Image of a construction worker working on a construction site.

OSHA Delays New Safety Rule On Silica

- April 10, 2017

A controversial safety rule on silica exposure is being delayed by the Department of Labor, despite the fact that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) “lowered the permissible exposure limit to silica dust for construction workers” last year. The new rule, scheduled to go into effect on June 23, is now being delayed for three more months because OSHA has determined that “additional guidance is necessary due to the unique nature of the requirements in the construction standard.”

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Mylan Faces Another Class Action Lawsuit Over EpiPen Pricing

- April 5, 2017

Mylan has been in the news a lot lately, and now that it’s facing a “new proposed class action lawsuit over the price of its EpiPen allergy treatment,” the company is bound to be in the news even more in coming months. The lawsuit was filed by three EpiPen purchasers on Monday in Tacoma, Washington federal court, claiming that “Mylan engaged in a scheme with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).” What are PBMs? They’re “companies that act as intermediaries between pharmacies, insurers and drug companies – to dominate the market and overcharge consumers.”

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Picture of the West Virginia State Capitol.

New West Virginia Bill Will Use Drug Settlement Funds To Improve Drug Treatment Facilities

- April 2, 2017

Last week, lawmakers in West Virginia moved closer on a plan to “seize $24 million in recent drug lawsuit settlement funds” to put the money towards increasing beds in drug treatment facilities throughout the state. The measure, known as HB 2428, was passed in the House of Delegates with a unanimous vote, and will actually charge the Virginia Department of Health and Human Resource (DHHR) with the responsibility of using the money to “make extra treatment beds available by July 2018.”

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EPA Backtracks on Chlorpyrifos Pesticide Ban

- March 31, 2017

The EPA is backtracking on a ban put forward by the Obama administration on a common pesticide, chlorpyrifos, that research suggests can hinder the development of children’s brains. The administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, called the decision late Wednesday night. Pruitt framed the reversal as a form of “regulatory certainty” which would

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Hepatitis A On the Rise In Parts of Michigan

- March 29, 2017

Hepatitis A, sometimes a foodborne illness, is on the rise in the state of Michigan, prompting state officials to encourage people to get vaccinated. In recent months, reported cases have skyrocketed eight-fold. Just how many cases have there been? According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, between Aug. 1, 2016, and March 21, 2017, there have been a shocking 107 cases of lab-confirmed Hepatitis A in the state, though the spike in cases seems to be centered on areas around Detroit, including Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties.

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