Melody Petersen is an investigative reporter covering healthcare and business for the Los Angeles Times. Previously, she wrote about the pharmaceutical industry for the New York Times. She won a Loeb award for reporting on Pacific Gas & Electric at the San Jose Mercury News. She has also written for the Orange County Register and the Philadelphia Inquirer. She’s the author of “Our Daily Meds,” a book about the drug industry. She’s a former certified public accountant and grew up on an Iowa farm. Send her tips securely on Signal at (213) 327-8634.
Latest From This Author
At least 32 people attending a union conference at the Westin Bonaventure in downtown Los Angeles last month were sickened from an outbreak of Shigella bacteria.
Sept. 21, 2023
California legislators approved a bill to require pharmacies to report prescription errors. An estimated 5 million potentially life-threatening errors happen each year.
Sept. 14, 2023
Every year, millions of Californians leave the pharmacy with the wrong drugs or dosages. Don’t let it happen to you.
Sept. 5, 2023
As many as 9,000 Americans die each year after receiving the wrong prescription drugs or doses. Pharmacies are fighting a bill to shed light on the problem.
Sept. 5, 2023
A gold rush in Alzheimer’s pharmaceutical research raises questions about whether aging seniors being recruited for trials in California understand the process and possible risks.
July 10, 2023
California Civil Rights Department asks court to order Tesla to cooperate with its investigation of alleged workplace discrimination.
April 13, 2023
The FDA ordered the immediate withdrawal of Makena, a drug marketed as a treatment for preterm births, saying it had risks but no benefits for pregnant women.
April 6, 2023
Adderall, Ozempic, albuterol, antibiotics and lifesaving cancer meds are in short supply. Here are answers to some of the most pressing questions about the situation.
March 31, 2023
Covis Pharma said it told the Food and Drug Administration that it would voluntarily withdraw the medicine called Makena, which a study in 2019 showed did not work to extend pregnancies.
March 8, 2023
An L.A. County public hospital performed an unneeded surgery after its doctors received pay from the maker of the medical device they implanted, a whistleblower says.
March 7, 2023