Drug Interactions
Death In The Mail
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008The problem with ordering prescription drugs from online pharmacies, is that you have no idea what you’re getting. Just ask the woman from this recent CNN Health article.
“Every night before her husband went to bed, he would open a prescription bottle of the muscle relaxant Soma and swallow the eight or nine pills it took [...]
A Little Scary…
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
On May 27, the FDA alerted consumers and healthcare professionals not to buy or use Xiadafil VIP Tablets sold in bottles of 8 tablets or blister cards of 2 tablets. The product is marketed as a dietary supplement and is promoted and sold over the internet for sexual enhancement and to treat erectile dysfunction.
“The product [...]
Over-medicating Seniors
Saturday, May 31st, 2008According to a recent CNN.com article, you shouldn’t be too quick to assume that your aging loved ones are experiencing symptoms of Alzheimer’s or dementia… it could just be a bad case of over-medication.
“Every year, 38 million older Americans suffer drug complications, 180,000 of which are life-threatening, according to research by Dr. Jerry Gurwitz, [...]
Better Warning Labels May Be On the Way
Thursday, May 29th, 2008The Food and Drug Administration has proposed a mandate that would require prescription medicines to have more detailed warning labels than they currently do. In a May 28 USA Today Article, Deputy Director of the FDA’s Office of New Drugs Sandra Kweder said pregnant women in particular need much better guidance.
“Women take an average of three [...]
1-800-SIDE EFFECTS
Wednesday, May 21st, 2008Reuters recently reported that some people are pushing for a side effect hotline that would allow patients to phone in particularly dicey drug complications free of charge.
“The 1-800-FDA-1088 number is part of the agency’s MedWatch program to monitor possible problems with drugs and devices. Consumers and doctors can also report concerns on the FDA’s website.
Last [...]
Numbers, statistics and disturbing factoids (oh my!)
Tuesday, May 20th, 2008According to WorstPills.org there are 212 prescription drugs that people should NOT due to various health hazards, and 62 prescription drugs that can potentially cause eye disease. There are a plethora of other interesting statistics on the site, which are attributed to “well-conducted studies, mainly in the United States.” Here are a few:
Each year, [...]
Blockbuster Cholesterol Drug A No-Go
Tuesday, April 29th, 2008The FDA denied approval of the much anticipated Merck & Co. cholesterol drug Cordaptive on Monday, stating that more information on the drug is needed, and that the trade name Cordaptive is not acceptable.
Merck is also the creator of the controversial cholesterol drug Vytorin, which came under fire in January when studies showed that the [...]
The New Kids on the Block
Monday, April 21st, 2008I decided to do some research and find out the names of some of the latest drugs to arrive on the scene in so far this month. Here’s what I discovered (courtesy of Drugs.com):
Treximet, formerly Trexima, is sumatriptan succinate and naproxen sodium. It is being developed as a novel combination of sumatriptan succinate and naproxen [...]