The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "diabetes" ...
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Divided Loyalties
A look at how nonprofit health information and advocacy groups are taking millions of dollars from druge and medical device makers. Organizations such as the American Diabetes Association and the National Osteporosis Foudndation are involved in this debate of drug safety.
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Patients in Danger: The Caremark Investigation
Caremark, one of the biggest health-care organizations in the nation, was failing to provide necessary health care to customers. KHOU's investigation found that this included Caremark limiting dosages and refill amounts for necessary drugs like insulin for diabetics or anti-rejection drugs for transplant patients, often going against the physician's written prescription. Caremark employees in multiple states had a mandate to change these prescriptions as the company attempted to save money. In addition, "used" medications which had been returned to Caremark were simply relabeled and sent out again without testing. This practice is illegal, because for instance a drug like insulin loses half its effectiveness if not properly refrigerated. Also, Caremark employees informed KHOU of cover-ups that occurred during government inspections.
Tags: Drugs; Caremark; insulin; health care; prescription
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Hidden Risks, Lethal Truths
This story was initially reported in June of 2000, when the dangerous effects of the diabetes pill, Rezulin, were first discovered by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The pill, which was found to cause liver-related deaths in patients, was finally taken off the market in March 2000 after bringing in $2.1 billion in sales for Warner-Lambert Co. This investigation looks at internal documents which uncover Warner-Lambert executives hid early indications of the drug's effects from regulators. The documents also indicate that the company put off sharing the information with family doctors prescribing the medicine with their patients.
Tags: Warner-Lambert Co; Rezulin; federal regulation; Food and Drug Administration; Pfizer; Inc.; drugs
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Blackout
Halsne found that Washington drivers with severe medical impairments, such as diabetes, were again and again given immunity following serious auto accidents. Washington law does not restrict licenses of drivers who have a long history of blackouts. KIRO-TV profiled a diabetic who sent a total of 9 innocent victims to the hospital in 3 car wrecks. KIRO found eight-thousand medically impaired drivers are allowed to keep their licenses year after year.
Tags: driving license; auto accident; medical impairment; diabetic drivers; blackout accidents; license restriction
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Pitch to Switch: Bristol-Myers Fights To Lock In Patients Before Generics Hit
The Wall Street Journal looks at Bristol-Myers' fight to woo patients to a new diabetes medication that isn't substantially different, but is shielded from generic competition. "If the aggressive marketing campaign succeeds, it could mean that tens of thousands of elderly and poor patients--groups for which diabetes has reached epidemic proportions--will keep using the high-priced alternatives from Bristol-Myers."
Tags: Bristol-Myers; diabetes medications; generic medications; Glucophage; Glucovance; pharmaceutical companies
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Cherokee Jail Death
A series of stories about the death of Christopher Lee Wood, a 26-year-old diabetic who died while he was an inmate in the Cherokee County, North Carolina jail. He died "hours after his parents pleaded with 911 dispatchers and jailers to give their son life-saving insulin." The county's chief jailer refused outside efforts to save Wood and she was later fired and charged with manslaughter. The series found jailers did not provide medical treatment to Wood as they are required to do by state law.
Tags: Christopher Lee Wood; jail; Cherokee County; North Carolina; jail medical treatment; jailers
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Who owns my disease
Mother Jones reports on an unprecedented effort of a family to deal with their children's congenital defect by patenting the gene for the disease. "The Terrys have gained something no other family or patient group now has: a way to make sure that the genetics revolution benefits those with the most at stake," the magazine reveals. The story examines a recent pattern of genetic patents impeding new science developments, and looks at the efforts of various nonprofit groups to run their own scientific programs, funding researchers directly.
Tags: Human Genome Project; genetics; cancer; Canavan disease; Human Genome Sciences; PXE International; Alzheimer; U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
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Dangerous Drugs
A CBS News investigation into the FDA reveals that the organization has approved a number of drugs despite objections from its own scientists. Among the questionably approved drugs was Rezulin, a diabetes drug, and Relenza, a flu drug. "The series exposed a serious rift between FDA rank-and-file scientists who felt their concerns were being ignored, and FDA executives who repeatedly sided with pharmaceutical companies over issues of safety regarding controversial drugs."
Tags: VIDEOCLIP; TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; FDA; Rezulin; Relenza; scientists; pharmaceutical companies; safety; drugs
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Rezulin Helps Many, Leaves Trail of Despair
The Ann Arbor News investigated an alleged cover-up of concerns about the side effects of a new diabetes drug - Rezulin - prior to its approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The investigation revealed that "it took at least 63 deaths over 2 1/2 years to convince the FDA and Parke-Davis [the producing company, based in Ann-Arbor] to finally pull Rezulin off the market." The reporter found out that "pre-approval data from Parke-Davis had suggested the possibility of liver problems," but the producer didn't "point this data out to the FDA, and the FDA ignored or covered up this concern." The series raised questions about conflicts of interest, stemming from the fact that "some members of the FDA committee of doctors who approved Rezulin, as well as a top decision maker....had worked as paid consultants for Parke-Davis..." The stories questioned the proper work of the country's drug approval system.
Tags: FOIA; the Food and Drug Administration; diabetes; insulin; doctors
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A Death in Garfield
Doug Most investigates the bizarre circumstances surrounding the death of Ed "Huff" Kotwica, a high school football and basketball coach at Garfield High School in Garfield, N.J. Kotwica, who once coached New York Jets wide receiver Wayne Chrebet, was a town icon, respected by nearly everyone in the community. However, area law enforcement agencies got wind of a rumor that he had criminal sexual contact with two female players on the girls' basketball team. Following a quick investigation, he was arrested by Garfield police and spent a night in jail. Upon his release the next morning, Kotwica went home and waited for his wife to bring him some breakfast. In the meantime, he went walking on the railroad tracks in town and was hit by an oncoming train. Local authorities have ruled his death a suicide, saying that he was so upset about being caught -- or labeled -- as a criminal that he killed himself. However, many locals are saying there is no way that Kotwica would kill himself or have inappropriate contact with his female players. They claim that Kotwica, who had diabetes, went into hypoglycemic shock while he was walking along the tracks and fell into the oncoming train. While he was in jail, Kotwica did not receive his diabetes medicine or any food to eat.
Tags: Ed Kotwica; Wayne Chrebet; Garfield; New Jersey; death; criminal sexual contact