A shortage of EpiPens is alarming patients in Illinois and across the country.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration added EpiPens and a similar epinephrine autoinjector made by Impax Laboratories to its drug shortage list on Wednesday, after weeks of complaints from patients who say they've had a tough time getting them. It's a shortage the FDA expects will be short-term but one that has patients scrambling and doctors turning to alternatives.Aimee Weiss, of Highland Park, said her doctor wrote a prescription for multiple packages of EpiPens for her 12-year-old daughter, who's allergic to tree nuts. But a couple of weeks ago, her CVS pharmacy told her she could only have one pack.She called a Walgreens store, which told her that her name could be added to a waiting list for the device. She finally got a second pack after spending hours on the phone with her pharmacy and insurer.However, she usually likes to have four packs, one for her daughter's backpack, one for school, one for her … [Read more...] about EpiPen shortage hits Illinois: ‘This is a life-threatening issue’
Illinois
Illinois lawmakers weigh ban on all formulas of synthetic pot after deaths
Illinois lawmakers are weighing legislation aimed at preventing manufacturers of synthetic marijuana from skirting laws banning the substance often sold and branded as "Spice" or "K2."The effort comes after public health officials reported that four people have died in recent weeks after using synthetic cannabinoids believed to be laced with rat poison. Another 164 people have been sickened by the substance also known as "fake weed," showing up in hospital emergency rooms after coughing up blood or experiencing bleeding in their urine, nose or gums. Most cases have been reported in the Chicago or Peoria areas.Synthetic cannabinoids are a man-made mixture of hundreds of chemicals that affect the same brain cell receptors as the active ingredient in marijuana - commonly known as THC - that causes people to get a euphoric high. The chemicals are typically sprayed on a plant material to be smoked, or the mixture can be sold in a liquid form to be used in e-cigarettes or vaping … [Read more...] about Illinois lawmakers weigh ban on all formulas of synthetic pot after deaths
Illinois Senate President Cullerton called Missouri with advice about possible Greitens impeachment
As talk of the possible impeachment of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens picked up steam last month, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton called his neighboring counterpart to offer some advice.It was nearly 10 years ago that Cullerton took over the state Senate and in one of his first acts helped organize the impeachment trial that convicted then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, removing him from office. Blagojevich was banned from ever seeking state office again in the first formal forced removal of a governor from office in Illinois history.Now, Missouri lawmakers have scheduled a special session starting next week to consider impeaching Greitens over scandals involving an extramarital affair and campaign finance violations.“I’m the only Senate president in America who has the experience of an impeachment trial (of a sitting governor) and I gave him some advice,” Cullerton said of his conversation with Missouri Republican Senate Pro Temp Ron Richard. “My only point was to … [Read more...] about Illinois Senate President Cullerton called Missouri with advice about possible Greitens impeachment
VW diesel settlement money spurs controversy in Illinois
With more money come more problems. Illinois is scheduled to get $108 million as part of the Volkswagen diesel scandal settlement, but critics of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, who are preparing to disburse the funds, say Illinoisans are not getting enough input on how to apply the funds.“They purported for over a year on their website that they were going to have public meetings, public hearings to decide the best way to spend this money,” said John Walton, chair of Chicago Area Clean Cities, a group of government and corporate organizations that works toward reducing pollution. “There have been zero public meetings. There have been zero public hearings.”Alec Messina, director of the IEPA, said the IEPA met with many agencies and advocacy groups over the feedback period from Feb. 28 to April 20, that the IEPA never turned down a meeting request, and that the public was also welcome to submit comments by mail.“I would not agree that there … [Read more...] about VW diesel settlement money spurs controversy in Illinois
At Southern Illinois University, a growing Edwardsville campus flexes its muscles
For years, there was a natural order to life in the Southern Illinois University system: The flagship campus in Carbondale had the higher enrollment, the bigger budget and the storied men’s basketball team while Edwardsville, established nearly 90 years after Carbondale, worked to build up its cachet.That was before enrollment began a long decline at Carbondale while Edwardsville gradually found its niche in Greater St. Louis, the second-largest metro area in Illinois.Now enrollment at the two schools is nearly identical, and Edwardsville officials say it is time that the two-campus university system reassess how it divvies up its funding. And some area lawmakers are renewing a push to sever the two campuses.“To be fair to our great students and their families and to the amazing individuals who make up our faculty and staff, we need to admit that some parts of SIU are doing better than others and we need to make decisions that maximize the investment we receive from the … [Read more...] about At Southern Illinois University, a growing Edwardsville campus flexes its muscles