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 'freedom of information'. Sat, 03 Sep 2011 02:22:01 +0100 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=5159029&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D4683%26utm_source%3Drss%26utm_medium%3Drss%26utm_campaign%3Dprofessor-geoffrey-petts-of-the-university-of-westminster-says-they-are-not-teaching-pseudo-science-the-facts-show-this-is-not-true Jump to follow-up On 23rd May 2008 a letter was sent to the vice-chancellor of the University of Westminster, Professor Geoffrey Petts Dear Professor Petts   You may be aware an article by Zoe Corbyn, published in Times Higher Education 24 April 2008, with the title Experts criticise ‘pseudo-scientific’ complementary medicine degrees.   The subtitle of the article was Vice-chancellors should re-examine courses, say campaigners.  In the light of that, we wondered whether you had anything to add to the comments made by David Peters in todays THE.  We are preparing a response to that, and it seems fair to ask your view before we proceed. (In order to save you time, copies of the two articles are attached.)   As an expert on... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=5159029 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 15:37:57 +0100 5159029 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4775406&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2Fmaterial-world-part2-220307.mp3 One of my first posts about nonsense taught in universities was about the University of Westminster (April 2008): Westminster University BSc: “amethysts emit high yin energy”. since then, there have been several more revelations. Jump to follow-up Professor Petts The vice-cnancellor of Westminster, Professor Geoffrey Petts, with whom the buck stops, did have an internal review but its report was all hot air and no action resulted (see A letter to the Times, and Progress at Westminster). That earned Professor Petts an appearence in Private Eye Crystal balls. Professor Petts in Private Eye (and it earned me an invitation to a Private Eye lunch, along with Francis Wheen, Charlie Booker, Ken Livingstone . . ). It also earned Petts an appearence in the Guardian (The opposite of... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4775406 Tue, 03 May 2011 08:10:00 +0100 4775406 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4676758&cid=t_148404_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FAw33lCK0gZo%2F By Julian SanchezThe Electronic Frontier Foundation has unearthed an interesting case of an improper use of surveillance in an investigation where the FBI had obtained "roving wiretap" authority. In a bizarre turn, the Bureau ended up eavesdropping on young children rather than their adult suspects for five days. The case is generating some attention because that same "roving wiretap" authority is one of the three surveillance powers set to expire in late May. The thing is, on the basis of what I can glean from the heavily redacted document EFF obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request, it's not a case involving misuse of the roving authority. But it is a good concrete example of why the roving authority needs to be modified. First, a bit of background: Roving wiretaps in criminal ... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4676758 Mon, 04 Apr 2011 15:54:39 +0100 4676758 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4592369&cid=t_148404_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2F6l3b7Oy1uew%2F By George Scoville How can we have an "adult conversation" on the budget if the White House won't release its budget and deficit projections to the public? A new guide to India's uneven spread of economic freedom could help state-level policymakers there improve the welfare of citizens there. "When the Cato guy tells you someone is corrupting the idea of HSAs, pay attention." Despite having the bully pulpit, and despite touting opinion polls in favor of reform, the Obama administration finds it necessary to use taxpayer funds to tell Googlers what's best for them. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has doubled down on the social issues truce--Cato's John Samples talked about this on Friday on the Cato Daily Podcast: Monday Links is a post from Cato @ Liberty - Cato Institute Blog (Source: C... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4592369 Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:17:19 +0100 4592369 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4331241&cid=t_148404_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F8xGmflYIDG4%2F An unusual sideshow to the ongoing controversy over the Provenge prostate cancer vaccine has ended - for now - as a federal appeals court has rebuffed a long-running attempt by a group of investors and patients to force the FDA to turn over documents pertaining to the agency’s decision in 2007 to delay approval of the prostate cancer vaccine. The group, which calls itself Care To Live, hoped to overturn a federal court decision denying them access to FDA documents, which they believe may reveal the agency improperly handled the 2007 episode. At the time, the agency ignored the recommendation of its own advisory committee after two committee members privately wrote FDA officials not to approve the vaccine, which is made by Dendreon. Allegations subsequently emerged that the two panelists... