Medical Treatments

A Pennsylvania woman developed a urinary tract infection cased by Escherichia coli bacteria that were found to be resistant to colistin, an antibiotic that is seen as the last line of defense.

Germ Resistant To Antibiotic Of Last Resort Appears In U.S.

6:11pm May 26, 2016

by Joe Neel

The germs caused a urinary tract infection in a Pennsylvania woman that was difficult to treat. The bacteria were resistant to the drug often used as the last-ditch treatment, but another one worked.

Pharmacists in California will have to give women a short health consultation before providing contraceptives without a prescription.

It's Still Hard To Get Birth Control Pills In California Without A Prescription

8:49am May 26, 2016

by Kelly O'Mara

California law now permits pharmacists to sell many types of hormonal birth control methods without a doctor's OK. But good luck finding a drugstore that will dispense the contraceptives that way.

For simple care and prescriptions, veterans in Northern California can go to 14 CVS MinuteClinics.

To Cut Wait Times, VA Tries MinuteClinics In Northern California

4:16pm May 24, 2016

by Barbara Feder Ostrov

Veterans can visit 14 CVS MinuteClinics in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento, Calif., for simple care, lab tests and prescriptions. Will the experiment work well enough to go nationwide?

Dr. Abraham Nussbaum argues for medicine to reconnect with its past: Caring for patients should be a calling, not a job, he says.

Doctor Yearns For Return To Time When Physicians Were 'Artisans'

2:20pm May 24, 2016

by Michelle Andrews

Dr. Abraham Nussbaum, author of a book examining the drive toward standardized quality measures and checklists, says he fears medicine is becoming just another job and not the calling it should be.

What if a drug could knock out Staphylococcus aureus bacteria like these without disturbing the bacteria that help make you healthy?

Building An Antibiotic To Kill Bad Microbes While Sparing Good Ones

4:58pm May 23, 2016

by Madeline K. Sofia

Most antibiotics can't tell the difference between good and bad bacteria. That means medicines can kill helpful bacteria in your gut while they're obliterating the ones making you sick.

Do Women Need Periods?

4:28pm May 23, 2016

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Long-lasting hormone contraceptives are now the most recommended form of birth control for young women. And many women say the fact that they can reduce or eliminate periods is a big plus.

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Inventing A Machine That Spits Out Drugs In A Whole New Way

3:36pm May 23, 2016

by Martha Bebinger

A refrigerator-sized machine could someday make lifesaving drugs on site when outbreaks occur or where medicine is in short supply, like on the battlefield.

Syphilis can be wiped out with one to three shots of penicillin.

Penicillin Shortage Could Be A Problem For People With Syphilis

8:39am May 23, 2016

by Rae Ellen Bichell

The medication is the only one available to prevent an infected pregnant woman from passing the disease to a fetus. Pfizer says the shortage should be over in July.

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Ravens Tackle Lobbies The NFL To Approve Medical Marijuana

3:13pm May 20, 2016

Eugene Monroe tells Mary Louise Kelly that the NFL should stop testing players for marijuana. He reasons that players should be allowed to use the drug for medical purposes to treat chronic pain.

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The FDA is is expected to decide by May 27 whether a long-acting, implantable version of this anti-addiction drug, buprinorphine, will be available in the United States. The implant is more convenient, proponents say, and less likely to be abused.

FDA Considering Pricey Implant As Treatment For Opioid Addiction

2:56pm May 20, 2016

by Martha Bebinger

The FDA could soon approve an implantable form of a drug used to treat opioid addiction. While the approach helped patients avoid relapse in tests, its price may be prohibitive for some, doctors say.

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