Washington State Department of Health takes disciplinary actions against health care providers, including suspensions and revocations of licenses, certifications, or registrations of providers in the state.
Washington ranked fourth highest nationally in per-capita prescribing of methadone in 2006 (the most recent year for which reliable data is available) and 11th for oxycodone — the two biggest killers.
The National Insitutes of Health has issued an 8-page guide to help you pick the right drug abuse treatment program. The booklet, Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask, says there are five key questions you should ask about a program:
If you are prescribed one of these drugs, the provider who dispenses the drug to you is required to supply the system with your name, address, date of birth, the name of the prescribed drug and doctor who prescribed it, and where you picked it up.
Some companies are also penalizing employees who don’t give up cigarettes by hitting them with higher health insurance premiums.
The Seattle Times series on methadone deaths highlights the drawbacks of drug treatment for pain and the need to explore alternative approaches, writes Bill Scott.
There were 59 homicides in King County last year, the lowest number in a decade. The number deaths due to suicide, traffic accidents and overdoses also fell.
The Seattle Times has launched an investigative series on Washington state’s policy towards the use of the pain killer methadone for the treatment of chronic pain. The paper argues the drug is dangerously unpredictable and responsible for the deaths of hundreds, particularly among the poor.
The products, which have been available in a variety of local retail shops, including smoke and “head” shops, as well as over the Internet contain stimulants and synthetic cannabis-like chemicals that have a “high potential” for abuse and harm to health, officials say.
King County officials suspect two people developed botulism after injecting “black tar” heroin contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a toxin-producing bacteria.
When military deployments call for their parents to serve abroad, adolescents have a tough time adjusting, and a new University of Washington study shows their moods often lead to risky behavior.
“Pain encompasses the entire person. It’s not just in your leg or back. It encompasses the entire being of who you are and what you can do and don’t do. So physically, mentally psychologically: you have to take care of all of those things.”
LocalHealthGuide is a health news and information web service for Seattle and the Puget Sound Region. We are independent and unaffiliated with any hospital, medical association or insurer. If you have questions or if your group has an upcoming event that you would like us to cover, please let us know by going to our "Contact Us" page and dropping us a note. -- Michael McCarthy, Editor
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Seattle Times Health News
Experts divided over recommendation to screen children for cholesterol
Some clinicians say universal screening is an important tool to help identify children who are genetically predisposed to high cholesterol and to pinpoint others who could benefit from treatment. Others express concerns that screening may do more harm than good.
People in state high-risk insurance plans often feel left behind
The federal health law set up new plans that are cheaper and more comprehensive than the older ones run by states but consumers need to go without insurance for six months to qualify.
Peeking in on your doctor’s notes
Although federal law guarantees patients the right to examine and get copies of their medical records, providers haven’t always made it easy to do so. But the movement to give patients direct access to their health information has picked up steam, and policymakers have encouraged it as a way to empower patients to help manage their health and their medical care.
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