FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Hydrocodone in Unapproved Drugs

  Scott Kappes | October 02, 2007 11:52 AM | 3 CommentsHouston, TX

  Friday the FDA posted a warning to healthcare professionals and consumers about the presence of hydrocodone in certain unapproved drugs. Hydrocodone is a powerful narcotic painkiller and cough suppressant and has been of the most commonly abused drugs out there. Abuse can lead to serious injury and even death in some cases. It has been reported to the FDA that several cough suppressants not...

• Gadolinium Makers Issue Warnings that its Contrast Agents Increase the Risk of NSF

  Jamie Sheller | October 02, 2007 11:17 AM | 0 CommentsPhiladelphia, PA

  At the request of the FDA, Gadolinium makers -- Bayer, GE-Healthcare, Bracco, and Mallinckrodt, notified Healthcare providers that its gadolinium-based contrast agents increase the risk of NSF in certain patients. Gadolinium contrast agents are used by medical providers to enhance the quality of MRI scans. The five gadolinium-based contrast agents are commonly known as: Magnevist, Omniscan,...

• MRI Gadolinium Contrast Agents Get Black Box Warning

  Courtney Mills | 2007-10-02T09:45:03 | 0 Comments

  The U.S. FDA indicated that it would start adding its strongest 'black box' warnings to gadolinium based contrast agents used in MRIs by May of next year. There are five different types of gadolinium based contrast agents, and the FDA has evidence enough to suggest a causal connection between the agents and a skin condition called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) in patients with impaired...

• "Black Box" warning for Gadolinium Agents

  Scott Kappes | 2007-10-01T11:54:36 | 0 Comments

  Last Friday the FDA completed the decision made a few months back to add a "black box" warning to all FDA approved gadolinium containing contrast agents, by issuing a "Dear Healthcare Professional" letter. These contrast agents are commonly used in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to greatly enhance the image produced by the procedure. These contrast agents however have been...

• Gadolinium Contrast Agents Get "Black Box" Warning

  Scott Kappes | 2007-10-01T10:33:07 | 0 Comments

  Friday the FDA finalized the its announcement made in May that it would add the "black box" warnings to gadolinium based contrast agents used to enhance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These contrast agents have been linked to rare skin disease known as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). This is very serious disease characterized by the thickening of the skin and even internal tissue and...

• FDA Cites Cold Medicine Dangers for Children

  Joe Saunders | 2007-09-29T09:26:51 | 0 Comments

  Cold and cough medicines purchased over the counter for children under six years of age can cause serious side effects, including death, concluded an FDA analysis of the safety of children's cold and cough medicines. The FDA has had 54 reports of children's death as a result of using decongesants containing pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine and ephedrine. The FDA has told companies marketing...

• Bush signs FDA bill into law

  Scott Kappes | 2007-09-28T16:06:31 | 0 Comments

  Yesterday President Bush signed a new bill into law that will give the FDA a much greater ability to police drug companies' actions and drug reactions. This is good news for everyone (maybe not the drug companies), as it will hopefully allow the FDA to solve some of the problems that have been very apparent in recent months and years. The new law will create a registry to allow the FDA to better...

• FDA Issues Warning For Pain Killer Drug Fentora

  Jesse Guerra | 2007-09-28T11:33:36 | 0 Comments

  U.S. Drug regulators issued a public health advisory about the potential risks of a pain drug made by Cephalon Inc.The drug, Fentora, has been aproved to treat cancer patients whose severe pain cannot be controlled from other pain killers such as morphine and other pain releiver drugs. Fentora is 80 times stronger than morphine and has been linked to some recent deaths after taking Fentora. ...

• FDA continues warnings about buying drugs on the internet

  Brenda Fulmer | 2007-09-28T11:00:39 | 0 Comments

  The FDA has previously warned about the risks of buying drugs and other medical products over the internet which could be fake, sub-potent, counterfeit, or not approved by the FDA. Some of the drugs most susceptible to counterfeiting are expensive drugs that are sold in large volumes including cholesterol-lowering medications and "embarrassment drugs" (drugs for conditions that patients may not...

• FDA Warning Issued for Pain Drug Fentora

  Joe Saunders | 2007-09-27T10:45:13 | 0 Comments

  Fentora, used to treat pain in cancer patients, has drawn an FDA warning as a result of deaths in patients who were given the improper dosage or Fentora was incorrectly substituted as a pain management pharmaceutical. The FDA warning stated that Fentora should not be used in cancer patients who are unable to tolerate other opioiddrugs. Fentora was approved by the FDA last year for cancer...