Sep 07 How caregivers combat helplessness and aid dementia hospice patients By Rachel Bluth, Kaiser Health News Hospice’s purpose, at least one of them, is to ease a dying patient’s pain at the end of life and improve the quality of that life. But what’s to be done when a dementia patient in her waning days can’t… Continue reading
Sep 07 Meet the federal government's pot dealer By Andrew Joseph, STAT Mahmoud ElSohly oversees acres of marijuana plants in the deep south, a swath of the country the tide of medical marijuana legalization has yet to touch. But he’s not running an illegal operation — he’s a professor of pharmaceutics and… Continue reading
Sep 06 Watch 5:28 News Wrap: Congress returns from recess to tackle funding, Zika By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Tuesday, Congress came back from its summer recess with a full plate. It has less than a month to pass a funding bill and is under pressure to deliver a package to fight Florida’s homegrown Zika… Continue watching
Sep 06 FAQ: What will end the Zika impasse in Congress? By Quinn Bowman Members of the House and Senate are back in Washington after an extended summer recess. While they were away, fears of a local Zika outbreak on the U.S. mainland became reality. How did we get here?… Continue reading
Sep 06 Outcry over EpiPen highlights FDA's long backlog of generics By Sydney Lupkin, Kaiser Health News As of July 1, the FDA had 4,036 generic drug applications awaiting approval. The FDA has approved more generics the past few years, but a flood of new applications has steadily added to the demand. Continue reading
Sep 06 Doctors urge flu shots, not nasal spray, this year By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press WASHINGTON — Kids may get more of a sting from flu vaccination this fall: Doctors are gearing up to give shots only, because U.S. health officials say the easy-to-use nasal spray version of the vaccine isn't working as well as… Continue reading
Sep 03 Watch 6:48 Could California's drought make residents sick? By PBS News Hour As California's five-year drought continues, the community of East Porterville has become an epicenter for the state's water shortage. Of the 1,800 homes located in the town, nearly 500 have lost wells that provided water for bathing and washing food. Continue watching
Sep 03 How Boston stamped out a TB outbreak thanks to bartenders and barbers By Shanoor Seervai, STAT The plan in Boston helped bring tuberculosis under control in the city, and set the precedent for similar interventions used today where TB is still widespread. Continue reading
Sep 02 Antibacterial soap may do more harm than good, FDA says By Emily Wishingrad Soaps and wash products labeled “antibacterial” can no longer be sold, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Friday. Continue reading
Sep 02 Drop in teen pregnancies is due to more contraceptives, not less sex By Julie Rovner, KFF Health News Teen pregnancy is way down. And a study suggests that the reason is increased, and increasingly effective, use of contraceptives. Continue reading