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4331241 Mon, 10 Jan 2011 13:57:00 +0100 4331241 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4266267&cid=t_148404_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2FrpFWtBGMpYA%2F This may seem like a moot point in some circles, but a group of activist investors and patients have filed a lawsuit against the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in hopes of forcing the agency to disclose its reasons for conducting a so-called National Coverage Analysis for the controversial Provenge prostate cancer vaccine. The move comes one month after a CMS advisory panel voted that Dendreon’s Provenge shows “clinically significant” improvement in survival as part of the NCA process, which was triggered by questions raised by Medicare contractors amid concerns over off-label use. Such a meeting is unusual, though, given that Medicare generally pays automatically for FDA-approved oncology meds. And so Care To Live, which is also locked in a legal battle with the FDA ... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4266267 Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:11:38 +0100 4266267 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=4167972&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3675 Jump to follow-up The mainstream media eventually catch up with bloggers. BBC1 TV (Wales) produced an excellent TV programme that exposed the enormous degree validation scam run by the University of Wales. It also exposed the uselessness of the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Both these things have been written about repeatedly here for some years. It was good to see them getting wider publicity. Watch the video of the BBC programme, "Week In Week Out – University Challenged." “The programme examines how pop stars and evangelical Christians are running colleges offering courses validated by the University of Wales.” (I make a brief appearance, talking about validation of degrees in Chinese Medicine). In October 2008 I posted Another worthless validation: the Un... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=4167972 Mon, 15 Nov 2010 20:45:22 +0100 4167972 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3780345&cid=t_148404_87_f&fid=36438&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeedproxy.google.com%2F%7Er%2FCato-at-liberty%2F%7E3%2FbR8M2lag0Lk%2F By David RittgersThe Associated Press is reporting that persons filing requests under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with the Department of Homeland Security during the last year faced scrutiny beyond what the law requires. Career employees were ordered to provide Secretary Janet Napolitano’s political staff with information about the people who asked for records — such as where they lived, whether they were private citizens or reporters — and about the organizations where they worked. If a member of Congress sought such documents, employees were told to specify Democrat or Republican. This, despite President Barack Obama’s statement that federal workers should “act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation” under FOIA, and Attorney General Eric Holder&#821... Cato-at-liberty blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3780345 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:31:54 +0100 3780345 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3687108&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D3200 Western herbal medicine need not be mystical nonsense, but it usually it is,  Plants often contain chemicals that have pharmacological actions, with all the possibilities for good and for harm that implies (see Plants as medicines).  It would be quite possible to teach about the plant constituents and their actions in an entirely scientific way, but it seems that this is not what courses in herbal medicine choose to do.  That is why they shouldn’t be called Bachelor of Science degrees. We have recently revealed the ancient nonsense taught at Middlesex University in its "BSc (Hons)" degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine in Dangerous Chinese medicine taught at Middlesex University as well as similar dangerous gobbledygook from the University of Westminster:... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3687108 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:17:47 +0100 3687108 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3460167&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2923 There is something very offensive about the idea that a ‘bachelor of science’ degree can be awarded by a university, as a prize for memorising gobbledygook. Once the contents of the ‘degrees’ has been exposed to public ridicule, many universities have stopped doing it. All (or nearly all) of these pseudo-degrees have closed at the University of Salford, the University of Central Lancashire, Robert Gordon University, the University of Buckingham, and even at the University of Westminster (the worst offender), one course has closed (with rumours of more to follow). I’ve already written about the course in Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University of Salford (Chinese medicine -acupuncture gobbledygook revealed) and at the University of Westminster: see... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3460167 Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:51:20 +0100 3460167 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3453909&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2914 Yet another university has stopped its homeopathy course. The particular interest of this course was that it was being run at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, the vice-chancellor which was Michael Pittilo, until his recent premature death. Pittilo is the person who recommended to the government that herbalists and Chinese medicine practitioners should get honours degrees and be regulated like doctors. His report, was, in my opinions, disastrously bad.  