FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Pharmaceutical Company Punished for Pushing Addiction

  April Armani | May 10, 2007 4:39 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  OxyContin is an incredibly addicting painkiller. Until today, however, few realized that the pharmaceutical company which manufactures the drug actually promoted an OxyContin addiction. Roughly 6.3 million Americans report that they're currently using prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Prescription drug abuse knows no age....

• Liquid Grifulvin Recalled Due to Glass

  Shannon Weidemann | April 30, 2007 10:59 PM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. is recalling glass bottles of GRIFULVIN V(R) griseofulvin oral suspension (liquid) due to glass fragments found in some bottles. The recall is only for the liquid form of the drug. Consumers should call their pharmarcy to see if their prescription is included in the recall. The two reports of glass fragments are believed to be the result of bottle breakage...

• Experts say Levalbuterol Inhaler same as Albuterol

  Staff Writer | February 05, 2007 10:38 AM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  WorstPills.org recommends that patients using levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) consider using the older and less expensive asthma inhaler albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin).They also recommend that before stopping use of any drug, you should consult your physician. WorstPills.org reports that levalbuterol does not offer any benefits over albuterol; it just costs more.The editors of the highly respected...

• Lyrica added to Worst Pills do not use list

  Staff Writer | February 05, 2007 10:17 AM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  WorstPills.org posted in January an alert saying that consumers should not used Lyrica to treat neuropathic pain because of the potential risks and side effects.Lyrica (pregabalin), manufactured by Pfizer, is often used to treat epilepsy. WorsPills.org specifically recommends not to use this drug until 2012, or seven years after FDA approval. This means that they believe the drug needs more...

• Ortho Evra Heat Precautions

  Staff Writer | January 16, 2007 6:20 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  It was already know that Ortho Evra can cause blood clots. Now the maker of the patch is saying that overweight women using the patch are at a particularly high risk of developing blood clots. Janssen-Ortho Inc. (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) also warns that women should not expose the Ortho Evra patch to sources of heat such as saunas and whirlpools. The company believes there is a...

• Parkinson's Drugs Found to Harm Heart Valves

  Staff Writer | January 10, 2007 2:53 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  A recent study by Italian researches found that about one-fourth of patients taking pergolide (Permax) or cabergoline (Dostinex) had moderate to severe heart valve problems. Another study by German doctors found that people using either drug were five to seven times more likely to develop leaky heart valves than those using other types of Parkinson's medications. "This is an extraordinarily...

• FDA Panel Recommends Approval of Celebrex for Children Despite Safety Concerns

  Staff Writer | December 28, 2006 5:35 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  An FDA Advisory Committee has recommended that Pfizer be allowed to market Celebrex to children ages 2 and older who suffer from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). The panel voted 15-1 that the drug was an effective treatment and that its benefits outweighed its risks. The panel members split on the issue of safety, voting 8-7 (with one abstention) that available data does not demonstrate...

• FDA Advisory Committee Recommends New Limits and Warnings for Ketek

  Staff Writer | December 27, 2006 5:33 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Two FDA advisory committees agreed on December 15, 2006, that the antibiotic Ketek (telithromycin) should have new black box warnings added to its label about several serious side effects which have been associated with it. "Black box" is the strongest warning the FDA can mandate. Further, the committees recommended that Ketek be limited to second-line therapy for community-acquired pneumonia...

• Drug interactions growing problem for seniors

  Staff Writer | December 27, 2006 9:17 AM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  As the baby boomer population ages and the senior population continues to grow, drug interactions and overmedicating are becoming bigger problems for the oldest Americans. New services by workingcaregiver.com and others provide pharmacist tsupport to help manage medications among seniors.A pharmacist expert or specialist can help make sure a patient doesn't experience drug interactions, which...

• Alcohol May Aid in the Survival of Head Injuries

  Staff Writer | December 26, 2006 5:29 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Although alcohol consumption is the cause of over 30% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI's), a new study indicates that low to moderate blood alcohol levels may decrease the chance of death after a head trauma. The study published today in the Archives of Surgery show results that link low to moderate levels of alcohol to TBI recovery. TBI patients with high levels of alcohol are more likely to...