Information technology
Pa. lawmakers consider bill to set telemedicine standards, require insurance coverage | statescoop.comPennsylvania lawmakers are now considering a bill to define what constitutes telemedicine in the state and that directs insurers to cover the use of telehealth technology for treatment.
Medical devices and equipment
Medtronic warns doctors on heart valve delivery system after 19 deaths reported | Minneapolis Star-TribuneHeart-device maker Medtronic is warning doctors worldwide to use extra care when inserting a popular new kind of heart valve in some patients, following reports of 19 deaths from severe blood vessel trauma.
FDA widens use of Edwards' devices for heart valve replacement | Reuters
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has widened the use of Edwards Lifesciences Corp's heart valves to patients at intermediate risk of complications if they underwent open heart surgery.
Pharmaceuticals
EpiPen corporation drastically jacks up the price of life-saving product by 400%, sending patients scrambling | New York Daily NewsSaving the life of an allergic child has gotten a lot more expensive. Doctors and patients are blasting the Mylan pharmaceutical corporation for hiking up the price of their signature EpiPen product from around $100 in 2008 to a staggering $500 and up today — a 400% increase.
As drug pricing transparency bill stumbles in Sacramento, battle turns to November's ballot | Los Angeles Times
An effort to shed more light on prescription drug prices sputtered in the Legislature on Wednesday, dealing a setback to a burgeoning national movement to rein in healthcare expenses by curbing the cost of medication.
Physicians
Tepid registration to track prescription abuse prompts urgent call in Massachusetts | Boston GlobeAn online drug-tracking program aimed at curbing abuse of opioids and other prescription drugs is slated to launch Monday, but many healthcare providers still haven't registered to use the system, prompting an urgent call to action Wednesday from Massachusetts' physician's association.
Safety, quality and clinical practice
Mom's diet may lead to ADHD | Genetic Engineering NewsBritish researchers say children of mothers who ate a diet high in fat and sugar during pregnancy may be more likely to suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. A study published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry finds epigenetic changes evident at birth and leading to conduct problems and ADHD as a result of such a diet.
