The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association and the American Hospital Association want the DEA relax a proposed rule that would allow tightly monitored use of computer technology to electronically transmit prescriptions for controlled substances. "While the proposed rule doesn't affect a physician's ability to prescribe everyday non-controlled prescription drugs, it would create unnecessary burdens and workflow issues for physicians and pharmacists regarding controlled substances," said PCMA President & CEO Mark Merritt in a statement.
It is often heard that healthcare IT lags behind financial world of IT by about 10 years or that healthcare IT should look to the financial sector for cues about doing IT right. But in his latest blog, John Halamka, MD, CIO of the CareGroup Health System, talks about why he doubts he'll be hearing either of those tidbits in 2008.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a new test that can detect skin infections in less than an hour, the test's manufacturer said. Sunnyvale, CA-based Cepheid said its Xpert test should help doctors to quickly determine which antibiotic would be most effective in treating the infections, including antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA.
Physicians from the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Cancer Centers are urging the U.S. House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy to support additional research into the potential health risks of cell phone use. While there is currently no definitive evidence that shows cell phone use is harmful, doctors say users should be cautious, especially when it comes to children. According to doctors, children may be at a greater risk of cell phone-related health problems, as they have thinner skulls.
Cisco Systems has announced a virtual switch that uses software to handle many of the networking and security functions found in Cisco's standard hardware, this New York Times blog reports.
The IT job market has yet to feel the strains of the country's struggling economy. However, while it is too early to predict whether the industry will be impacted, some experts believe there will be an impact over time.