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AIDS Healthcare Foundation blasts GlaxoSmithKline print advertisements that promote fear of HIV treatment

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is blasting British multi-national drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for a recent series of direct-to-consumer print advertisements that, under the guise of patient education, capitalize on patients' fears of HIV treatment.

25 Aug 2008

Drugs and fruit juices - a combination to avoid

It has been common knowledge for a number of years that grapefruit juice can influence the absorption of certain drugs, potentially turning normal doses into toxic overdoses.

20 Aug 2008

New reasons to avoid grapefruit juice when taking certain drugs

Scientists and consumers have known for years that grapefruit juice can increase the absorption of certain drugs - with the potential for turning normal doses into toxic overdoses.

19 Aug 2008

22% of survey respondents have reduced number of physician visits to save money, survey finds

Twenty-two percent of respondents to a survey have reduced the number of times they visit their physician because of the current economic climate in the U.S., according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

13 Aug 2008

Researchers examine safety of internet prescriber service providing erectile dysfunction medications

Online Internet shopping today offers many benefits. You can research a product in the privacy of your own home and purchase most anything by clicking a mouse. But should we be allowed to buy prescription drugs via the Internet, bypassing a traditional office visit or conversation with a physician?

12 Aug 2008

FDA warns consumers about Baltimore Medicine Shoppe pharmacies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers who filled prescriptions at The Medicine Shoppe pharmacies located at 8035A Liberty Road and 5900 Reisterstown Road in Baltimore that they may have received drugs that were either expired or suspected counterfeit.

10 Aug 2008

Fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed

Americans are likely to be exposed to unacceptable side effects of FDA-approved drugs such as Vioxx in the future because of fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed, according to research to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association (ASA).

3 Aug 2008

Olympic doping - scientists race to stay ahead of the drug-taking and genetic manipulation

The race to ensure that scientists stop drug-taking athletes from damaging sport by using performance enhancing drugs or undergoing genetic manipulation is a constant challenge, according to a major four-decade review by three of the World's leading experts on doping in sport.

29 Jul 2008

FDA poorly equipped to enforce off-label prescription drug marketing rules, GAO report finds

FDA takes an average of seven months to issue warnings to pharmaceutical companies that market medications for off-label uses, and those companies take an average of four months to address the violations, according to a draft report compiled by the Government Accountability Office, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

29 Jul 2008

How mixing medications can be fatal

A large-scale study of home medication consumption has highlighted the danger of mixing drugs.

29 Jul 2008

U.S. authorities seize Xiadafil VIP tablets after company refuses to recall product

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals seized nearly $74,000 worth of Xiadafil VIP tablets, Lots 6K029 and 6K209-SEI, distributed by SEI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Miami, Fla. Although marketed as a dietary supplement to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and for sexual enhancement, these lots represent an illegally marketed drug containing an undeclared ingredient.

24 Jul 2008

Energy drinks associated with risk-taking behaviors among college students

Over the last decade, energy drinks -- such as Red Bull, Monster and Rockstar -- have become nearly ubiquitous on college campuses. The global market for these types of drinks currently exceeds $3 billion a year and new products are introduced annually.

24 Jul 2008

CMS proposal would limit industry practice that raises costs for some Medicare drug plan beneficiaries

A CMS proposal under consideration would limit a practice used by pharmacy benefit managers known as "lock-in pricing" that can increase costs for beneficiaries enrolled in the Medicare drug benefit and bring them into the so-called "doughnut hole" coverage gap more quickly, the Wall Street Journal reports.

23 Jul 2008

Alaska Group to offer health coverage to employees of not-for-profit

The Foraker Group, an organization that supports not-for-profit organizations in Alaska, on Thursday announced that it will offer health insurance to employees of private, not-for-profit organizations in the state, the Anchorage Daily News reports.

23 Jul 2008

New study finds working age adults with major chronic conditions grew 25 percent over 10 years

As the number of working-age adults who have major chronic conditions grew between 1997 and 2006, those without health coverage in this group experienced substantial erosion in access to health care, according to a new study by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers published today as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive.

22 Jul 2008

West Virginia prescription drug program showing growth, success within first three months

West Virginia Rx, a new state-managed prescription drug program that allows uninsured state residents to obtain medications at no cost, is on track to enroll 10,000 people within its first year, the Charleston Gazette reports (Kabler, Charleston Gazette, 7/17).

22 Jul 2008

Increased potassium/sodium in diet may decrease risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke

A new article indicates that an increased intake in minerals such as potassium, and possibly magnesium and calcium by dietary means may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and decrease blood pressure in people with hypertension. A high intake of these minerals in the diet may also reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

8 Jul 2008

UnitedHealth Group announces lower profit outlook

UnitedHealth Group on Wednesday lowered its earnings guidance because of reduced commercial businesses and higher-than-expected Medicare-related costs and said it would restructure the company with a greater focus on regional coverage, the Chicago Tribune reports (Chicago Tribune, 7/3).

4 Jul 2008

House votes 355-59 to approve legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut

The House on Tuesday voted 355-59 to approve legislation (HR 6331) that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% reduction to Medicare physician fees scheduled to take effect on July 1, among other provisions, the Washington Post reports (Kane, Washington Post, 6/25).

26 Jun 2008

Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell says state could save $95 million annually by purchasing Medicaid drugs

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) says the state could save $95 million annually under a plan to centralize Medicaid prescription drug purchasing within the state Department of Public Welfare, but state Republicans say those savings would be offset by hidden expenses in the plan, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

25 Jun 2008

Prescription Drug News and Research

AIDS Healthcare Foundation blasts GlaxoSmithKline print advertisements that promote fear of HIV treatment

Drugs and fruit juices - a combination to avoid

New reasons to avoid grapefruit juice when taking certain drugs

22% of survey respondents have reduced number of physician visits to save money, survey finds

Researchers examine safety of internet prescriber service providing erectile dysfunction medications

FDA warns consumers about Baltimore Medicine Shoppe pharmacies

Fatal flaws in the way new drugs are tested and marketed

Olympic doping - scientists race to stay ahead of the drug-taking and genetic manipulation

FDA poorly equipped to enforce off-label prescription drug marketing rules, GAO report finds

How mixing medications can be fatal

U.S. authorities seize Xiadafil VIP tablets after company refuses to recall product

Energy drinks associated with risk-taking behaviors among college students

CMS proposal would limit industry practice that raises costs for some Medicare drug plan beneficiaries

Alaska Group to offer health coverage to employees of not-for-profit

New study finds working age adults with major chronic conditions grew 25 percent over 10 years

West Virginia prescription drug program showing growth, success within first three months

Increased potassium/sodium in diet may decrease risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease and stroke

UnitedHealth Group announces lower profit outlook

House votes 355-59 to approve legislation that would delay Medicare physician fee cut

Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell says state could save $95 million annually by purchasing Medicaid drugs

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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