Monthly Archives: July 2011

Patient POV On Vacation

Posted on July 24, 2011 by Laura Newman

I won’t be posting very much for the next 10 days. Vacation beckons. I am off to Cape via Provincetown tomorrow and then on to Martha’s Vineyard. Spent a lovely long weekend in the Boston area and in New Hampshire … Continue reading →

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When the Pharmaceutical Benefit Manager
Won’t Let You Go On Vacation

Posted on July 21, 2011 by Laura Newman

I  leave for vacation in the morning and it was not music to my ears when I heard that the pharmaceutical benefit manager (PBM), the company that reviews your drug use for your health plan or employer, denied an early … Continue reading →

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Won’t Let You Go On Vacation

My $5,000 Tooth and the Institute of Medicine Dental Report

Posted on July 13, 2011 by Laura Newman

What a coincidence! The Institute of Medicine released a report today titled Improving Access to Oral Health Care for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations and I am one step further in my saga of trying to save a tooth! It is … Continue reading →

Posted in Access to care, dental care, Institute of Medicine, Medicaid, Medicare | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Inattention to Drug Safety in the Elderly
Leaves Generations At Risk

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Laura Newman

This post originally appeared in a slightly different form in Scientific American’s guest blog on June 30, 2011. My frail, 92-year-old mother was prescribed 80 mg of the cholesterol-lowering drug, or statin, simvastatin (Zocor) for years, possibly decades. She fell … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, drug safety, falls | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments