Published in The Texas Tribune by guest columnist, Charles M. Silver In 2006, Dr. Howard Marcus wrote that Texas’ 2003 tort reform statute sparked an “amazing turnaround” in which doctors came to Texas in droves, instead of leaving the state as they had before. He was doubly wrong. Texas neither lost doctors before 2003 nor gained them especially quickly in subsequent years. In fact, according to statistics published by the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), the supply of active, direct patient care (DPC) doctors per capita grew faster from 1996 to 2002 than at any time … [Read more...]
Tragedy Brought on by Tainted Fruit
By Moni Basu, CNN William Beach was one of those people who fixated on certain foods. He would eat the same thing voraciously for a few days, and then, when he tired of the same tastes, he moved onto something else. In August, when summer’s heat seemed unending in Mustang, Okla., Beach took to savoring fried chicken -- and soft, sweet cantaloupe. Beach was elderly -- 87 -- but after eating the fruit, his health declined rather suddenly and before anyone in his family knew what was wrong, he was dead. He is among 15 people who died from Listeria monocytogenes in what the Centers for Disease … [Read more...]
Hip Implant Complaints Increase, While Dangers Are Reviewed
By BARRY MEIER and JANET ROBERTS of the New York Times Published: August 22, 2011 The federal government has received a surge in complaints in recent months about failed hip replacements, suggesting that serious problems persist with some types of artificial hips even as researchers scramble to evaluate the health dangers. An analysis of federal data by The New York Times indicates that the Food and Drug Administration has received more than 5,000 reports since January about several widely used devices known as metal-on-metal hips, more than the agency had received about those devices in the … [Read more...]
Voluntary Recall Of Slimming Capsules
from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website**: Intercharm Inc. Issues A Nationwide Voluntary Recall Of Slim Forte Slimming Capsules Lot 20100604 And Lot 20100928, Slim Forte Slimming Coffee Lot 20100903, And Meizitang Botanical Slimming Softgel Exp. 12.23.2011 Weight Loss Capsules Found To Contain Sibutramine Contact: Intercharm Inc. 323-876-7441 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - July 25, 2011 - Intercharm Inc., is recalling Slimforte Slimming Capsules, Slimforte Slimming Coffee, and Botanical Slimming Soft Gel to the consumer/user level. FDA laboratory analyses found the products to contain … [Read more...]
Hair Removal Service Not Protected Under Health Care Liability Act
from Texas Lawyer Bioderm Skin Care LLC v. Sok Tx. App. Dist. 5 Kerry P. Fitzgerald Justice 05-10-00044-CV 06-28-2011 OPINION Before Justices Morris, O'Neill, and FitzGerald Opinion By Justice FitzGerald Appellee Veasna "Sandee" Sok sued Bioderm Skin Care, LLC ("Bioderm") and Quan Nguyen, MD, seeking to recover damages for burns she suffered during a laser hair removal procedure at Bioderm. Bioderm and Nguyen contend Sok’s claims are health care liability claims and are subject to Chapter 74 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Accordingly, they moved to … [Read more...]
FDA Reports Cancer Risk from Osteoporosis Drugs
An FDA Safety Alert issued today warns that taking oral osteoporosis drugs (“bisphosphonates”) may cause an increased risk of esophageal cancer. This category of drugs includes Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, Atelvia, Didronel, and Skelid. Esophageal cancer and other esophageal problems have been reported in connection with use of the drugs, and the FDA is reviewing data from published studies to determine whether a link exists. The FDA posted the following recommendation in its Safety Alert: “Patients should talk with their healthcare professional about the benefits and risks of taking oral … [Read more...]
Four more women contact local police about doctor
from the Denton Record-Chronicle 12:36 AM CDT on Friday, March 18, 2010 By Donna Fielder / Staff Writer Four additional women contacted police Wednesday saying they also were victims of a Denton doctor who touched them sexually and made inappropriate remarks, police reports state. Since news reports Tuesday that Dr. Ramon Cruz’s license was suspended by the Texas Medical Board after the panel made a finding that he engaged in inappropriate behavior with four of his Denton patients, several other women have come forward with similar stories. Cruz has not been charged with any crime, … [Read more...]
Carreras v. Marroquin, et al.
Parents brought claims against a physician who allegedly caused their adult daughter’s death. The parents attempted to delay the expiration of the statute of limitations by sending a pre-suit, notice of their claims shortly before their filing deadline expired. The notice was not accompanied by a form allowing the doctor access to the daughter’s medical information as required by the health care liability law. After the parents filed suit, the doctor moved for summary judgment, arguing that the notice did not delay the parents filing deadline, resulting in the suit being barred as untimely. … [Read more...]
J&J recalling more Tylenol from closed plant
Reported in Reuters by Lewis Krauskopf -- Johnson & Johnson said it was recalling more than 700,000 bottles or packages of Tylenol and other consumer medicines made at a now-closed plant, the latest in a litany of recalls by the company. J&J’s McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit recalled one lot of Tylenol 8 Hour Extended Release Caplets, or 34,056 bottles, from retailers, the company said. The company cited a musty odor that has prompted many other J&J recalls. The product was made at its Fort Washington, Pennsylvania plant before J&J closed the facility in April … [Read more...]
Johnson & Johnson Recalls Hip Implants
By NATASHA SINGER The New York Times Published: August 26, 2010 More than two years after the Food and Drug Administration began receiving complaints about the failure of a hip replacement implant made by the DePuy Orthopaedics unit of Johnson & Johnson, the company said Thursday that it was recalling two kinds of hip implants. DePuy said that it had made the decision to withdraw the products because many patients required a second hip replacement after the company’s implants had failed. The news compounded problems for Johnson & Johnson, which has recalled a succession of some of … [Read more...]
