner: K. Church Every since splitting off from the family fried chicken business, Church has been struggling to find the right competitor. This year, I think he’s finally done it, and his Nitro should give Kirk a run for his money. Grade: A- Funky Chicken Owner: D. Campbell A master of chickens from the 9... Polite Dissent blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=515040 Sun, 01 Apr 2007 18:27:02 +0100 515040 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=495606&cid=t_106100_135_f&fid=35247&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmyjourneywithaids.wordpress.com%2F2007%2F03%2F03%2Fgazette%25e2%2580%2599s-tale-of-two-cities-hits-close-to-home%2F This morning’s Montreal Gazette hits home, emotionally and almost literally, with its feature “Tale of Two Cities” (under Editor’s Picks). Comparing two small cities - Salaberry-de-Valleyfield (pop. +/- 40,000), in the extreme southwestern corner of the province, and Rivière-du-Loup (pop. 22,439), several hundred kilometers to the northeast – the newspaper contrasts the economies, and the fortunes [...] (Source: My journey with AIDS) My journey with AIDS blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=495606 Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:51:23 +0100 495606