Four of the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States can cost 15 percent more on average in the poorest neighborhoods of Florida, according to a study comparing retail pharmacy prices around the state.
Six major illnesses common among Americans age 65 and older cost more than $196 billion in 2007, according to estimates by researchers at RTI International.
Exposure may occur when a worker handles drug vials; compounds, administers, or disposes of hazardous drugs; cleans spills; or touches contaminated surfaces.
Consumers and health care professionals can now go to a single page on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Web site to find a wide variety of safety information about prescription drugs.
"The sale of these products not only puts the public at risk through unjustified reliance upon their usefulness as pesticides, but also unfairly undercuts legitimate businesses that have registered their products," said Katherine Taylor, associate director of EPA's Communities and Ecosystems Division for the Pacific Southwest region.
CDC is reminding the public that tomorrow is National Latino AIDS Awareness Day, which seeks to increase awareness of the disproportionate effects of HIV/AIDS in the Hispanic/Latino population living in the United States.
The Consumer Healthcare Products Association, an association that represents most of the makers of nonprescription over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medicines in children, has said it will modify product labels to state "do not use in children under 4," and will introduce new child-resistant packaging and measuring devices for use with the products.
In response to the low rates of influenza immunization among health care personnel, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) has announced its support for requiring flu immunization for health care workers who have direct patient contact as well as ancillary staff.
Health experts from the Wildlife Conservation Society has released a report that lists 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change, with potential impacts to both human and wildlife health and global economies.
According to the report, in a typical year about 36,000 die from influenza infection.
Developed by CDC, the Human Influenza Virus Real-Time RT-PCR Detection and Characterization Panel can differentiate between seasonal and novel influenza. HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt calls it "a significant achievement for public health surveillance."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has awarded $24 million to fund 55 projects in 29 state and local public health departments that could serve as innovative approaches for influenza pandemic preparedness.
As part of the partnership, ADA representatives will continue to provide expertise in updating the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention and the Dentistry Safety and Health Topics pages.
OSHA's inspection found that the office did not provide the injured employee with no-cost, post-exposure medical evaluation and follow-up, and did not have the blood of the source individual tested, as required under OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a new Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit Monday for an estimated 4,100 industrial facilities in 29 different sectors to implement stormwater pollution prevention plans to protect water quality.
Among other measures, the agency is proposing to require bottled water manufacturers to test for the bacterium E. coli, an indicator of fecal contamination, if any coliform organisms are detected in source water or finished bottled water products.
TB has again become a public health problem in London, with an estimated 46,000 crack cocaine users there, the authors say.
With new hazards emerging weekly, ensuring safer, more secure environments is more challenging than ever before. The importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is constantly being brought to the forefront by natural disasters, such as wildfires, flooding in America’s heartland, tornados, and hurricanes; as well as health concerns about pathogenic microorganisms, such as MRSA and H5N1 virus (avian flu).
To bring greater attention to the critical need to protect patients and the public from the risk of infection, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) is urging every state to recognize International Infection Prevention Week (IIPW) Oct. 19-25, 2008. APIC said its goal is to have all 50 states and Congress issue proclamations recognizing IIPW 2008.
Ken Haller, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University, has an important reminder for parents as cold and flu season approaches: Skip the over-the-counter medications for children.