Medical Malpractice: Debunking the Myths

Over the past few years, medical malpractice has taken center stage in the news over so called “tort reform.”  You may have heard a number of myths about doctors, medical malpractice and the civil justice system.  Here are the facts:

FACT 1-  Medical negligence is a serious national problem: Up to 195,000 patients die each year from preventable medical errors in hospitals.

FACT 2- According to the American Medical Association, the number of doctors has INCREASED in ever state over the last several years:  Some claim the number of physicians is decreasing due to malpractice liability insurance premiums.  This is simply not the case.

FACT 3- Malpractice claims are NOT driving up doctors’ insurance premiums:  Premiums rise and fall with the state of the economy.  Inflation and other insurance-industry forces drove up doctors’ insurance premiums more than lawsuits.  In fact, insurers raise rates even when their casualty payouts decreas.

FACT 4- Malpractice claims do NOT drive health-care costs up:  Malpractice costs amount to less than two percent of overall health-care spending and have remained so for years.

FACT 5- Caps on claims awards do NOT lower doctors’ malpractice insurance premiums:  Insurance premiums in states with caps are nearly ten percent higher than in states without caps.

FACT 6- Insurance reform does NOT lower medical malpractice insurance rates:  Premiums in California rose 450 percent between the passage of a cap law in 1975 and meaningful insurance reform in 1988.

FACT 7-  High premiums are the direct RESULT of bad insurance-industry conduct:  A coalition of public-interest organizations found that malpractice premiums increase when investment values decreas.

FACT 8- The insurance industry makes annual windfall PROFITS:  Insurers earned an estimated $65 billion in 2007.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of medical malpractice, the attorneys at the Manchin Injury Law Group have the combination of experience, dedication, and resources to ensure that your claim is fought the right way.  For a free consultation, call us today at 304-367-1862.

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Weekly legal news roundup: 2/13-2/17

A look at national legal news this week:

NYTimes criticizes ALEC’s influence on state legislatures.

An editorial in the New York Times (2/13, Subscription Publication) notes the influence of the American Legislative Exchange Council on state legislatures. The Times says legislatures around the nation “have spent the last year taking the same destructive actions” because the efforts are “being backed — in some cases, orchestrated — by” ALEC, “a little-known conservative organization financed by millions of corporate dollars.” ALEC “has written model legislation on a host of subjects dear to corporate and conservative interests, and supporting lawmakers have introduced these bills in dozens of states.” The Times adds, “Lawmakers who eagerly do ALEC’s bidding have much to answer for. Voters have a right to know whether the representatives they elect are actually writing the laws, or whether the job has been outsourced to big corporate interests.”

Increasing generic drug use may save health insurers $1 billion.

The Buffalo Business First (2/10, Drury, Subscription Publication) reported, “With more than 35 name-brand drugs expected to become available in generic form in 2012, health insurers expect to see savings of more than $1 billion in the next few years.” According to the piece, “the savings come as patent protections expire for drugs, allowing for less-expensive generic alternatives to some of the most commonly prescribed drugs.” Notably, “the average cost of a brand-name drug is around $190, gross cost, while the average generic is $26.”

FDA plans to expand inspection operations in China.

The National Journal (2/14, Sanger-Katz, Subscription Publication) reports that should it receive its requested funding, “the Food and Drug Administration will be spending $10 million next year to expand its inspection operations in China.” The Journal adds, “According to Patrick McGarey, the agency’s assistant commissioner for budget, that total will include $4.4 million for food inspection and $5.6 million for inspection of drug plants.” This “budget request reflects a recognition of the growing number of drugs, foods and ingredients coming from abroad.” Since 2009 the FDA has maintained an office in China, “but McGarey said the new funds would allow the agency to expand its footprint.”

Lawyers claim dozens of Zoloft cases were wrongly removed to federal court.