It recently emerged that this, very bad, advice would not be accepted by the Department of Health (DH), so the campaign against the Pittilo proposals, on this blog and elsewhere was successful. The alternative DH proposals look pretty silly, but we won’t really know until after the election exactly what will happen. ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3453909 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 06:04:10 +0100 3453909 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3429197&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2881 Conclusions I’ll confess to feeling almost a little guilty for having appeared to persecute the particular individuals involved in thie episode. But patients are involved and so is the law, and both of these are more important than individuals,  The only unfair aspect is that, while it seems that even the Prince of Wales’ Foundation for Integrated Health has rejected Daniel and Atkinson, that Foundation embraces plenty of people who are just as deluded, and potentially dangerous, as those two.  The answer to that problem is for the Prince to stop endorsing treatments that don’t work. As for the University of Buckingham. Well, despite the right wing maverick Kealey and the ‘anti-evidence’ Miles, I really think they’ve done the right thing. They’ve li... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3429197 Thu, 01 Apr 2010 06:37:46 +0100 3429197 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3266931&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2747 Every single request for information about course materials in quack medicine that I have ever sent has been turned down by universities, It is hardly as important as as refusal of FoI requests to see climate change documents, but it does indicate that some vice-chancellors are not very interested in openness. This secretiveness is exactly the sort of thing that leads to lack of trust in universities and in science as a whole. The one case that I have won took over three years and an Information Tribunal decision against the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) before I got anything. UCLAN spent £80,307.95.(inc VAT at 17.5%) in legal expenses alone (plus heaven knows how much in staff time) to prevent us from seeing what was taught on their now defunct “BSc (Hons) homeopa... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3266931 Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:59:15 +0100 3266931 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3149064&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2628 The purpose of this post is to reveal a few samples of things that are taught on a homeopathy ‘degree’ course. The course in question was the "BSc Hons homeopathy course at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). Entry to this course was closed in 2008 and, after an internal review, UCLAN closed almost all of the rest of its courses in alternative medicine too. The university is to be commended for this . The purpose of making public some of what used to be taught is not to embarrass UCLAN, which has already done the sensible thing, but to make it clear that the sort of thing taught on such courses is both absurd and dangerous, in the hope of discouraging other courses .Three years after I first asked for teaching materials, the Information Commisioner ruled th... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3149064 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:56:33 +0100 3149064 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3135514&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2618 Can’t resist another bit of straight plagiarism. In this week’s Times Higher Education, the inimitable Laurie Taylor wrote this. Rock around the clock Professor Georgina Kunzite, the Head of our Department of Crystal Healing, has reacted strongly to the recent High Court ruling that the University of Central Lancashire must hand over teaching materials from its defunct homeopathy course to a campaigning sceptic. Speaking to our reporter, Keith Ponting (30), she said she had no intention of acceding to any similar request for materials from her own oversubscribed course in crystal therapy. Such a move, she argued, risked undermining the power of the crystals, which were notoriously wary of attempts to question their curative validity. She had initially been disconcerted by... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3135514 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:08:32 +0100 3135514 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=3071160&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2485 Conclusion 62 It is for these reasons that we uphold the Decision Notice. We record our gratitude for the helpful and succinct submissions of counsel on both sides and the incisive contribution of Professor Colquhoun. We wish to add that, whilst we have not accepted the great majority of the arguments advanced by UCLAN, we do not in any way seek to cast doubt on the veracity of the evidence of its witnesses, nor the honesty and loyalty with which they have sought to serve its interests. 63 Our decision is unanimous. Signed David Farrar Q.C.   