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Can Electronic Cigarettes Overtake Big Tobacco?
If you know at least one cigarette smoker, chances are you have heard the increasing buzz about the electronic cigarette (e-cigs). E-cigs have surged in popularity and availability over the last few years, with prominent manufacturers like V2 Cigs and Blu touting them as a less toxic alternative to traditional tobacco products. In fact, the [...] Continue reading
New Regulations Posed to Change the Business of Marijuana
So everyone’s heard the results by now. In the Nov. 6 election, residents in the States of Colorado and Washington voted to pass Amendment 64 and Initiative 502, respectively, which allow for the personal use and regulation of marijuana for adults 21 and older. But don’t light up yet, smokers. These would be the first [...] Continue reading
FDA to Require New Education Programs for Doctors Prescribing Opioids
Opium-based medications have been used for pain management for centuries. Despite stricter government regulations and medical advancements to make them safer, addiction, overdose, and overprescribing of those drugs continues to persist. The Food and Drug Administration has introduced a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy to address the issue of misuse of extended-release and long-acting opioids [...] Continue reading
Recall Rewind: Introvale Birth Control Packaging Error Could Increase Population
Every time the Food and Drug Administration announces a recall on oral contraceptives, sexually active women of child-bearing age collectively catch their breath. This time, Sandoz is recalling 10 lots of Introvale generic oral contraceptives due to a packaging flaw that may affect the fertility cycle of thousands of women. The white placebo pills were [...] Continue reading
Teens Will Be Teens: CDC Surveys Youth Risk Behavior
Despite the name of the popular television series, the lives of American teenagers are rarely secret. Teens share even the most mundane details of their lives on social media, and now, more than 15,000 high school students have further divulged their secrets to the Centers for Disease Control 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) [...] Continue reading
Inadequate Drug Recall Communication Could Endanger Patient Health
The health and well-being of millions of Americans depends heavily on the medications they are prescribed. While savvy health consumers take an active role in the their treatment plans, they still rely on care providers to be fully informed of the possible dangers of drugs – particularly drugs that have been recalled. A study published [...] Continue reading
Penicillin Panic: Drug-Resistant Strains of Gonorrhea Increase Worldwide
Nobody wants to talk about it, but there are worse things than getting gonorrhea. If you’re responsible, you go to the doctor, get a prescription for antibiotics, and take care of it. But treating gonorrhea may not always be so easy, English medical researchers say. The bacteria that causes the sexually transmitted disease is becoming [...] Continue reading
FDA Warns Against Counterfeit ADHD Drug Adderall
Consumers who purchased the drug Adderall online may have received a counterfeit, faulty medication, the Food and Drug Administration warns. Adderall is commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy. The fake Adderall was sold online in 30 milligram tablets. As a federally classified controlled substance, Adderall should always be dispensed by [...] Continue reading
Canadian Study Suggests Marijuana Relieves Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms
Medical marijuana has given relief to patients undergoing chemotherapy and to those with glaucoma, chronic pain, and even depression. A study reported in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, revealed that smoking marijuana can also relieve symptoms of multiple sclerosis. The study tested 30 patients with multiple sclerosis who experienced the MS-related symptom spasticity, which causes [...] Continue reading
Erectile Dysfunction Drug Recalled Due to Drug Interaction
You know those fast-talking, nearly unintelligible disclaimers at the end of pharmaceutical ads? Turns out you should probably pay attention to those disclaimers, especially when they warn against possible drug interactions. But what happens if you are taking supplements or over-the-counter drugs that don’t require listing lengthy disclaimers? Men using the over-the-counter erectile dysfunction supplement [...] Continue reading