Aboutlawsuits.com (2/15) reported that motions filed this week claim that dozens of lawsuits brought against Pfizer for birth defects allegedly caused by its anxiety drug Zoloft “were improperly removed from state court systems.” Pfizer last month sought to consolidate about 59 Zoloft cases before a federal judge in Manhattan for pretrial proceedings as multidistrict litigation. Most of the cases were originally filed in a Philadelphia court. Plaintiffs’ counsel argue that consolidating the lawsuits “would reward Pfizer for artificially creating a number of federal lawsuits.” If the cases are treated as multidistrict litigation, plaintiffs ask in the alternative that the cases be combined in a federal court in eastern Pennsylvania or that cases involving the Pennsylvania firm allegedly responsible for preparing patient education materials on the drug be excluded from the multidistrict proceedings.

Counterfeit drugs may be on the rise in US.

The AP (2/16, Johnson) reports, “The discovery that a fake version of the widely used cancer medicine Avastin [bevacizumab] is circulating in the United States is raising new fears that the multibillion-dollar drug-counterfeiting trade is increasingly making inroads in the US” According to the AP, “the criminal practice has largely been relegated to poor countries with lax regulations” but “with more” drugs “in the US being manufactured overseas, American authorities are afraid more counterfeits will find their way into this country, putting patients’ lives at risk.” The fake bevacizumab “discovery follows other recent instances in the US of counterfeiting, involving such drugs as Viagra [sildenafil citrate], the cholesterol medicine Lipitor [atorvastatin] and the weight-loss” medication “Alli [orlistat].”

The Wall Street Journal (2/16, B1, Rockoff, Whalen, Weaver, Subscription Publication) reports injectable medications are increasingly become popular with counterfeiters because they command greater prices than regular drugs. Although the number of reports of fake injectable drugs is small, counterfeiting of these drugs has more than doubled to 4% during a four year span, according to the Pharmaceutical Security Institute. Because these injectable drugs are most often used for life threatening diseases such as cancer, many healthcare professionals are concerned.

Needlestick injuries down since NSPA implementation.

HealthDay (2/16, Preidt) reports, “The number of needlestick/sharps-related skin puncture wounds suffered by health care workers in the United States has fallen since” the implementation in 2001 of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA), which “requires employers to provide safety-engineered devices to employees who are at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens and to let frontline workers have a say in selecting these devices. … The Act also mandated that the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revise its standard for the handling of bloodborne pathogens, incorporating the new requirements.” The study was reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Man suffers severe injuries after e-cigarette explodes in his mouth.

On its website, ABC News (2/16, Conley) notes that 57-year-old Vietnam vet Tom Holloway is recovering at a burn center in Florida, “after suffering severe injuries from an electric cigarette that exploded in his mouth.” Chief Butch Parker of the North Bay Fire District “said the explosion knocked out all Holloway’s teeth and part of his tongue.” ABC News adds, “E-cigarettes are currently not regulated by the FDA.”

US charges three insurance agents in $100 million fraud scheme.

Bloomberg News (2/17, Pettersson) reports, “Three insurance agents based in New York and Florida were charged with using straw buyers to obtain more than $100 million in life insurance policies they resold to third-party investors.” Michael Binday, 48, of New York; James Kevin Kergil, 57, of Peekskill, NY, and Mark Resnick, 56, of Orlando, FL, “were charged with conspiracy, fraud and obstruction of justice, Preet Bharara, the US attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement today. ‘These three insurance agents concocted an elaborate scheme, using straw buyers and third-party agents, to deceive life insurance providers into issuing policies to unintended beneficiaries,’ Bharara said.”

The Westchester Journal News (2/17, Klappholz) reports, “The three were accused of conspiring to defraud major insurance companies into issuing life insurance policies valued at more than $100 million to straw buyers that actually were paid for and benefited investors. Binday, Kergil and Resnick earned millions of dollars in commissions from their scheme and even arranged to purchase policies from straw buyers for themselves to gain the benefits when the buyers passed away, the US Attorney’s Office said in a news release. According to the release, the scam spanned the past five years as they recruited older clients of modest means as ‘straw buyers’ to apply for policies, promising them payments that would come from reselling the policies.”

Wrongful-death lawsuit filed against Walgreens for misfilled prescription.