Watch this space to see what can now be revealed. Follow-up (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=3071160 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:34:49 +0100 3071160 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2912193&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D2351 Conclusion I was told by the Univerity of Kingston that “The course is one which the University has validated and continues to be subject to the University’s quality assurance procedures, such as internal subject reviews, annual monitoring and external examining” The only conclusion to be drawn from this is that “quality arrurance procedures” work about as well in universities as they did in the case of baby Peter. No doubt they were introduced with worthy aims. But in practice they occupy vast amounts of time for armies of bureaucrats, and because the brain does not need to be engaged they end up endorsing utter nonsenes. The system is broken. Resistance is futile.  You can see a lot of the stuff here It is hard to keep secrets in the internet age. Thanks ... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2912193 Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:15:26 +0100 2912193 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2613856&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 Jump to follow-up .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008,... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2613856 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2613856 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2610924&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1899 .The University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) is the first place I asked to see teaching materials that were used on its homeopathy “BSc” course. The request was refused, and subsequent internal appeals were refused too, Clearly UCLAN had something to hide. An appeal to the information commissioner took almost two years to be judged, but the case was won. The eventual decision by the Information Commissioner rejected all the grounds that UClan had used to evade the Freedom of Information Act. UClan appealed against the judgement and I still haven’t got the stuff but that hardly matters now, because the course in question shut its doors. In any case, plenty of stuff from similar courses has leaked out already. Meanwhile, in September 2008, UCLAN announced an in... DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2610924 Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:21:41 +0100 2610924 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2452318&cid=t_148404_86_f&fid=36669&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffadelibrary.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F06%2F05%2Ffreedom-of-information-in-the-nhs%2F Title: Freedom of information in the NHS The Skinny: This Briefing comes in response to the increasing number and complexity of requests NHS Confederation members are receiving under the FOI Act. It is intended to be used as a practical guide to help NHS organisations fulfil the spirit of the legislation in the most timely and efficient way. It identifies: The incidence of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made to NHS organisations is increasing and demand is likely to grow between now and the next general election. A clear process for dealing with FOI requests saves time, energy and money. Making more information publicly available on the web and via a publication scheme reduces the need for requests to go through the FOI process. NHS organisations need to consider whether specific F... Fade Library blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2452318 Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:20:04 +0100 2452318 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=2414824&cid=t_148404_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D1364 On 24 July 2006, I sent a request to the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN), under the Freedom of Information Act  (2000)   I asked to see the teaching materials that were used on their BSc Homeopathy course.  The request was refused, citing the exemption under section 43(2) of the Act (Commercial Interests).  Two internal reviews were then held. These reviews upheld and the original refusal on the grounds of commercial interests, Section 43(3), and additionally claimed exemption under Section 21 “that is reasonably accessible to applicants by other means (upon the payment of a fee)….i.e. by enrolling on the course….” In 21 October 2006 I appealed to the Office of the Information commisioner. (The”public authority” means... DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=2414824 Thu, 16 Apr 2009 20:04:15 +0100 2414824 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1997017&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D454 Jump to follow-up It’s hard enough to communicate basic ideas about how to assess evidence to adults without having the effort hindered by schools. The teaching of quackery to 16 year-olds has been approved by a maze of quangos, none  of which will take responsibility, or justify their actions, Consider, for example, Edexcel Level 3 [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1997017 Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:57:36 +0100 1997017 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1876630&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D259 It seems that validation committees often don’t look beyond the official documents. As a result, the validations may not be worth the paper they are written on. Try this one. One of the best bits of news recently was the downfall of Matthias Rath.  