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Pacira Sues FDA over Pain Drug Marketing Restrictions

Brendan Pierson  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. on Tuesday filed a lawsuit seeking a court order allowing it to promote its post-surgery pain drug, Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension), for a wide range of surgeries, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration opposes. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, cites another New York judge’s recent…

Electronic Health Records Software Often Written Without Doctors’ Input

Kathryn Doyle  |  

(Reuters Health)—The reason why many doctors find electronic health records (EHR) difficult to use might be that the software wasn’t properly tested, researchers suggests. Current guidelines and industry standards suggest that new EHR software should be tested by at least 15 end users with a clinical background to make sure they are usable and safe…

Patients Steered to Fewer Pharmacies May Fill More Prescriptions

Lisa Rapaport  |  

(Reuters Health)—When patients have drug benefits that encourage them to save money by using certain pharmacies, they may end up filling more prescriptions, a company-funded study suggests. Narrow pharmacy networks that cover prescriptions only at certain retailers and drug benefits that offer consumers lower out-of-pocket fees at a subset of preferred pharmacies have become more…

Regulatory Backlog in Emerging Nations Adding Years to Drug Approvals

Reuters Staff  |  

BASEL (Reuters)—A regulatory backlog in developing countries including China has created wait times for drugs awaiting approval of up to seven years, Roche Holding AG Chief Executive Severin Schwan said on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, time lines are getting longer and longer in countries like China,” Schwan said at an oncology event at the Swiss company’s headquarters…

New Recommendations Support Effective Use of Telemedicine in Primary Care

Will Boggs, MD  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—The American College of Physicians (ACP) has issued a baker’s dozen of recommendations intended to guide the effective use of telemedicine in primary care settings. “The recommendations balance the potential benefits and expanded use of telemedicine with the importance of maintaining the patient-physician relationship and patient safety,” Hilary Daniel from American College…

U.S. Doctors Group Says Planned Health Mergers Are Anti-Competitive

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters)—Two proposed mergers of U.S. health insurers worth tens of billions of dollars would hurt competition in commercial health plans in as many as 17 states, the American Medical Association, the U.S. group that represents physicians, said on Tuesday. Aetna Inc. announced plans to buy smaller rival Humana Inc. in early July and…

Small Grants Fund Physical Activity to Combat OA

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To increase access to community-based physical activity for arthritis patients, the Osteoarthritis Action Alliance has awarded funding to three programs designed to implement evidence-based physical activity programs and osteoarthritis education in their communities…

Can Childhood Fitness Predict Adult Knee Problems or OA?

Arthritis Care & Research  |  

An Australian study found an association between child physical performance measures and adult knee structures. The data, collected from three points in participants’ lives, revealed a link between childhood activity and adult tibial cartilage volume and bone area.