Lawyers and Business Executives in the News™

FDA Panel Mulls Ban on Kids' Cold Medicines

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how  a panel of experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will consider banning the sale of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for young children.Such a ban already has the support of safety experts at the FDA, who published a 365-page review on the issue in late September. Any recommendation from the advisory panel would apply to decongestant use in children under 2, and antihistamines in those younger than 6. While the FDA does not have to follow a panel's recommendation, it usually does. According to the FDA safety review, decongestants and antihistamines have been linked with 123 pediatric deaths since 1969. Many outside experts are also in favor of restricting children's access to cold remedies.You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

Woman loses 95 pounds, trains for marathons

                                                                                                           Dr. Mark Vincent Sofonio and Dr. Bobby Bhasker-Rao and are maximizing their influence among 60 million viewers on TIME WARNER TV, as well on AOL Television, iTunes, and CBS on The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy.  See them now on AOL Television, iTunes and CBS by clicking here. They also were  just featured on The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. You can watch their TV shows by clicking here, here and here.

Both Dr. Sofonio and Dr. Bobby appreciated this story about how Kelly Pless began walking, without any real goal or expectation. Pless believed that if she just focused on eating less and moving more, everything would fall into place. Eventually, she started to run or "shuffle" as she jokingly recalls. She also adopted an "eat to live" philosophy and satisfied her cravings for sweets by eating lots of fruit. "I changed how I felt about food and what it meant to me," said Pless, who occasionally indulges in a bite of birthday cake or a piece of chocolate. "One of the first things I cut out was cakes and cookies. That was my weak spot. After a few months of cutting those things out, I focused more on portion control," said Pless. "I pretty much eat when I'm hungry and don't eat when I'm not and really try to pay attention to when those times are. Make sure I'm not eating out of boredom or [at] social events, I try to make sure I'm not overeating, just because everyone else is."  Pless pays close attention to societal pressure, which she believes is the reason many people overeat. Restaurant servings are about three times bigger than a normal portion size, she says. She makes sure she doesn't overeat when dining out simply because the food is there.

For additional information about this show, our guests and additional shows, please contact Steve Murphy @ 818-762-6800 x20 or steve@prlawinc.com. You can reach Dr. Sofonio at 760-341-5555, or email kylejames@drsofonio.com; Dr. Bhasker-Rao at 760-778-5220

FDA considers expanding drug sales

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how a change may be brewing for U.S. drugstores: The government is mulling more "behind-the-counter" sales, to let patients buy certain medicines directly from pharmacists without a doctor's prescription. The Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday that it was seeking public reaction to such a switch, including whether it would ease access for the uninsured. "This is an issue that has been raised by pharmacists, by manufacturers, by patients," said Ilisa Bernstein, FDA's director of pharmacy affairs. Today, most U.S. drugs either require a prescription or are sold in a traditional over-the-counter method — no prescription required, just grab a bottle and head for the cashier. "Behind-the-counter" sales offer a middle ground. Last year, the FDA allowed the emergency contraceptive Plan B, also called the morning-after pill, to be sold without a doctor's note to women 18 and older — but only by pharmacies that checked women's photo identification before handing over the pills. Minors still require a prescription. You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

Interest keen on infections from surgery

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how a national campaign, Stop Hospital Infections, organized by Consumers Union is backing federal legislation to make hospital infection rates public in the belief that an informed patient is a safer patient. The organization says 10 people die every hour from infections acquired in hospitals. "We’re definitely entering a new era," said Lisa McGiffert, campaign manager for Stop Hospital Infections. "People are beginning to understand these measures as fundamental to awareness of how safe a hospital is and starting to believe infection rates are something they need to know before they undergo surgery." The only surgical infection data publicly available in most states are statistics concerning the use of antibiotics in surgery. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services releases "process data" for nearly every hospital in the country on percentages of patients who receive antibiotics an hour before surgery; the number of patients who get specific antibiotics for certain surgical procedures; and the number who have antibiotics stopped within 24 hours of surgery, which is important in avoiding the creation of drug-resistant bacteria. You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

