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An advisory committee to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) voted on Tuesday to recommend new restrictions on the popular pain relief drug acetaminophen (known in many other countries as paracetamol), which is found in many US top selling over the counter medications such as Tylenol, aspirin-free Anacin, Excedrin, and also in prescription drugs such as Vicodin and Percocet.

GP phone consultations carry definite risks, warns an article in the current edition of Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland (MDDUS) magazine Summons today (Thursday, 2 July). Latest data suggests that between a tenth and a fifth of all daytime contacts between patients and GP surgeries are by phone, says the article, by GP and GP trainer Dr Malcolm Thomas.

An additional 30 million bed nets, the development of life-saving new treatments and new funding to increase access to anti-malarial drugs are announced today in a package of measures by International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander, as the UK continues its fight to rid the world of malaria.

HCL plc, the UK's largest health and social care recruitment agency, said the Government's proposals to reform the NHS by devolving power to frontline professionals and patients will mean a greater need for flexible staffing and more collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Most knee replacement patients are between the ages of 60 and 80 years old. In some cases, younger patients with traumatic knee injuries may also require a total knee replacement. However the most common diagnosis is osteoarthritis. If you are prevented from carrying out your everyday activities due to pain or discomfort in the knee, then you may have arthritis of some kind.

Occupational therapist, Ms Hannah McIlhinney has been suspended from the HPC Register for lack of competence whilst working for the Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS trust.

Governor M. Jodi Rell announced that the State of Connecticut is receiving $3.75 million federal grant to expand access to health care in Hartford for low-income women nearing childbirth to ensure their newborns get a healthy start. "Our children are our most precious resource and the health of a child is intrinsic to the health of the mother," stated Governor Rell.

Summer is the season for sizzling - steaks, chicken, ribs, veggie kabobs and much more. The Connecticut Department of Public Health reminds everyone that food safety is essential when grilling outdoors and offers tips to ensure that family barbecues and backyard picnics remain fun, healthy outings.

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold wants to remind you of some steps you can take to ensure a safe and healthy Fourth of July. Food Safety Picnics and cookouts top the list of summer activities. But remember, special precautions need to be taken when preparing and serving food during warm weather to avoid foodborne illnesses like salmonellosis.

Provectus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTC BB: PVCT), a development-stage oncology and dermatology biopharmaceutical company, has completed patient accrual for its Phase 2 study of PH-10 for atopic dermatitis. PH-10 is the Company's topical drug for the treatment of dermatologic diseases, including atopic dermatitis, a chronic skin condition that includes some forms of eczema.

Some patients who suffer from recurrent cancer at the chest wall now have another option. The Radiation Oncology Department at Saint Barnabas Medical Center is one of a few hospitals nationwide to participate in a study which combines the use of the heat-sensitive chemotherapeutic agent ThermoDox® with microwave hyperthermia, or heat.

Comparative-Effectiveness Research - Implications of the Federal Coordinating Council's Report The New England Journal Of Medicine Comparative patient-centered information is essential to translating new discoveries into better health outcomes, accelerating the application of beneficial innovations,

Health care is increasingly expensive, including for the insured, and many insurance plans offer only limited benefits and a false sense of security. The New York Times reports that "an estimated three-quarters of people who are pushed into personal bankruptcy by medical problems actually had insurance when they got sick or were injured.

"In a major break with most other large companies, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Tuesday told the White House that it supports requiring employers to provide health insurance to workers, a centerpiece of President Barack Obama's effort to provide near-universal coverage to Americans," The Wall Street Journal reports.

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) (NASDAQ:WAG) and the largest and most comprehensive provider of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers in the country, is now offering a new set of procedures for skin conditions and minor injury treatments.

Liver transplantation offers a good chance for survival for patients with drug induced acute liver failure, however, certain pre-transplant factors are associated with worse outcomes. Patients who are on life support, who have elevated serum creatinine, and children whose liver failure was caused by antiepileptic drugs did not fare as well after transplantation.

