On July 31, 2013, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia issued an opinion granting summary judgment in a suit between various trade associations in the retail industry as well as some merchants (collectively referred to herein as “Plaintiffs”) and the Board of Governors of the Federal […]
Publications
It’s Complicated: Requests for Patient Information/Access for Research
With increasing frequency, practitioners and health professional students request patient information and/or access to patients or patients’ medical records for purposes of research. The requests are particularly difficult to address in small organizations without an Institutional Review Board (IRB). They can also be difficult to handle because they may be […]
HRSA Issues Additional 340B Compliance Audit Reports and Program Rules
This month, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued additional 340B Program compliance audit results and its final rule on the orphan drug exclusion—clarifying several matters relevant to 340B covered entities amid continuing Program expansion and scrutiny by industry stakeholders. The federal 340B Drug-Pricing Program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers […]
Physician Licensure Discipline – Narcotics and Pain Management
Recent Nebraska disciplinary actions based on lax physician narcotic prescription practices suggest that it would be worthwhile for hospital and clinic medical staff to review their states’ published guidance on pain management practices. Not only do lax narcotic prescription practices place licensure at risk, but disciplinary action short of license […]
Other State-Specific Developments
Iowa The Iowa Civil Rights Commission recently prevailed in a district court action alleging an apartment complex’s management company’s employees subjected two former tenants to harassment and other discriminatory treatment based on their sexual orientation. After a maintenance technician discovered the two men were sharing a one-bedroom apartment, he verbally […]