Hazy Tuesday...

 

Just a quick post.  So far there isn't much going today.  It's pretty hazy & windy out.  I did come across another article of negligence or malpractice leading to possible HIV exposure.  This article details how a nurse working in a Texas jail may have exposed a dozen or more men to HIV by reusing needles.  At least 1 inmate was HIV+.  Now these men are taking PEP & being tested.  This kind of exposure happens way too often.

Cya...

Can Sue...

 

Drugmaker Can Be Sued for Delaying Release of Better Med, Court Rules

The above is a ruling from a California justice cited in this article.  The ruling affects Gilead's decision to keep marketing TDF (Tenofovir)  While pushing back the the development of TAF to insure the prior's financial success.  The case states Gilead knew of adverse affects the original could have such as bone & kidney damage.  The company continued to market TDF, even though they had knowledge of a safer version, TAF, which they shelved for years.  All of this was done to insure profitability.

The plaintiffs are suing for compensation.  They are not suing to claim the original drug was defective.  Only that it was sold when a knowingly safer version was available.  They believe it was the company's responsibility to promote the safest version.   The suit is over negligence & fraudulent concealment. 

The court announced this can move forward unless Gilead can prove it withheld the newer med for some other viable reason besides profit.  Gilead intends to take this to the state's Supreme Court.  Of course the company is crying fowl.

This is an important development.  Give it a read.  This won't be the last of this & could happen to other companies.  Take care.

Cya...

Yet Again...

The info in this piece has been posted in a few places.  It's about another dentist office failing to follow sanitation protocol & potentially have exposing patients to HIV & other illnesses since 2017.   There were 3 offices of the same dental company closed in Philadelphia due to this.  It would seem to be systemic to the company.  Information on this is limited.  It wasn't clear if there were any infections.  Hopefully not.

Take care.

Cya...

And Yet Again...

According to this article, another medical institution has failed to meet safety measures & possibly exposed their patients to HIV.  This time it was a nursing home in Memphis.  I'm sure they had plenty of excuses.

• You mean, I was clean things everytime?
• It takes too long
• It's not profitable
• They're just old people

The bottom line was, they didn't make the well being of their patients a priority on any level.  These places rarely do.  That's terrifying.  When you're in a place like this keep your eyes open & ask questions.  If it pisses them off, go somewhere else if at all possible.  If not, report them immediately.  Better to be wrong than contract who knows what illness due to someone else's negligence.

Cya...

3 Things...

1st, this article talks about how closeted men are more apt to spread HIV than others.   I've seen this a lot articles lately.  These men often consider themselves straight but still engage in M/M sex.   They aren't open & rarely engage in sex with openly gay men.  They have small pools of partners. If 1 gets infected, the whole group soon will.  Wow, the 1980s are alive & well.

2nd, this hits close to home.  Actually, I used to live in Tahlequah.  According to this piece, the Cherokee Nation hospital has had it's own incidence of medical negligence & HIV scare.  200 patients have been told they need to be tested due a nurse's "mistake".  How often am I going to have to write about these instances?

Finally, on a good note, the yard is getting colorful again.  The wild rose blooms are gone, but the tiger lilies & rose of sharon are blooming.  Soon the crepes will be.  That means the dragons & hummers will be here soon.  We've had a ton of wasp &  a horsefly.   I've seen quite a few lightning bugs at night.  Summer is here folks.

Cya...

Yet Again..

This article discusses another possible mass exposure to HIV & hepatitis.   This was another hospital in Colorado.  It was due to inadequate sterilization processes for equipment used during orthopedic or spinal surgeries. This took place from July 2016 until February 20.  That's 20 months.  For over 600 days people faced possible exposure.  How many surgeries were done per day?  

But don't worry:

"We want to assure patients that our team immediately acted to remedy the situation. Recent survey results released by The Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals in the United States, revealed no errors in our process or protocols," the hospital said.

How comforting.  Some arbitrary commission has decided the hospital had done nothing wrong.   Which is their attempt to deny culpability.  To make it harder on those people whose lives this hospital may have just altered forever.   This hospital's main concern is taking care of it's own.

My best goes out to those impacted by this "accident".  I hope your results come back clear.  Then maybe you can get back to living your lives. 

Cya...

My Pharm...

In Summer of 2017,  2 or more health care providers/pharmacies disclosed the HIV status of 1,000's.  AETNA did & so did my pharmacy, CVS.   The information was exposed due to a faulty design in the envelope.  Correspondence with the client was sent via envelopes with clear windows.  These transparent parts easily allowed for others to discover the HIV status of the letter's intended recipient. 

Was this intentional?  Highly unlikely.   Both agencies are facing litigation. This article discusses how an HIV drug assistance program in Ohio is suing CVS for exposing the status over 6,000.   If these people revealed their status should've been up to them.  Not due to corporate carelessness.   It's no wonder why people don't trust companies.   This wasn't done out of maliciousness.  It was done due to disregard for anything else than efficiency.  It wasn't personal, it was callous, uncaring.  All these companies were concerned with was making it easier on themselves.  Now they're being sued.

Good.  

Health issues are supposed to be private.  We have laws covering these matters.  Let these entities start to respect those laws or let them pay.

Cya..

Same Old @#^%...

I posted a few days back about another dentist possibly contaminating patients with HIV & HepC.  This time it was at a VA hospital.  I'm really sick of hearing about how doctors, dentists & staff are routinely being negligent or criminal enough to risk exposing their patients to communicable diseases like HIV, TB, hepatitis, etc.  Even if they are found guilty of the matter, most often little to nothing is done to them.  

What these professionals have done  can be compared to driving recklessly.   Even if no one was harmed in most states this can lead to fines, loss of license &/or imprisonment.   Why should a driving offense be treated less than this type of medical indifference to a patient's well being?  These medical professions should be fined, at least temporarily lose their licenses & possibly face prison sentences.  It's time for these to take their jobs & their patients health seriously.

Cya....