HMO Bans Bextra Until Safety is Proven
Heart Risks Associated With Bextra. Kaiser Permanente, the nation's largest not-for-profit managed-care provider, has stopped prescribing Bextra until tests show whether the painkiller is safe. The decision came amid "compelling" evidence of heightened heart risks associated with Bextra and a similar drug called Vioxx that … [Read more...]
Study May Prompt HMO to Change Its Vioxx Usage
Vioxx Usage May Cause Heart Attacks. The nation's largest health management organization is considering changing how it prescribes Vioxx after a government study showed that high doses of the arthritis drug tripled patients' risk of heart attacks and sudden cardiac death. The study compared the outcomes of 40,405 Kaiser Permanente … [Read more...]