The Louisville Courier-Journal (2/17, Riley) reports that in Kentucky, the estate of Mary Moore, of Louisville, “has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Walgreens drugstore in Jeffersontown and one of its pharmacists, claiming she died as the result of getting the wrong prescription.” In the lawsuit, which was filed on Feb. 15 in Jefferson Circuit Court, Moore’s family alleges that “presented a prescription to Walgreens for hydralazine, a high blood pressure medication, in November 2010 but instead received an antihistamine, hydroxyzine.” The decedent “had previously been hospitalized with high blood pressure, congestive heart failure and kidney failure, according to the suit, which claims hydroxyzine is a high-risk medicine for the elderly that’s known to cause confusion and oversedation.” According to the lawsuit, “Moore was not given counseling regarding the medication she was given, where the pharmacist would have noticed the mistake.”

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In the News: Five Sue Eastern Associated Coal for negligence

The West Virginia Record is reporting on a recent lawsuit filed by attorney Timothy J. Manchin.  Here’s the story:

MORGANTOWN — Five employees are suing Eastern Associated Coal after they claim they were exposed to dangerous levels of methane gasses while working in a mine in Monongalia County.

John Renner, Randel Coffindaffer, Blair McGill and Patriot Coal Corporation were also named as defendants in the suit.

John Palmer, Scott Lepka, Clif Tennant, DeWayne Jarvis and Robert Hillberry were employed by Patriot Coal at the Federal 2 mine in Monongalia County, according to a complaint filed Jan. 25 in Monongalia Circuit Court.

The plaintiffs claim during their employment there were at least 19 occasions when Renner detected dangerous levels of methane gasses in the mine, but failed to evacuate the mine and falsified the readings in the record book.

As a result of the defendants’ conduct, the mine was idled for an extended period of time, which caused economic loss to the employees, according to the suit.

The plaintiffs claim the defendants exposed them to a high degree of risk of harm and death.

The defendants intentionally exposed the plaintiffs and others similarly situated to serious injury or death by their outrageous and unlawful conduct, which caused severe emotional distress; annoyance and inconvenience; and economic losses, according to the suit.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages. They are being represented by Alex J. Shook, Jacques R. Williams and Timothy J. Manchin.

Monongalia Circuit Court case number: 12-C-42

The attorneys at the Manchin Injury Law Group are here to help when you have been injured due to the carelessness of others.  For a free consultation, call us at 304-367-1862.

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“Hot Coffee” Documentary Sheds Light on the Civil Justice System in America

A new documentary entitled “Hot Coffee” is examining the civil justice system in the United States.  “Hot Coffee” is an excellent portrayal of four individuals’ struggles within the American civil justice system, why the right to trial by jury is so extremely important, and how Americans are slowing losing this important Constitutional Right.  From the film’s website, comes a more detailed synopsis:

The civil justice system has been under heavy attack for over 25 years.

Despite the fact that federal legislation has never been successful, big business interests have won in the hearts and minds of average people. They launched a public relations campaign starting in the mid-80’s and continuing over the last two decades to convince the public that we have out of control juries, too many frivolous lawsuits and a civil justice system that needs reforming.  They have used anecdotes, half-truths and sometimes out and out lies in their efforts, for one purpose – to put limits on people’s access to the court system, the one and only place where an average citizen can go toe to toe with those with money and power and still have a shot at justice.

Because of the success of the public relations campaigns, paid for by tobacco, pharmaceutical and insurance companies, to name a few, our civil justice system is not impartial. Jurors have been led to believe that a large verdict will affect their pocketbooks. Voters believe that we have a court system out of control that needs reforming.  Although there are consumer advocacy groups who have attempted to set the story straight, there has yet to be enough money to launch the kind of public relations campaign for consumers that can even begin to combat and challenge the public relations campaigns of pro-business and tort reform groups. Over the last few years, however, documentary films and independent film festivals have become a vehicle for alternative ideas to get a public forum.

Because almost everyone has heard about the McDonald’s coffee case, and most people believe they know what it’s about, this project has a fascination for people. Of course, we go much further into the debate than just the McDonald’s coffee case, but the case is a vehicle for people to think about their long held beliefs and whether they are valid.  We think this movie has the potential, with the right funding and effort, to really change the way people think about our civil justice system and access to the courts.

The documentary starts off with the story that almost every person in America thinks they know- how one person won a large monetary figure from spilling hot coffee on her lap.  However, what the media didn’t explain that this film does, is that the company from which the coffee was purchased knew that the coffee served was hot enough to cause third degree burns and, in fact, had settled over 700 claims from people who had been burned from this issue.  More from the website:

FAQ ABOUT THE McDONALDS COFFEE CASE

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED?

