CVS pharmacies apparently don’t need consent to enroll customers in ReadyFill, a program that signs customers up for the maximum allowable number of prescription refills and then robocalls them when their drugs are ready. According to a veteran pharmacist, the automatic enrollments began after CVS’ corporate office set specific performance targets that would affect bonuses for managers and pharmacists. Inside, the pharmacist tells us what ReadyFill is, how it works, and how to escape those annoying robocalls…
health
Forget Co-Pays, Your Bill Is Due Now
By 8.6.09
$10 copays are history in some doctor’s offices these days, as some clinics are requiring the entire out-of -pocket cost up front. But what if you get overcharged?
By 8.4.09
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Hey, kids! Get up off the couch, go outside, and maybe drink a glass of milk once in a while. A study published in the scientific journal Pediatrics shows that 70% of children studied had “insufficient” Vitamin D levels, or an outright deficiency. [Consumer Reports Health] [Pediatrics]
By 7.29.09
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Good News: The FDA says your dental fillings aren’t going to give you mercury poisoning. They are, however, classifying “dental amalgam” as “Class II” or “moderate risk,” so they can “impose special controls.” [FDA] (Thanks, Laurie!)
Scientists Agree: Denny's Is Dangerous
By 7.25.09
Denny’s entrees are loaded with dangerous amounts of salt, according to a class action suit filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The CDC recommends consuming no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium each day, but some Denny’s entrees contain a whopping 5,500 milligrams.
Skinny Jeans Pose Even More Health Risks
By 7.23.09
We’ve warned you before: wearing skinny jeans can lead to health problems, including the least fun tingling sensation in the thighs ever, and also can lead to exceedingly sassy customer service. Now, we have even more dire warnings about the super-tight pants: blood clots, bladder and yeast infections, and fertility and digestive problems.
By 7.22.09
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Here are 10 kids’ food items that are not very healthy, including Goldfish Crackers, Fruit By The Foot, and Sunny Delight. [Time]
Help Remedies Delivers Medicine To The WebMD Crowd
By 7.21.09
A company called Help Remedies is offering basic drugs and first aid supplies with simple explanations. Sounds good, provided they remain focused on simple maladies.
Hepatitis Outbreak: This Is Why You Need To Wash Your Hands Before You Return To Work
By 7.17.09
Hepatitis A is an extremely contagious disease that can be passed along by food service workers who don’t thoroughly wash their hands — and that may have been the case at a Milan, Illinois McDonald’s according to the Quad City Times.
CA's Menu-Labeling Law Inspires Restaurants To Cut Calories
By 7.15.09
California’s law requiring that chain restaurants post calorie counts for their foods took effect earlier this month. It’s already producing results, as two chains, Macaroni Grill and Denny’s, are reexamining and revising their offerings.
How I Lost 100.4 Pounds In 6 Months
By 7.14.09
Reader Tyler started 344pounds.com to document his weight loss journey. We’ve checked in with him before when he lost 32 and then 54.6 pounds. Now that he’s hit the hundred-pound-loss mark, Tyler wrote this feature for us to share his methods.
How Healthy Is This Juice? Depends If You Speak English Or Spanish
By 7.12.09
Orchida Coconut Juice displays nutrition data in both English and Spanish, but the values aren’t the same. The English nutrition panels claims that the juice has 240 calories and no fat. Apparently, our Spanish-speaking friends are supposed to read that as 150 calories and 2.5 grams of fat. Pictures of the strange panels, inside…
By 7.8.09
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The FDA has issued a new ruling that says egg producers must “test regularly for salmonella and buy chicks from suppliers who do the same,” and that eggs “will have to be refrigerated on the farm and during shipment” as well as by wholesalers and in the store. The rule is meant to cut down on the number of egg-related salmonella cases nationwide, which currently are around 142,000 a year. [Washington Post] (Photo: Andreas Kollegger)
Quick, What Is This Woman Doing?
By 7.3.09
She has some form of pump attached to her face. She’s moving her head up and down rhythmically… What the….??
Circa 1960s Ad: Sugar Prevents Overeating
By 7.3.09
Last week, we wrote about how sugar isn’t any better than corn syrup when it comes to you health. But it turns out we were wrong. According to this old ad I just found, sugar is perfect for weight-watching: “That’s because sugar helps prevent you from overeating… with sugar in your diet, you’re happier with smaller portions of everything.”
FDA May Take Vicodin And Percocet Off The Market
By 7.1.09
Bad news for Dr. Greg House and other, non-fictional chronic pain patients. The FDA advisory panel that met yesterday about the effects of excessive doses of acetaminophen made another recommendation to the FDA—to take popular painkillers Vicodin and Percocet (and their generic versions) off the market because of the effect both drugs can have on the liver when taken for extended periods. The FDA will most likely follow this recommendation.
When Is It Worthwhile To Buy Organic?
By 6.30.09
Want to avoid eating pesticides without breaking the bank on organics? The handy “Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides” makes it easy to keep track of which fruits and vegetables are likely to have bug spray all over them and which are not. Peaches, apples, bell peppers, celery, and strawberries head up the “dirty dozen” with the highest pesticide load. At the bottom: onions, avocados, frozen sweet corn, pineapple, and mangoes, which have so little pesticide, you’re better off buying conventionally grown varieties (unless you’re rich).
