Category Archives: Prescriptions

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Struggling to pay for your prescription medication? You're far from alone: Studies show roughly a quarter of patients don't take medicines they need because they cannot afford them. There are plenty of ways to save big on medicines, but the complexity of finding the best deal can be a huge headache. Along with patient assistance programs, there are countless coupons and discount cards are available. Prices change often and vary dramatically among pharmacies, even within the same chain, so it's often very difficult to compare all the deals. Here are some guidelines and sources to try: For starters, when a doctor is about to write a prescription, jump in with key questions: Are free samples available? Is the drug is generally covered by insurance plans? Sometimes very costly medicines or some brands in categories with multiple drugs are excluded. Is there a cheaper drug that will work as well? Is there a generic version? See the article here: Looking to save on prescriptions? It's complicated … Continue reading →

Suffolk County warns about water at 67 beaches Suffolk County warns about water at 67 beaches Updated: Friday, August 10 2012 4:32 PM EDT2012-08-10 20:32:22 GMT The Suffolk County Department of Health Services has issued an advisory against bathing at 67 beaches on Friday. The Suffolk County Department of Health Services has issued an advisory against bathing at 67 beaches on Friday. Updated: Friday, August 10 2012 4:13 PM EDT2012-08-10 20:13:44 GMT A tornado watch is up for Middlesex, New Haven and New London Counties in Connecticut until 9 p.m. on Friday. A tornado watch is up for Middlesex, New Haven and New London Counties in Connecticut until 9 p.m. on Friday. Updated: Friday, August 10 2012 4:12 PM EDT2012-08-10 20:12:24 GMT Authorities in one New Jersey shore town are wondering why so many dead gulls are turning up along a new causeway. Authorities in one New Jersey shore town are wondering why so many dead gulls are turning up along a new causeway. Link: NY doc accused of writing unneeded prescriptions … Continue reading →

Dimitrios Jimmy Magiasis The state Department of Health has charged two naturopaths with unprofessional conduct for operating an assembly line practice of authorizing medical marijuana at last years Hempfest. The charges, filed Tuesday, appear to be the first disciplinary action taken against a state medical professional for a medical marijuana authorization, said Tim Church, a DOH spokesman. The two naturopaths, Carolyn Lee Bearss and Dimitrios Jimmy Magiasis were featuredin a Seattle Times storylast August in which a reporter received a medical marijuana authorization for $150 at a Hempfest tent. Bearss recommended marijuana as treatment for the reporters lower-back pain without seeing medical records after an appointment that lasted 11 minutes. The naturopaths were independent contractors for a company owned by 4Evergreen Group, one of the largest regional clinics specializing in medical marijuana authorizations. During Hempfest, the two naturopaths saw a combined 216 patients and recommended marijuana for 214 of them, according to the DOH charges againstBearssandMagiasis. The charges accuse the naturopaths of stretching the definition of intractable pain one of the qualifying conditions under the state medical cannabis law and of failing to explore other treatment options, as also required. This assembly line type of practice failed to meet the … Continue reading →

Two naturopaths are facing disciplinary action after a weekend of writing medical marijuana authorizations at last year's Hempfest. Carolyn Lee Bearss and Dimitrios "Jimmy" Magiasis were charged Tuesday by the state Department of Health (DOH) with running a medical marijuana "assembly line," writing authorizations at the festival without following the proper standard of care. Between them, the practitioners saw 216 patients at the three-day festival; they sent only two away without an authorization, according to the statement of charges. They are the first Washington medical providers facing disciplinary action in connection with writing marijuana authorizations, according to Tim Church, a spokesman for the DOH. Both naturopaths were working at the festival on contract for a business that owns 4Evergreen Group, a clinic with locations in Seattle and Tacoma. Eric Camm, an attorney for the practitioners, said in a statement that his clients "strongly disagree with the characterizations contained within those allegations," but declined further comment. According to a Seattle Times story written about the festival, 4Evergreen was handing out fliers at the entrance to the marijuana festival advertising authorizations for $200 or $150 for patients who had their medical records with them. Patients watched a short video about Washington's law, … Continue reading →

PORTER COUNTY | The Porter County Recycling and Waste Reduction District sponsors household hazardous waste collection events a few times each year, but residents dont have to wait to safely dispose of expired and unused prescription medications. Five police departments around the county accept prescription medications any time throughout the year: 355 S. Washington St., Valparaiso; 2693 Irving St., Portage; 106 E. Sigler St., Hebron; 790 Broadway, Chesterton; and 50 Francis St., Porter. The Hebron Police Department prescription medication drop box is available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. The Valparaiso, Portage, Chesterton and Porter departments drop boxes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. None of these locations accepts needles or syringes. Hebron and Porter departments do not accept liquids. The Hebron department does not accept metal nasal spray bottles, and the Porter department does not accept liquid capsules. For more information, call the department: Porter, (219) 926-7611; Hebron, (219) 996-2747; Portage, (219) 762-3122; Chesterton, (219) 926-1136; and Valparaiso, (219) 462-2135. The Recycling and Waste Reduction District has scheduled two more household hazardous waste collection events this year to collect unwanted medications and other products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable or reactive ingredients … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON - More than 6,000 people in Hawaii with Medicare saved more than $1.8 million on prescription drugs in the first six months of 2012, according to an announcement Monday by Rep. Mazie Hirono on Medicares 47th Anniversary. The savings come from changes made in the health care reform law, the Affordable Care Act, that close the coverage gap in prescription drugs known as the "donut hole." This gap is created when Medicare recipients reach their coverage limit and are forced to pay the full cost of their prescription drugs. "Forty-seven years ago, when Medicare was signed into law, a solemn promise was made to our kupuna that we would not let them go without health care coverage," said Hirono. "Today, the health care reform law is continuing that commitment by helping put more money in our seniors wallets during these tough economic times and closing the prescription drug donut hole." Medicare beneficiaries in the "donut hole" are receiving a 50 percent discount on covered brand-name drugs, and a 14 percent discount on generic drugs. Discounts for prescription drugs in this donut hole will continue to increase each year until 2020, when the coverage gap will be fully closed. Since … Continue reading →

