Little Brother Forum

Jonathan Saltzman/Boston Globe/September 28, 2007,

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and its subsidiary, Apothecon, have agreed to pay more than $515 million to settle a broad array of federal and state civil allegations involving their drug marketing and pricing practices, US Attorney Michael J. Sullivan said today.

The government alleged that from 2000 to mid-2003, BMS paid illegal remuneration to physicians and other healthcare providers to get them to promote BMS drugs. The payments were in the form of consulting fees and other programs, some of which involved travel to luxurious resorts.

The prosecutors also said that from 2002 through 2005 BMC promoted the sale and use of Abilify, an atypical antipsychotic drug, for pediatric use and to treat dementia-related psychosis, both of which were “off-label” uses. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug to treat adult psychiatric disorders but not for use in children, teenagers, or for dementia-related illnesses.

Doctors are allowed to prescribe drugs “off-label,” but companies are not allowed to promote drugs for those uses. (more…)

Military faces big hurdles in goals for mental health care

Gregg Zoroya/USA TODAY/September 28, 2007

The Pentagon said it would take at least eight months to complete major improvements to its mental health program, which treats troops with post-traumatic stress disorder and other conditions.

The military made the announcement this week in response to a task force report issued in June that found mental health care for the troops and their families “woefully inadequate.”

The Pentagon said that key issues such as hiring more mental health caregivers and increasing coverage under the military’s health care system, could not be met until May of next year or later. (more…)

Parija B. Kavilanz/CNNMoney.com/September 27, 2007

NEW YORK — Wal-Mart announced Thursday that it has extended its year-long $4 generic prescription drugs program to include 24 new prescriptions.

The company said the program will now cover more categories to include glaucoma, attention deficit disorder/attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD), fungal infections and acne.

Fertility and prescription birth control will also be included at $9. The retailer said that its prices for these medications will save women an estimated $15 to $21 a month, or $180 to $250 annually.

“The savings were a big deal 12 months ago and an even bigger deal today for customers struggling with spiraling healthcare costs,” Dr. John Agwunobi, Wal-Mart senior vice president and president for the professional services division, said in a statement.

Wal-Mart (Charts, Fortune 500), the world’s largest retailer, launched its $4 generic drugs initiative a year ago in all its Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations. During that period, Wal-Mart claims that it has saved customers a total of $613 million.

In a conference call with reporters an analysts, Wal-Mart Stores chief operating officer Bill Simon said it calculated the total savings by calculating the price difference between the branded drugs and the $4 generic versions and multiplying it with the number of prescriptions.

“While we will continue to improve and expand our generic drugs program, we call on government, businesses and medical establishments to find a viable solution to the healthcare crisis in the country,” Simon said. (more…)

AP/September 25, 2007

GENEVA - A cholera outbreak in Iraq is spreading, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, with new cases confirmed in Baghdad, Basra and for the first time three northern districts.

The number of confirmed cases has now reached 2,116, WHO said. Just a day earlier a WHO official put the number of confirmed cases at 1,652. Eleven people have died of the disease so far. (more…)

John-Henry Westen/LifeSiteNews.com/September 20, 2007

As Canada, in large part due to aggressive behind the scenes lobbying, rolls out the not-comprehensively-tested Merck HPV vaccine for girls as young as nine, a look at developments on the vaccine south of the border should cause Canadians serious concern. In the United States a similar lobby campaign by the same company launched the mass HPV vaccination of girls beginning in June last year.

In just little over a year, the HPV vaccine have been associated with at least five deaths, not to mention thousands of reports of adverse effects, hundreds deemed serious, and many that required hospitalization. (more…)

By Nancy Scola/AlterNet/September 19, 2007

Anyone hearing about central India’s ongoing epidemic of farmer suicides, where growers are killing themselves at a terrifying clip, has to be horrified. But among the more disturbed must be the once-grand poobah of post-invasion Iraq, U.S. diplomat L. Paul Bremer.

Why Bremer? Because Indian farmers are choosing death after finding themselves caught in a loop of crop failure and debt rooted in genetically modified and patented agriculture - the same farming model that Bremer introduced to Iraq during his tenure as administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority, the American body that ruled the “new Iraq” in its chaotic early days.

In his 400 days of service as CPA administrator, Bremer issued a series of directives known collectively as the “100 Orders.” Bremer’s orders set up the building blocks of the new Iraq, and among them is Order 81*, officially titled Amendments to Patent, Industrial Design, Undisclosed Information, Integrated Circuits and Plant Variety Law, enacted by Bremer on April 26, 2004. (more…)

By FRANK BASS/AP/August 20, 2007

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. — People in the United States are living in a world of pain and they are popping pills at an alarming rate to cope with it.

The amount of five major painkillers sold at retail establishments rose 90 percent between 1997 and 2005, according to an Associated Press analysis of statistics from the Drug Enforcement Administration.

More than 200,000 pounds of codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and meperidine were purchased at retail stores during the most recent year represented in the data. That total is enough to give more than 300 milligrams of painkillers to every person in the country.

Oxycodone, the chemical used in OxyContin, is responsible for most of the increase. Oxycodone use jumped nearly six-fold between 1997 and 2005. (more…)

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released the most extensive research to date on the impacts of environmental toxins on children’s health. The report indicates that over 30% of childhood diseases can be linked to exposure to environmental toxins. According to WHO researchers, 13 million deaths could be prevented annually by improving the environment. The vulnerability of children is increased in degraded and poor environments. The report states that due to environment-related diseases, one in five children in the poorest parts of the world will not live longer than their fifth birthday.

Source: www.who.int/en/

WASHINGTON (August 7, 2007) – The water at American beaches was unsafe for swimming a record number of days last year, according to the 17th annual beach water quality report released today by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Using data just collected from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the report, “Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,” tallied more than 25,000 closing and health advisory days at ocean, bay and Great Lakes beaches in 2006. The number of no-swim days caused by stormwater more than doubled from the year before.

“Vacations are being ruined. Families can’t use the beaches in their own communities because they are polluted. Kids are getting sick – all because of sewage and contaminated runoff from outdated, under-funded treatment systems,” said Nancy Stoner, director of NRDC’s water program. (more…)

Center for Health, Environment  and Justice, 7/10/07

(New York, NY) A new national study released today found for the first time ever that over 60% of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging tested contains toxic heavy metals that violate state toxics in packaging laws in 19 states. Inks and colorants used on plastic shopping and mailing bags were the other packaging materials with frequently detected heavy metals. The study was conducted by the Toxics In Packaging Clearinghouse, a network of nine state environmental agencies coordinating toxics in packaging legislation. (more…)