Alison Young Investigates

Pharmacy pamphlets often lack critical drug information

Synopsis: Where you pick up your prescription can determine how much information you receive about how to safely take a medication and what side effects to watch out for. Some down play serious risks or don't include them at all. That's because the FDA doesn't regulate the drug information pamphlets (called consumer medication information or CMI) stapled to bags when consumers pick up their prescriptions at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and other stores.  FDA panel to study pharmacy pamphlets

New alerts: From diet pills to a failed mortgage lender

Synopsis: The glitches have begun for Sunshine Mortgage customers, Fulton County taxpayers are losing out on more federal money, home warranty firm National Home Protection has been sued by Texas regulators and the FDA has issued new warnings about "all natural" diet pills. This column updates previous investigations. New action on dietary pills, warranties

Kids kicked out of Atlanta schools over vaccinations

Synopsis: Fearing more bad publicity as this article was being reported, the Atlanta Public Schools kicked 105 sixth graders and kindergartners out of class Jan. 30 to achieve 100 percent compliance with Georgia's school vaccination law. This article updates the significant efforts Atlanta school and health officials say they've taken since previous Atlanta Journal-Constitution articles revealed lax enforcement of state-required school shots. Vaccination crackdown brings progress at Atlanta-area schools

CDC takes years to release records under FOIA

Synopsis: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims it takes about a month to release public records under the Freedom of Information Act. But when it comes to potentially controversial information that may threaten the agency's reputation, many of my requests have languished for years. Indeed, the agency has created an office that watches out for such "reputational" threats and has conducted risk assessments. This story details some of my long-pending requests. They range from FOIAs seeking information about potentially questionable agency spending to how the CDC misdiagnosed the severity of Andrew Speaker's tuberculosis. Will President Obama's new FOIA policy make a difference? CDC delays releasing public information