It’s a life or death matter: Who gets the next scarce donated organ? In an unprecedented challenge to the nation’s transplant system, a federal judge has allowed one dying child — and a day later another — to essentially jump the line in rulings that could have ramifications for thousands of people awaiting new organs.
Regulation
Diagnostic Errors Are the Most Common Type of Medical Mistake
Missed diagnoses out-ranked medication overdoses and surgical mistakes in causing the most patient harm.
Judge Orders Morning After Pill Be Available Without Prescription, Without Restrictions
In the latest volley over the contraceptive Plan B, a federal judge reversed the Department of Health and Human Services decision to restrict over-the-counter availability of the morning after pill to those 17 years or older .
Pot Is Legal in Washington: Q&A with the Man Who Is Making Weed Legit
Washington state gets ready to regulate legal marijuana with the help of one of America’s top drug policy analysts.
Mark Kleiman is professor of public policy at the University of California in Los Angeles, and co-author of …
How BPA May Disrupt Brain Development
The chemical, found in many plastic products, can interfere with normal brain development.
Letters to Obama: Children Plead for Gun Control
In handwritten letters, children make the case to President Obama for stronger gun control laws
After Year-Long Delay, FDA Proposes Major Regulations For Food Safety
For the first time in 70 years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two major requirements for improving food safety.
Rulings Threaten FDA and States’ Ability to Regulate Drugs and Therapy
Two cases could trigger dramatic changes in the way medications and therapies are regulated.
Flame Fighting Chemicals Abundant in House Dust and Sofas
Chemicals are commonly added to furniture, carpeting, and even electronic devices to limit the risk of fire. But at what cost?
Smoke-Free Laws Are Saving Lives
You can’t smoke in most restaurants and malls, and those laws may be responsible for saving thousands of lives.
Five Smartphone Apps That Promote Smoking
Marketing cigarettes ain’t what it used to be. But Big Tobacco hasn’t given up on getting its message out.
Meningitis Cases Rise in Outbreak Linked to Tainted Steroid Shots
Health officials expect yet more cases of fungal meningitis related to contaminated steroid shots
Toxic Chemicals in Kids’ School Supplies. How Real Is the Threat?
Phthalates, BPA and toxic lead paint: How safe are toys and school supplies made for children?
