Colorado Springs Medical Briefs: June 20, 2008

New rules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will allow medical researchers access to millions of Medicare prescription drug benefit claims.

The rules limit studies to the commercial parts of the program, but will allow researchers to study the safety and effectiveness of medications among the elderly and disabled. Clinical trials often exclude the very old, patients with multiple chronic conditions and those taking multiple medications.

The rule also will allow beneficiaries to use the data to update personal health records.

The identities of specific drug plans will remain encrypted. CMS also will combine cost information for Medicare prescription drug plans in order to give the plans the ability to negotiate prices.

Releasing the data is good news, said Tricia Neuman, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation and director of the Medicare Policy Project.

"However, it appears that data restrictions will limit how much we'll be able to learn about the experiences of people in specific plans," she said. "Researchers will not be able to determine the relationship between the amount of rebates that Medicare prescription drug plans receive from pharmaceutical companies and the amount that they charge beneficiaries."

Salmonella saga continues ...

Another person in Colorado has become sick from salmonella poisoning linked to raw red Roma, red plum and red round tomatoes.

Two people in the state have been linked to the national outbreak, one in Weld County and the other in Otero County. The Food and Drug Administration recommends that consumers limit their consumption of tomatoes to cherry, grape, tomatoes with the vine still attached or tomatoes grown at home.

Also, the FDA recommends consuming raw red plum, raw red Roma or raw red round tomatoes only if grown and harvested from the following states and countries not associated with the outbreak: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, Belgium, Canada, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Israel, Netherlands and Puerto Rico.

Consumers who are unsure where the tomatoes they have in their home were grown are encouraged to contact the store or place of purchase for the information.

Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections particularly in young children, frail or elderly people, and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Consumers who have recently eaten raw tomatoes or foods containing raw tomatoes and are experiencing any of these symptoms should contact their health care provider.

Health department cuts

The latest cuts to the El Paso County Department of Health and Environment will eliminate many health programs and services.

Department officials say the reductions total more than $500,000 - - which means the department operates on 35 percent less than during 2001.

Programs that will close include the inspection and regulation of tattoo establishments, methamphetamine lab cleanup, and suicide prevention training and education. The chronic disease prevention programs also will be reduced.

"When you break down the county's 2008 per capita investment in public health, it amounts to about $5.35 per person, which is half the amount we received in 2001," said Kandi Buckland, deputy health administrator. "No matter how you crunch the numbers, the final calculations are concerning."

Other programs that will be reduced include inspection of retail food establishments, child care enters and public pools and spa. Infectious disease prevention, investigation and management efforts also will be scaled back.

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