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FDA warnings for existing drugs dominate pharmaceutical news this month. These warnings represent a new push by the FDA to regulate existing drugs for safety after they have been approved for marketing. It also comes at a time when the FDA is cleaning up its advisory committee processes, especially with regard to limiting potential conflict of interest by advisory committee members.
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Whether it's new onset or established disease, the PCP has an arsenal of diagnostic tests available. The array of tests, however, can be quite daunting in identifying the right test to order, especially in light of sensitivity and specificity, not to mention cost. This issue provides the PCP with a comprehensive survey of the diagnostic tests available, a guide to selection, an estimate of cost, and limitations of each test.
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Starting next month, hospices will have to report to Medicare all nursing, hospice aide, and social worker visits made for patients. Then a few months later, the new conditions of participation (COPs) will be finalized, which will require greater attention to documentation of services and quality.
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Providers of home health services and other post-acute services provided in patients' homes frequently observe that patients are discharged from hospitals who are still in need of acute care.
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Many seniors quit taking drugs for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and high blood pressure when they exceed their drug plan's yearly spending limits, according to a recently released study by the Rand Corp.
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The patient lies on a gurney in the operating room and needs to be transferred and positioned onto the table. As OR nurses and techs assess this situation, one thing is clear: The anesthetized patient isn't going to be able to help with the transfer.