Medicare premium rise less than usual

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how Elderly and disabled people will see their Medicare premiums rise 3.1 percent next year to $96.40 a month — the lowest increase in six years. The good news is temporary, though. The formula used to calculate the premium assumes that physicians will take a 10 percent cut in their reimbursement rates next year, an unlikely occurrence. If, as expected, Congress acts to offset some of that pay cut or to eliminate it, premiums in future years would go up to reflect the additional expense. Another factor in the lower-than-usual premium increase was the fixing of an accounting error that otherwise would have added $2.50 to beneficiaries' monthly premiums in 2008. You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

Medicare hotline needs help, study says

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how customer satisfaction with a toll-free help line for Medicare beneficiaries appears to be dropping based on interviews conducted earlier this year by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services. The 1-800-Medicare line is a critical resource used by millions of elderly and disabled Americans, as well as their family members. Tens of thousands of people call the number each day, and on some days, the number of calls can exceed 100,000. Investigators randomly contacted beneficiaries and others who had called the hot line one week in late January. They found a satisfaction rate of 71 percent, which is a drop of 13 percentage points when compared to a similar series of interviews conducted three years earlier. You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

Study: Law prompts drop in heart attacks

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how a study released Thursday credits New York's 2003 Clean Indoor Air Act with an 8 percent drop in heart attacks statewide because of reduced exposure to second-hand smoke. The report, issued by the state Health Department, found that hospitals admitted 3,813 fewer patients for heart attacks in 2004 than would be expected in New York without the indoor smoking ban. Studies elsewhere have reached similar conclusions. In one case, the rate of admissions for heart attacks returned to normal after the ban was lifted. Admissions for strokes associated with the smoking ban remained unchanged in New York, according to the report, which was published in The American Journal of Public Health. You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

Doctors hope to tailor treatments to genes

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how the treatment that more cancer patients receive may one day depend on their genes. With an increasing number of biological clues available, doctors hope they will be able to customize more patients' treatments based on their genetic profiles. In research presented at a meeting of the European Cancer Organization in Barcelona, experts said this week that these clues will help doctors determine not only which patients will probably develop cancer, but even those who will relapse, or be suitable for specific treatments. "We are going to witness a revolution in cancer treatment," said Dr. Martine Piccart, head of medicine at the Institut Jules Bordet in Belgium. "In a few years, we will be able to fully demonstrate how powerful these new technologies are."You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

Computers Help Docs Spot, Treat Infections

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how reducing infections can save lives. Some state governments also require reporting about infections, something computers make easier. Hospitals are about to lose Medicare reimbursement for some infections patients. A recent report Metzger co-authored notes that infections acquired during treatment hit one in 20 hospital patients in the U.S. That amounts to 2 million people a year. The infections lead to 100,000 deaths and $5 billion to $6 billion in health costs annually, the study said, citing a report by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. "Hospitals have been the caretakers of the very ill for the last 25 years. The healthy don't end up in the hospital anymore," said Dr. David Classen, a pioneer in infection management systems who now works with First Consulting. You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com

CDC touts ample supply of flu vaccine

                                                                                 This is the 21st century of media technology, and Paul Passanante is maximizing his influence among 60 million viewers on AOL Television, iTunes, CBS and The InsiderExclusive   TV Show with Steve Murphy. Paul was also just selected for and interviewed on "America's Premier Laywers" (www.americaspremierlawyers.org) and The LawBusiness Insider www.lbishow.com, which is featured in Fortune Magazine and broadcast worldwide on American Airlines and Northwest Airlines. He is currently reviewing - and has the experience to fully analyze - this story about how new CDC data show only a fraction of people who need flu shots the most get them, including just one in five babies and toddlers. And there's wide geographic variation, with Rhode Island reporting the most high-risk adults vaccinated and Nevada the fewest. Shots aren't the only option. Wednesday, the government ruled that it's safe for younger kids than ever before to try a nasal-spray vaccine called FluMist. Once only an option for people ages 5 to 49, FluMist now can be used by children as young as 2. Flu usually peaks in February, so a winter vaccination isn't too late. Still, Gerberding advised seeking vaccine early in case flu begins striking before the usual November. Indeed, there already are reports of sick schoolchildren in Hawaii, although the geographic distance makes it impossible to predict if that signals an unusually early flu season for the rest of the country. Perhaps of more concern, CDC is closely monitoring whether a new strain that emerged near the end of Australia's flu season will cause illness here — a strain that this year's vaccine doesn't specifically target. You can reach Mr. Passanante at 314-241-2929, or email ppassanante@spstl-law.com