"Health & Medical News"

Depressed medical residents make six times more medication errors than residents who are not depressed, according to a U.S. study published online Feb. 7 in the British Medical Journal.

“Depression is a significant problem for residents as well as for their patients,” said lead study author Amy Fahrenkopf, MD, MPH. “The fact that it’s a problem for both needs to be addressed.”

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Possession of the hallucinogenic plant salvia divinorum is now a felony offense in Illinois, the Associated Press reported Dec. 26.

As of Jan. 1, a new Illinois law puts salvia possession — which is not even a crime in most other states, or under federal law — in the same class as heroin or LSD. “We decided to move forward rather than waiting for someone to be killed because of it,” said state Rep. Dennis Reboletti, who sponsored the law outlawing the herb.

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In a case legal experts say signals heightened state scrutiny of physician arrangements with imaging facilities, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is suing at least two MRI clinics for allegedly paying doctors kickbacks for patient referrals.

The state case focuses on a type of leasing agreement the federal government also has put under the microscope in recent years. Under the arrangements, doctors lease time on imaging equipment for a discounted rate, versus paying the MRI owner per scan. The physician or the diagnostic testing facility then bills for the full amount of the service, and the referring doctor gets the difference.

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Funded with grants from the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Illinois and seven other states are launching media campaigns aimed at preventing use of methamphetamine, the Tinley Park (Ill.) Daily Southtown reported Sept. 17.

The campaign includes ads in which speakers discuss the real-life consequences of meth use, such as a mother who lost custody of her son because of her addiction to the drug. The ads are funded with $10 million in federal money, and are also intended to let viewers know that addiction treatment is available. They target viewers ages 18 to 34.

Popularity: 5% [?]