http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. For medicines intended for chronic use, the number of patients studied before regulatory approval is insufficient to properly evaluate safety and long-term efficacy, requiring the need for new legislation, according to a study by European researchers published in this week's PLOS Medicine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-drugs-insufficient-patients-safety.html Medications Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:00:05 EST news282927624 The number of deaths and liver transplants due to paracetamol overdoses has significantly reduced thanks to UK legislation to make pack sizes smaller, a paper published today in BMJ suggests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-percent-reduction-deaths-paracetamol-due.html Medications Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:30:02 EST news279472443 The growing ease of DNA sequencing has led to enormous advancements in the scientific field. Through extensive networked databases, researchers can access genetic information to gain valuable knowledge about causative and preventative factors for disease, and identify new targets for future treatments. But the wider availability of such information also has a significant downside—the risk of revealing personal information. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-privacy-dna-policies-safeguard-identity.html Genetics Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:51:21 EST news279456671 Only 11 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws or issued regulations to implement the Affordable Care Act's major health insurance market reforms that go into effect in 2014, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. Thirty-nine states have not yet taken action to implement these requirements, potentially limiting their ability to fully enforce the new reforms and ensure that consumers receive the full protections of the law. These reforms include bans on denying people health insurance due to preexisting conditions, a minimum benefit standard, and limits on out-of-pocket costs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-state-action-health-reforms.html Health Fri, 01 Feb 2013 05:05:45 EST news278917533 Ireland's government pledged Tuesday to pass a law soon that will allow women to receive abortions if continued pregnancy threatens their lives—including from their own threats to commit suicide if denied one. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-12-ireland-limited-abortion-laws.html Health Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:11:17 EST news275058672 All cigarettes sold in Australia will be in identical, plain packages from Saturday in a world first after the government overcame legal challenges from the tobacco industry. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-australia-readies-plain-cigarettes.html Health Fri, 30 Nov 2012 07:05:22 EST news273481509 Tobacco producer Swedish Match claimed Friday it was offered the opportunity to pay 60 million euros ($78 million) to thwart new EU tobacco legislation in a scandal that has cost Europe's top health official his job. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-swedish-eu-bribes-totalled-million.html Other Fri, 19 Oct 2012 09:04:46 EST news269856242 (AP)—The European Union's health commissioner resigned Tuesday over corruption allegations involving tobacco laws but has denied any wrongdoing and has vowed to clear his name. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-10-eu-health-chief-resigns-corruption.html Health Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:39:44 EST news269627975 A smoking ban in all closed public spaces, including coffee shops, restaurants and bars, went into force in Lebanon on Monday under new legislation that promises hefty fines for lawbreakers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-lebanon.html Health Mon, 03 Sep 2012 03:44:32 EST news265862659 The Health and Social Care Act 2012 will have "severe implications" for collecting and monitoring data about the health needs of the population in England, warn experts today. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-health-legislation-severe-implications-population.html Health Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:30:03 EST news254673008