Medicine
ADHD meds like Ritalin, Adderall, Concerta, and Vyvanse have been called "smart pills" for their ability to bestow superhuman powers of concentration. In the U.S. especially, where about 11 percent of schoolchildren have an ADHD diagnosis, parents and teachers embrace the drugs as a way to get kids to sit still and pay attention.
The Painful Politics of Painkillers
Opioids are deadlier than ever, but research into cannabis is still taboo
Opioids are deadlier than ever, but research into cannabis is still taboo.
Reforming health-care costs, it turns out, doesn't have much to do with reforming health-care spending.
The Sequester's Dumbest Cut
Childhood vaccinations don't just save lives; they save money too
Of all the sequestration pink slips about to be handed down from Washington, the one for programs to vaccinate children seems particularly shortsighted. Sure, there are several other candidates for worst idea ever, from education cuts to defense cuts. But with childhood vaccinations, we have not only the emotional tug (our darling babies!) but also financial reality: Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective preventative strategies in health care, saving billions of dollars a year.
When orthopedic surgeons call themselves “carpenters,”what do they mean?
In Oakland, firefighters can give you vaccinations—and may soon offer counseling about things like diabetes and asthma. Is this the future of medicine?
