Binge Drinking Sticks Wisconsin With A Hefty Tab
Wisconsin has the highest number of binge drinkers in the nation, and they cost the state $6.8 billion in 2012.
health care
Improving Healthcare, One Search At A Time
By combing through 100 million search queries on Bing, Yahoo and Google, Microsoft Research Lab co-director Eric Horvitz and his colleagues were able to discover a previously unknown interaction between two commonly prescribed drugs. Horvitz says the method might detect dangerous drug interactions earlier than the FDA's warning system.
A Clinical Dilemma: Recommending Pot To Patients
Eighteen states have legalized the medical use of marijuana. As state laws change, physicians face new decisions about whether or not to recommend pot. Doctors have varying views on its therapeutic effects, as well as the ethical and legal ramifications.
How To Track And Attack A Superbug
Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, held a press conference Tuesday to announce the need to "sound an alarm" on the advance of CRE, a highly drug-resistant bacteria. CRE and other superbugs are found mostly in hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Mapping The Effects Of The Sequester On Science
On Friday March 1, automatic cuts known as the 'sequester' go into effect across the federal budget. Michael Lubell of the American Physical Society discusses what scientific programs will likely be affected, in fields from medical research to renewable energy development.
The Changing Politics Of Health Care
After vocal GOP opposition to President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, three prominent Republican governors recently signed-on to one key element of the law. NPR Political Junkie Ken Rudin and NPR health policy correspondent Julie Rovner explain on the shifting politics of health care.
Governors' D.C. Summit Dominated By Medicaid And The Sequester
Since the governors last met in July, some have shifted their views on the federal health care law. A few Republicans have even changed their minds about the potential benefits of the president's plan to expand Medicaid.
This Year's Flu Vaccine Falters In Protecting Elderly
This year's flu shot looks like it's unusually poor at protecting the elderly. The flu vaccine's only about 27 percent effective overall for those ages 65 and older and just 9 percent effective against the flu strain causing the most illness, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Melissa Block talks to Rob Stein.
Morning-After Pills Don't Cause Abortion, Studies Say
Emergency contraceptives like Plan B and ella are effective at preventing pregnancy after unprotected sex. Claims that the pills are tantamount to abortion, however, aren't supported by science, say researchers. The only way the drugs work is by stopping a woman's body from ovulating.
Why The Hospital Wants The Pharmacist To Be Your Coach
Hospitals are partnering with pharmacies to keep discharged patients from returning too soon. Walgreens, for one, is helping hospitals to manage patients' medications after they go home.