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• Pharmaceutical Company Threatened Legal Action Against Physician Who Questioned the Safety of Diabetes Medication Avandia

  Staff Writer | June 07, 2007 1:49 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  GlaxoSmithKline operates as the world's second largest pharmaceutical company behind Pfizer. It markets a vast assortment of medication to treat patients with health problems and, according to its annual report for 2006, the diabetes medication Avandia is one of the top six pharmaceutical products it markets throughout the world, At 30th September 2006, GSK held second position in the world...

• Health Insurance Coverage in Times of Need

  Staff Writer | June 05, 2007 12:00 PM | 1 CommentPhoenix, AZ

  In May, I wrote about problems with health insurance companies in California. Specifically, an insured with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of California sued the company alleging bad faith arising out of the company's decision to rescind a health insurance policy based on high claims expenses. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs alleged that the carrier accused the insureds of misrepresenting responses...

• Senator Kyl Holding Up Modification to Freedom of Information Act

  Staff Writer | June 01, 2007 2:00 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Ironically, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl recently invoked a tool to secretly object and withhold from consideration in the United States Senate a bill modifying the Freedom of Information Act. In contrast to Senator Kyl's initially secret actions, the legislation known as the Open Government Act had been drafted to make government activity less secret and more open to public scrutiny. Senator Kyl...

• Maricopa County Recorders Office Redacting Personal Information from Public Records

  Staff Writer | May 29, 2007 5:55 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  A few months ago, I shared a concern that, despite warnings about unnecessary risks of exposing social security numbers and other personal information to identity theft, the Maricopa County Recorder's Office continued to allow unfettered access to private confidential information on its web site. Thankfully, it appears that the County has been working toward a resolution of this problem. ...

• Child Cancer Patients and Medication Errors

  Staff Writer | May 27, 2007 9:00 AM | 1 CommentPhoenix, AZ

  As if struggling with and battling cancer is not enough, according to a researcher at Johns Hopkins Children Center, children often must also face the additional battle of having to overcome problems relating to medication errors. Children with cancer often get the wrong dose of chemotherapy or are given the drug at the wrong time, and many require treatment because of the errors, U.S....

• Industry Lobbyist Withdraws Nomination to Head Consumer Product Safety Commission

  Staff Writer | May 24, 2007 1:19 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Based upon increasing public pressure, yesterday lobbyist Michael Baroody removed his name from consideration to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In another post, I questioned whether a lobbyist for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) should head an organization which has conflicting objectives. The National Association of Manufacturers lobbies on behalf of many...

• Pharmacutical Company Pleads Guilty to Fraud involving Marketing Drug OxyContin

  Staff Writer | May 21, 2007 4:05 PM | 1 CommentPhoenix, AZ

  Recently Purdue Pharma, together with three company executives, agreed to plead guilty to misleading the public in its marketing approach for the narcotic drug OxyContin. The company also agreed to pay fines and other assessments totalling $600 million dollars in one of the largest criminal penalties ever assessed against a company. According to the New York Times, Purdue Pharma mislead the...

• Arizona Supreme Court Asked to Review Libel Lawsuits Against Public Officials

  Staff Writer | May 19, 2007 9:26 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  If you believe that you have been defamed by a public official, should you have the right to file a defamation lawsuit? The Arizona Attorney General's office has asked the Arizona Supreme Court to decide this issue. In January, 2007, the Arizona Court of Appeals allowed a developer to sue Attorney General Terry Goddard for defamation when he informed the media that the developer:committed...

• Legislature Passes Bill Limiting Teen Driving

  Staff Writer | May 14, 2007 4:37 PM | 2 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Last week, the Arizona Legislature passed the Teenage Driver Safety Act, legislation which places driving limitations on new young drivers to help minimize risk of automobile accidents. The bill limits teens as follows:The act provides for driving restrictions from midnight to 5 a.m. and passenger limitations for the first six months a new teen driver holds a Class G driver's license. According...

• Industry Lobbyist Nominated to Head Consumer Product Safety Commission

  Staff Writer | May 10, 2007 5:18 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Talk about a fox guarding the hen house, the Bush administration recently nominated a lobbyist and Executive Vice President of the National Association of Manufacturers to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Describing the consumer safety purposes for its existence, the CPSC:is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than...