Do drunks have to go to the ER?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – With the help of a checklist, ambulance workers may be able to safely reroute drunk patients to detoxification centers instead of emergency rooms, according to a new study. Researchers in Colorado found no serious medical problems were reported after 138 people were sent to a detox center to sleep it off, instead of to an ER. In 2004, according to the researchers, it’s estimated that 0.6 percent of all U.S. ER visits were made by people without any problems other than being drunk. Those visits ended up costing about $900 million. …

Cancer drug ads don’t boost inappropriate prescribing

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new study ties advertising for breast cancer drugs known as aromatase inhibitors to a slight increase in the total number of prescriptions for those medications. But the extra prescriptions were limited to women with a medical reason for taking those drugs. The ads didn’t seem to increase the inappropriate use of aromatase inhibitors, which include letrozole (marketed as Femara) and anastrozole (Arimidex). …

India government approves new drug pricing policy

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The Indian government approved on Thursday a new drug pricing policy, two ministers told reporters, a move that will regulate the prices of 348 drugs deemed essential. India’s domestic drug market, the fourth largest in the world by volume, is valued at nearly $13 billion. (Reporting by Nigam Prusty; editing by Rajesh Kumar Singh)

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