Stella Liebeck, 79-years-old, was sitting in the passenger seat of her grandson’s car having purchased a cup of McDonald’s coffee. After the car stopped, she tried to hold the cup securely between her knees while removing the lid. However, the cup tipped over, pouring scalding hot coffee onto her lap. She received third-degree burns over 16 percent of her body, necessitating hospitalization for eight days, whirlpool treatment for debridement of her wounds, skin grafting, scarring, and disability for more than two years.

Despite these extensive injuries, she offered to settle with McDonald’s for $20,000. However, McDonald’s refused to settle for this small amount and, in fact, never offered more than $800.

The jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages — reduced to $160,000 because the jury found her 20 percent at fault — and $2.7 million in punitive damages for McDonald’s callous conduct. (To put this in perspective, McDonald’s revenue from coffee sales alone was in excess of $1.3 million a day.) The trial judge reduced the punitive damages to $480,000, but did state that McDonald’s had engaged in “willful, wanton, and reckless” behavior. Mrs. Liebeck and McDonald’s eventually settled for a confidential amount. The jury heard the following evidence in the case:

  • McDonald’s Operations Manual required the franchisee to hold its coffee at 180 to 190 degrees Fahrenheit;
  • Coffee at that temperature, if spilled, causes third-degree burns (the worst kind of burn) in three to seven seconds;
  • Third-degree burns do not heal without skin grafting, debridement and whirlpool treatments that cost tens of thousands of dollars and result in permanent disfigurement, extreme pain and disability of the victim for many months, and in some cases, years;
  • The chairman of the department of mechanical engineering and bio-mechanical engineering at the University of Texas testified that this risk of harm is unacceptable, as did a widely recognized expert on burns, the editor in chief of the leading scholarly publication in the specialty, the Journal of Burn Care and Rehabilitation;
  • McDonald’s admitted that it has known about the risk of serious burns from its scalding hot coffee for more than 10 years — the risk was brought to its attention through numerous other claims and suits, to no avail;
  • From 1982 to 1992, McDonald’s coffee burned more than 700 people, many receiving severe burns to the genital area, perineum, inner thighs, and buttocks;
  • Not only men and women, but also children and infants, have been burned by McDonald’s scalding hot coffee, in some instances due to inadvertent spillage by McDonald’s employees;
  • McDonald’s admitted at trial that its coffee is “not fit for consumption” when sold because it causes severe scalds if spilled or drunk;
  • McDonald’s admitted at trial that consumers are unaware of the extent of the risk of serious burns from spilled coffee served at McDonald’s then required temperature;
  • McDonald’s admitted that it did not warn customers of the nature and extent of this risk and could offer no explanation as to why it did not;
  • Liebeck’s treating physician testified that her injury was one of the worst scald burns he had ever seen.
  • McDonald’s did a survey of other coffee establishments in the area, and found that coffee at other places was between 30-40 degrees cooler.
  • Moreover, the Shriner’s Burn Institute in Cincinnati had published warnings to the franchise food industry that its members were unnecessarily causing serious scald burns by serving beverages above 130 degrees Fahrenheit. In refusing to grant a new trial in the case, Judge Robert Scott called McDonald’s behavior “callous.” Morgan, The Recorder, September 30, 1994.

This outstanding documentary can be viewed through Netflix, HBOGO, or can be purchased here.

The Trailer:

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Assisting victims of catastrophic injuries

Our firm often helps victims from all walks of life who have suffered catastrophic injuries.  One thing all of our clients have in common is that they have been harmed by another’s carelessness.  They have been injured by drunk or reckless drivers, negligent property owners, companies that have violated federal or state safety laws, or the actions of uncaring corporations who, often times, place profits over people.  None of our clients ever wanted to be harmed or injured.  Nor have any of our clients ever intended to bring a claim.

Our clients come to us because they need someone to stand up for them and make sure that they are treated fairly by insurance companies and others.

The Manchin Injury Law Group works hard to secure our clients’ futures when their current situation has turned their lives upside down.  In the short term, that means getting their medical bills paid and their lost wages replaced.  At the end of the day, it is our job to secure full and fair compensation for their injuries.