Pfizer Inc announced that it has updated the U.S. product labeling for CHANTIX® (varenicline), a prescription aid to smoking cessation treatment, to communicate important safety information in a boxed warning as well as in revised warnings and precautions. These updates are based on post-marketing reports and are being made in agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have played a major role in an international effort that has shown, for the first time, that modern genetic technologies can solve the riddle of how gene variations lead to schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia is a devastating mental disease, thought to be caused by the interaction of both genetic and environmental factors. Because there is no biochemical test that can identify the disorder, physicians rely upon the recognition of its symptoms - which can include auditory hallucinations and paranoia - in order to make their diagnosis.

Sucampo Pharma Americas, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCMP), today reported top-line results from its phase 2 clinical trial of orally administered cobiprostone for the prevention of gastric ulcers and other gastrointestinal injuries in patients treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Sepracor Inc. (Nasdaq: SEPR) announced that it has completed the analysis and validation of the preliminary results of a Phase II, 514-patient study evaluating the efficacy and safety of SEP-225289 for the treatment of Major Depressive Disorder, including patients with melancholic and atypical features.

Tooth-colored fillings may be more attractive than silver ones, but the bonds between the white filling and the tooth quickly age and degrade. A Medical College of Georgia researcher hopes a new nanotechnology technique will extend the fillings' longevity.

The Texas Department of State Health Services is reminding swimmers and skiers to take precautions to avoid infection from Naegleria fowleri, an ameba assumed to be present in all rivers, lakes, ponds, tanks and streams. The ameba can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, or PAM, an infection of the brain. Though PAM is rare, it is almost always fatal.

The state Division of Senior and Disabilities Services is working this summer in coordination with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve its compliance with federal standards in the areas of Home and Community Based Medicaid Waivers and Personal Care Services (Personal Care Assistance).

MorphoSys AG (FSE: MOR; Prime Standard Segment, TecDAX) and the University of Melbourne announced today an agreement to cooperate on investigating new therapeutic applications for MorphoSys's MOR103 program. MOR103, a HuCAL antibody against human GM-CSF (Granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor), is currently in development for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The Australian Medical Students' Association (AMSA) Global Health Conference continues today, with the focus turning towards our own backyard. Medical Students will join leaders in Indigenous health to discuss and debate possible strategies to address the 17-year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.

Scientists at UC Santa Barbara and several other institutions have found laboratory evidence that a cluster of peptides may be the toxic agent in Alzheimer's disease. Scientists say the discovery may lead to new drugs for the disease.

Pfizer Australia announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the local distribution rights for THELIN® (Sitaxentan sodium), an oral, once-daily highly selective endothelin receptor antagonist, indicated for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with NYHA/WHO Functional Class III symptoms to improve exercise ability.

"Cuts to Medicaid benefits for hundreds of developmentally disabled people in Colorado take effect today, a move that will be devastating, caretakers and advocates say," The Gazette reports. "Annual payments for services such as transportation and work programs are being cut by at least half for about 700 Coloradans with developmental disabilities ...

Two doctors with over 30 years of experience spoke with National Public Radio about how medicine has changed over their careers, and what they expect to see come out of the current health reform debate. Dr. Greg Darrow, a family physician from New Mexico who favors a single-payer system, said the demands of the business-side of his group practice often interfere with the quality of his care.

A new poll conducted by CNN and the Opinion Research Corporation released Wednesday says that 51 percent of people favor the president's health reform plan while 45 percent oppose it, CNN reports.

Michigan from 1992 to 2007 experienced improvements in rates of teenage pregnancies, smoking among pregnant women, and six other indicators of maternal and infant health, though there was an increase in out-of-wedlock births and low-birthweight infants, according to a Michigan League for Human Services report issued Tuesday, the Detroit News reports.

NARAL Pro-Choice America on Monday announced its endorsement of appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) in her bid for a full term in 2010, Politico reports. New York Gov. David Paterson (D) in January appointed Gillibrand to fill the Senate seat vacated by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Inter Press Service News Agency examines the prevalence of obstetric fistula in the southern region of Senegal. According to state reproductive health officials in the town of Kolda, 58 percent of births take place at home without medical assistance.