Thursday, August 2, 2007

Oregon Hospital to End Psychiatric Program

Salem Hospital plans to end a 10-year-old program that provides outpatient psychiatric care for older adults.

The Psychiatric Geriatric Outpatient Consultation Clinic will cease operations by September, said Sherryll Johnson Hoar, spokeswoman for Salem Hospital. Staffing shortages led to the decision to close the clinic, she said.

Salem Hospital determined it had to focus its resources on those patients in an "emergent psychiatric crisis," who cannot be treated on an outpatient basis and require a hospital stay.

READ MORE @ SALEM STATESMAN JOURNAL

Lilly Posts Ends Strong Numbers With Cialis, Cymbalta

Eli announced its second quarter results, reporting sales were up 20 percent, worldwide. Eli Lilly reported Q2 sales reached $4.63 billion, with volume up 11 percent, led by the antidepressant drug Cymbalta and the erectile dysfunction drug Cialis.

In January, Eli Lilly acquired Cialis' maker, ICOS Corp. for $2.3 billion. The second quarter return is the first full period incorporating Cialis profits into Eli Lilly's numbers. The take-over kicked marketing and administrative expenses up 23 percent to $1.52 billion.

"We are very pleased to have delivered another quarter of strong financial results," CEO Sidney Taurel said. "Our accelerated, double-digit sales growth in this quarter was fueled by increased volume, driven by several products launched this decade, most notably Cymbalta."

Russia: Activist Sent To Psychiatric Unit After Exposing Health Facilities

A Russian opposition activist has been locked in a mental-health institution in Murmansk Oblast for criticizing health professionals, her husband and human-rights groups claim.

Dmitry Tereshin has hardly slept since July 5, the day his wife, Larisa Arap, telephoned him from the local hospital in Murmansk to say doctors were forcibly admitting her to a psychiatric unit. She had gone to the hospital for a routine check-up she needed to renew her driver's license.

"In my opinion, it may have been because of the article, because the doctor had read the article Larissa wrote," said Tereshin. "The article was entitled 'Madhouse,' and it revealed what goes on in psychiatric clinics."

READ MORE @ RADIO FREE EUROPE - Russia: Activist Sent To Psychiatric Unit After Exposing Health Facilities
READ MORE @ BBC - Psychiatric abuse claim in Russia
READ MORE @ MOSCOW TIMES - Opposition Spokeswoman Sent to Psychiatric Hospital