Medical devices and equipment
New St. Jude heart pumping device proves superior to older model: study | ReutersSt. Jude Medical Inc's new, smaller HeartMate 3 heart pumping assist device proved superior to its older HeartMate II in advanced heart failure patients, according to the first data from a large trial presented on Wednesday.
Pharmaceuticals
Most doctors don’t cite cost as a factor when deciding treatments | STATThe rising cost of medicines may be a growing problem for many Americans, but a new survey finds that cost is generally not a key factor when doctors decide which treatments to prescribe their patients.
One employer fights against prescription drug abuse | The Wall Street Journal
A handful of companies are trying strong medicine to limit employees’ use of prescription painkillers like OxyContin. Engine-maker Cummins Inc. is one of the few large employers aggressively responding to opioid misuse in their ranks. After managers found evidence of drug activity in one of its plants in 2013, the Columbus, Ind., company now requires personnel to take drug tests for prescription painkillers and encourages employees to seek alternatives to their use.
Study shows promise for expensive cholesterol drugs, but they are still hard to obtain | The New York Times
More and more cholesterol drugs have become available. But the expensive treatments are usually denied by 80-90% of insurers.
Safety, quality and clinical practice
Should the public be trained to do CPR on overdose victims? | STATOverwhelmed by the opioid crisis, public health agencies across the US and Canada are increasingly training the public to use the overdose antidote drug naloxone. Now, with more potent narcotics hitting the streets, a debate is springing up over whether that’s enough — or whether the public should also be trained to use CPR techniques such as chest compressions or rescue breathing.