The Manchin Injury Law Group is known throughout North Central West Virginia for more than the settlements we obtain for our clients.  We are also known for the people we assist, the ways in which we help our clients, and for the lives that we help put back together.

At the Manchin Injury Law Group, our attorneys do more than just try cases.  Our attorneys help repair the lives of those who have suffered catastrophic injuries and have had their lives and futures compromised due to the carelessness of others.

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Personal Injury damages: What are “Pain and Suffering” damages?

Some people refer to non-economic damages as “pain and suffering” damages or damages for “emotional distress.”  That’s not really correct.  Non-economic damages compensate those harmed for many things that are not easily measured in terms of money, including physical injuries such as the loss of a limb, scars, and disfigurement, and blindness, as well as nonphysical injuries such as fright and shock, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of society and companionship of a loved on.

Many trial lawyers believe that referring to non-economic damage verdicts simply as compensation for “pain and suffering” or “emotional injury” trivializes the real harms non-economic damage verdicts are meant to compensate.

These real injuries are often as important or more important to the injured person as the losses that can be directly converted into dollars.

Also known as quality-of-life damages, “pain and suffering” compensation covers the most severely injured patients, such as people who are paralyzed and can’t use the bathroom without assistance, or a bran-damaged child who will never attend school, get married, or work.

The attorneys at the Manchin Injury Law Group have the experience and energy to help injured victims of negligent acts.  If you or a loved one has been injured do the negligence of another, call the Manchin Injury Law Group today for a free consultation at 304-367-1862.

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Weekly Legal News Digest: 1/30/12-2/3/12

Here’s a glimpse of whats been happening this week in the law:

Hospitals can do more to protect patients.

An article in the February issue of Washingtonian magazine (2/1, Vaida), entitled “Minor Mistakes, Deadly Results,” produced with Kaiser Health News, reports on causes and prevention methods for hospital malpractice. Citing federal estimates that in 2010, faulty medical care contributed to the deaths of 15,000 Medicare patients each month, it says the core reasons are that hospitals “are hierarchical organizations resistant to change, they haven’t done enough to create environments in which patient safety is a priority, and they’ve been reluctant to share patient-safety data with the public.” Examining the patient safety efforts of five Washington area hospitals, the author found them employing such strategies as using checklists, enforcing hand-washing rules, breaking down hierarchical communication barriers and moving to digital records. Checklist use can help prevent the estimated 40 “wrong-site” operations occur in the US each week, and Johns Hopkins cut ICU bloodstream infections by 90 percent by consistently using checklists.

BP seeks to exclude evidence, seal testimony in oil spill case.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune (1/31, Mowbray) reports that in the forthcoming trial over liability for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill, “a central piece of BP’s defense strategy has become clear: seal testimony and strike evidence. Over the past few months, BP has filed motions to exclude a number of different pieces of information, including any evidence of prior criminal proceedings or run-ins with regulators, past safety debacles such as the deadly 2005 explosion of the company’s refinery in Texas City, Texas, evidence on how employee compensation was tied to cutting costs, and key portions of former BP Chief Executive Tony Hayward’s deposition testimony.” While companies are also trying to seal exhibits so that they would not be discussed in open court or made part of the record of the trial, scheduled to begin February 27, a federal magistrate ruled Monday that all exhibits will be in the public record unless a company can show “serious competitive harm.”

Judge rules BP contract shields Halliburton from paying oil spill costs. The AP (2/1) reports from New Orleans that US District Judge Carl Barbier “ruled Tuesday that Halliburton can avoid paying most of the pollution claims that resulted from the catastrophic 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill because it was shielded in a contract with well-owner BP.” Judge Barbier ruled, however, that Halliburton “is not exempt from paying punitive damages and civil penalties that arise from the April 20, 2010, blowout off the Louisiana coast. Those penalties could amount to billions of dollars. The judge also said Halliburton’s indemnity could be voided if the company is found to have defrauded BP.”

Military healthcare carrier fined $10 million for defrauding government.

