Drugs and Medications News

FDA researchers release a report card on how well a Congressional initiative to encourage generic drug competition is working.

Two types of blood pressure medication made by Lupin Pharmaceuticals have been recalled due to potential high levels of a cancer-causing substance, according to an FDA recall notice.

The decision strengthens U.S. defense the against bioterrorism.

The recalled drugs were found to contain less than 90% of the drug's two labeled ingredients to treat hypothyroidism.

Some of the most common bacterial infections can now be treated with shorter courses of the drugs.

Reports of abuse or misuse of the OTC nasal decongestant propylhexedrine are rising, often leading to serious harm, including death, the FDA warns.

The service will accept most forms of insurance and may have savings for those without insurance as well. Customers may be able to use their health savings accounts or flexible spending accounts to purchase prescriptions on the site.

After voters approve the measures, the state legislatures usually will need to set up regulations in each state. Right now, 11 states have fully legalized marijuana, CNN noted.

The announcement clears the way for Florida and other states to implement a program bringing medications across the border to save money. The effort is strongly opposed by drugmakers and the Canadian government.

A review of so-called "smart drug" nutritional supplements found a handful that were packed with foreign pharmaceuticals not approved in the United States, often in potentially dangerous combinations and dosages.

Many older patients take multiple medicines and these often change after a hospital stay

More than 20% of Medicare Part D expenses on brand-name medications came from doctors who received an incentive related to a drug they prescribed. Nearly 30% of physicians got an incentive for at least one drug they prescribed during the study period.

That kind of overprescribing raises risks for everyone, experts say, as bacteria gain more chances to mutate around the life-saving drugs.

The proposal also includes a single market for drug pricing in the state. Companies would have to bid to sell their medicines at a set price.

The agency also plans to make it easier for drug manufacturers to import their own FDA-approved drugs that are manufactured abroad and intended for sale in other countries.

However, the bill has no chance of being passed by the Republican-controlled Senate and the White House has threatened to veto it, the Associated Press reported.

The drugs include Dollar Tree's Assured Brand OTC drugs and other drug products sold by Dollar Tree Co., which operates stores under the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar names.

Johnson & Johnson said the award is "excessive and unfounded" and that it would take immediate action to overturn it, the AP reported.

Earlier this week, preliminary results from two trials in Congo suggested that the two drugs significantly reduced the risk of death from Ebola.

The FDA approved the gene therapy Zolgensma to treat children with a severe form of spinal muscular atrophy. The drug costs $2.125 million for a one-time treatment, CBS News reported.

Valisure reported finding high levels of called N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF) in specific lots of the drug.

The results of the small study suggest that taking in more vitamin K, not less, might help patients on warfarin (Coumadin).

The most common one found was trimethoprim, which is primarily used to treat urinary tract infections. It was detected at 307 of the 711 sites, according to the researchers.

The dangerous ingredient, vinpocetine, is in supplements that claim to enhance memory, focus or mental sharpness. They also supposedly increase energy and aid weight loss, the FDA said

Doctors may one day use your genes or species of bacteria to predict how well you’ll metabolize a certain drug, one of the study’s authors said.