JPAGE_CURRENT_OF_TOTAL SAN JUAN (CyberNews) Oficiales de la Agencia Federal para el Manejo de Emergencias (FEMA, por sus siglas en ingls) exhortaron el jueves a los ciudadanos a preparase para los terremotos, realizando varias medidas de seguridad que les ayudarn a prepararse este y otros tipos de desastres. Los recientes terremotos ocurridos en distintas partes del mundo, demuestran la magnitud de la devastacin y destruccin que puede causar un terremoto. Estos eventos son un recordatorio de que es importante estar preparados para todo tipo de riesgos, como los terremotos, que pueden ocurrir en cualquier momento. A diferencia de los huracanes y tornados, los terremotos ocurren sin aviso, y una vez suceden, es muy tarde para preparase. Tomar pasos sencillos, como revisar las recomendaciones de seguridad para terremotos y actualizar su plan de emergencias, puede salvar vidas, dijo Alejandro De La Campa, Director de la Divisin del Caribe de FEMA. Los aos de experiencia han demostrado que pocas veces el movimiento del suelo durante un terremoto es la causa directa de muertes y lesiones. De hecho, la mayora de las lesiones relacionadas a terremotos resultan de paredes colapsadas, cristales y objetos que caen como el resultado del movimiento del suelo o de … Continue reading →

Por MANUEL ERNESTO RIVERA SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico jueves 27-(AP)- El gobernador de Puerto Rico, Anbal Acevedo Vila, fue acusado de 19 cargos criminales federales por presuntas irregularidades en sus campaas polticas. La fiscal federal Rosa Emilia Rodrguez inform que, junto al mandatario, se acus a otras 12 personas vinculadas a su Partido Popular Democrtico (PPD). "Se va a permitir que el Gobernador se entregue, por deferencia al cargo que ocupa", dijo Rodrguez en conferencia de prensa. Algunos de los restantes acusados fueron arrestados el jueves. Entre los cargos radicados contra el grupo, figuran conspiracin para violar la Ley federal de Campaas Electorales, someter informes falsos a la Comisin federal de Elecciones, transferencia electrnica fraudulenta de fondos, conspiracin para defraudar al Servicio de Rentas Internas federal, rendir planillas fraudulentas y falsos testimonios al Bur Federal de Investigaciones. El abogado del gobernador Anbal Acevedo Vil catalog el jueves las acusaciones contra el mandatario como una "intromisin sin precedentes" de las autoridades federales en los asuntos internos de Puerto Rico. Green asegur que se enter de las acusaciones a eso de las 6:30 de la maana del jueves cuando un representante de la fiscala estadounidense en la isla lo llam a Washington … Continue reading →

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has signed emergency regulations that require doctors to meet tougher prescription standards in an effort to stop drug abuse. The rules, which were given to given to state boards that oversee the medical industry on Friday, were presented to lawmakers Monday and will remain in effect until permanent regulations are adopted. The Courier-Journal reports that under the order, pain clinics will face more regulations and doctors are required to use the state's prescription drug tracking system. Some physicians have raised concerns that the order exceeds the original goal of a bill passed by lawmakers, but Beshear said in a prepared statement that his office worked diligently to make sure the emergency regulations match the intent of the bill. "Everyone's ultimate goal is to reduce the abuse and diversion of prescription drugs, and these regulations are a necessary step in effecting that change," he said. "The regulations are built to protect legitimate patient needs and proper prescribing habits. Only those who abuse the system have anything to fear." The statute passed by lawmakers didn't spell out new regulations. Instead, it said licensing boards should "police their own industry" and gave them until Sept. 1 … Continue reading →

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has signed emergency regulations that require doctors to meet tougher prescription standards in an effort to stop drug abuse. The rules, which were given to given to state boards that oversee the medical industry on Friday, were presented to lawmakers Monday and will remain in effect until permanent regulations are adopted. The Courier-Journal reports that under the order, pain clinics will be more regulated and doctors are required to use the state's prescription drug tracking system. Some physicians have raised concerns that the order exceeds the original goal of a bill passed by lawmakers, but Beshear said in a statement that his office worked diligently to make sure the emergency regulations match the intent of the bill. ___ Information from: The Courier-Journal, http://www.courier-journal.com 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Originally posted here: Kentucky governor signs emergency regulations for prescriptions … Continue reading →