USA Today (2/1, Kennedy) reports, “One of the Pentagon’s major health care contractors, which is fighting to keep its multibillion-dollar contract, recently paid a $10 million fine to the federal government to settle a Justice Department suit over claims the company failed to pass on savings to the military.” TriWest Healthcare Alliance, “a consortium of non-profit groups in the West, is one of three main contractors for Tricare, the Pentagon’s health care program. It paid the government in September to settle a case in which four employees claimed the company defrauded the government by keeping savings it generated while working on the contract.”

Researchers to study impact of BPA on children.

Cleveland Plain Dealer (2/1, Tribble) reports, “In 2008, the Food and Drug Administration advised that food packaging containing BPA was safe. Since then, additional research has raised issues — and the biggest concerns are about the chemical’s effect on our children.” For example, “Consumer-safety advocates and scientists fear that the chemical leaches into foods from can linings and rubs off on people’s hands when they touch thermal, or heat-activated, receipts.” The piece notes, “Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, believes the impact can occur even after a baby leaves the womb. Biro and a team of researchers have a $4.6-million National Institutes of Health grant to follow 1,239 girls for five years.”

Pfizer recalls birth control pills.

The CBS Evening News (1/31, story 10, 0:25, Pelley) reported, “Pfizer is recalling about a million packets of birth control pills. The drug maker says a packaging problem may leave women with an inadequate dose. Pfizer says there’s no health risk, just a greater chance of unintended pregnancy. You can find the names of the recalled pills at CBSNews.com.”

Honda loses small-claims suit over Civic Hybrid fuel economy.

The Los Angeles Times (2/2, Hirsch, Times) reports, “The owner of a Honda Civic hybrid won an unusual Small Claims Court lawsuit Wednesday against the auto giant that some legal experts believe could change strategies for both Small Claims Court and class-action litigation. A Los Angeles County court commissioner ruled that American Honda Motor Co. negligently misled Civic owner Heather Peters when it claimed the hybrid could achieve as much as 50 miles per gallon:” The commissioner’s 26-page decision awarded Peters $9,867.19 in damages, nearly the maximum $10,000 allowed in Small Claims Court. The award provided, the Times says, “far greater than the damages she would have collected had she signed onto a class-action-lawsuit settlement over similar claims against Honda.” The car maker indicated that it would appeal the decision.

The AP (2/1, Deutsch) adds that the class-action settlement is offering a “couple hundred dollars.” It notes that the decision included “a long list of misleading representations by Honda,” including that the vehicle would consume “amazingly little fuel,” “provides plenty of horsepower while still sipping fuel,” and would “save plenty of money on fuel with up to 50 mpg during city driving.”

Study: Prescription errors drop when hospitals switch to e-prescribing.

In “Ezra Klein’s Wonkblog,” the Washington Post (2/2, Kliff) discusses a “study, published this week in the online journal PLoS One,” which “examined medical errors at two Australian hospitals before and after implementing an e-prescribing system, where doctors use a computer to assist with ordering medications. The computer system studied here reviewed the patient’s current medications, alerted the prescriber to any potential conflicts, and then sent the order off, electronically, to the pharmacy.” Notably, “when hospitals…switched to e-prescribing, the impact was pretty impressive. Error rates in prescriptions dropped by 60 percent, the researchers found.”

Female Wal-Mart workers file sex-bias claims.

The Los Angeles Times (2/3, Li) reports that over 500 current and former female Wal-Mart Stores “have filed discrimination claims against the retailer with the U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission after a national class-action lawsuit was blocked by the Supreme Court last year. The claims were filed to preserve the women’s rights to pursue individual and regional class-action suits against Wal-Mart over alleged discrimination on pay and promotions, their attorneys said.”

Survey finds drug shortages may be hastening cancer deaths.

Medscape (2/3, Mulcahy) reports, “Cancer drug shortages hastened the deaths of some patients in 2011, according to a small survey of American clinicians, conducted by a for-profit research firm with ties to drug companies, that was released this week.” What’s more, “it is projected that drug shortages will continue to hasten the deaths of cancer patients in the coming year, according to the survey.” According to Michael P. Link, MD, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), “economics are driving the problem. ‘There are numerous causes for the escalating drug shortage crisis, but in our view, none are as powerful as simple economics,’ write Dr. Link and 2 coauthors in an essay published online January 30 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.”

 

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