Importing Canadian Drugs
The Trump Administration has proposed wholesale import of drugs from Canada to ease high US prescription drug prices. But since Canada is 1/10th the size of the US, could it supply enough drugs to make a difference?
American Society and Culture Sub-categories:
Primary Care and Medical Cost
The US spends more on medical care than other nations while quality still lags behind. A health industry expert explains how increased use of primary care and increased engagement with providers could reverse both trends.
Medical Notes: Week of September 1, 2019
Death rates due to heart failure have been increasing since 2012 despite improvements in medicine and surgery. Then, Binge drinking is often seen as a problem among college students and 20-somethings… but a study in the journal of the American Geriatrics Society finds that a lot of senior citizens binge drink, too. Then, ACL tears have traditionally been …
Generic Drug Safety (2019)
Since the 1980’s, almost all production of generic drugs has moved overseas, where FDA inspectors have a much tougher time making sure they’re following rules for safety. An investigative journalist describes the ways she’s found that many drugmakers cut corners, putting safety at risk, and details what consumers can do to protect themselves.
Why Good Health Care Doesn’t Equal Good Health
Many Americans believe if they have good health care, they’ll have good health. But many factors beyond medicine contribute to our level of health. A noted public health expert explains these factors, and why our own health is much more than an individual concern.
Brain Aneurysm Through the Eyes of a Survivor (2019)
Brain aneurysms affect 1 in 50 people and are generally without symptoms until they burst. This occurs in about 30,000 people per year in the US, accounting for 3-5 percent of all new strokes. A survivor shares her story.
Addiction, Relapse and Criminalization
After criminal convictions, many people with substance use disorder are placed on probation with the condition they remain completely drug free. They are often jailed when they relapse, setting back recovery and removing them from treatment that helps keep them clean. Is that fair, when relapse is a common symptom of their disease (and many others)?
An Unusual Court Challenge to Obamacare
A number of court cases have challenged the Constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, and the federal government has always defended the law—until now, and a Federal Court case brought by the State of Texas. With the stakes increased, experts discuss what the government’s reversal means to consumers.
Declining Fertility Rates
Experts explain that dropping fertility rates in the US may not be as good a thing as we may think, and may lead to labor shortages and elderly populations.
Criminalization of Homelessness
In 2016, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated that there were more than 500,000 homeless Americans on a given single night in January. The U.S. government currently claims that, while there are high rates of homeless Americans, the number is actually decreasing. Many experts challenge that claim, saying that homelessness is on the …
Our Obesity Obsession: Does Science Support It?
Experts discuss how culture drives our obsession with weight and what science really has to say about it.
Alternatives to Opioids for Pain
The crisis with opioid painkillers is making doctors look at alternative medicine therapies for a substitute for these drugs.