He’s the man who peddled vitamin pills for AIDS in Africa, and encouraged [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1876630 Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:07:27 +0100 1876630 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1790645&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D256 Today is a good day for anyone who deplores dangerous confidence tricksters. In particular it is a good day for Ben Goldacre, and for the Guardian who defended him at potentially enormous expense. Matthias Rath, the Dutch (or is it German) vitamin salesman has dropped his libel action against the  Guardian. He is the man [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1790645 Sat, 13 Sep 2008 22:52:22 +0100 1790645 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1734446&cid=t_148404_90_f&fid=36413&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D249 Jump to follow-up The first major victory in the battle for the integrity of universities seems to have been won. This email was sent by Kate Chatfield who is module leader for the “BSc” in homeopathic medicine at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). from Kate Chatfield… Dear All, It’s a sad day for us here at UCLan [...] (Source: DC's goodscience) DC's goodscience blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1734446 Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:20:16 +0100 1734446 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1252799&cid=t_148404_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Ffull-text-of-downing-street-briefing.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1252799 Sun, 24 Feb 2008 09:48:00 +0100 1252799 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1241812&cid=t_148404_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fmeeting-which-started-npfit.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1241812 Tue, 19 Feb 2008 19:41:00 +0100 1241812 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1212317&cid=t_148404_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F230378457%2F As a congressional committee moves closer to deciding on whether to hold hearings into the controversy over the Dendreon’s Provenge prostate-cancer vaccine, a non-profit group and the FDA are locked in a battle over documents that may shed light on why approval was delayed. So far, though, the FDA has turned over only a few documents, and so the non-profit group, Care To Live, has filed a new complaint charging the agency with violating the Freedom of Information Act. You may recall that an FDA advisory panel last spring recommended approval. But then two FDA panel members wrote the agency urging delay and the FDA shortly thereafter agreed. However, the group’s lawsuit claims the panel members held undisclosed financial conflicts of interest - one panel member serves on the adv... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1212317 Wed, 06 Feb 2008 16:13:50 +0100 1212317 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1207191&cid=t_148404_113_f&fid=34636&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rodspace.co.uk%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fforthcoming-release-of-downing-street.html (Source: Informaticopia) Informaticopia blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1207191 Tue, 05 Feb 2008 09:06:00 +0100 1207191 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=1142535&cid=t_148404_111_f&fid=36048&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.b5media.com%2F%7Er%2Fb5media%2FAHeartyLife%2F%7E3%2F214594498%2F I thought that this was blog news worthy. It isn’t just about cardiac blogging or heart disease per se, but it gives bloggers much like me, and readers much like you, more access to bring you the very best by being obtained easier! President Bush signed into law the “OPEN Government Act of 2007” on December 31, 2007 after it passing through the Senate and House of Representatives without issue or comment. …the legislation substantially reforms the Freedom of Information Act and expands the definition of who is a “representative of the news media” under FOIA. This change would significantly benefit bloggers and non-traditional journalists by making them eligible for reduced processing and duplication fees that are available to “representatives of t... A Hearty Life blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=1142535 Thu, 10 Jan 2008 20:29:54 +0100 1142535 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=894332&cid=t_148404_150_f&fid=35777&url=http%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2F%7Er%2FPharmalot%2F%7E3%2F160594879%2F The FDA is pleading for more time to produce documents requested by a lawyer for use in hundreds of Vioxx lawsuits. Eric Weinberg last April filed a lawsuit against the FDA after the agency failed to provide documents or offered incomplete files in response to 11 Freedom of Information requests he made between October 2004 and August 2006, Health Law 360 reports (subscription required). Weinberg, who accused the FDA of unreasonable delays, is seeking Vioxx media ads, the personal calender and other info from former FDA chief counsel Dan Troy, and communications between the agency and Merck. As the newsletter notes, the FDA is supposed to respond to FOIA requests within 20 days, but there are exceptions. The FDA, typically, cites an extraordinary volume of requests, some of which are more c... Pharmalot blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=894332 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:52:58 +0100 894332 http://www.medworm.com/index.php?rid=914858&cid=t_148404_97_f&fid=36415&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdcscience.net%2F%3Fp%3D158 Curiouser and curiouser. Not only have we the curious case of Dr Marks, but Holford’s CV on his web site, and as submitted to the University of Tesside, has alway said that his degree from the University of York in experimental psychology was taken in 1973 - 1976. But an enquiry to the [...] (Source: DC's Improbable Science) DC's Improbable Science blogs http://www.medworm.com/rss/comments.php?id=914858 Sat, 08 Sep 2007 21:49:51 +0100 914858