Prescription Drug News and Research

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Childhood allergies interfere with sleep

New research suggests that while allergies can make children unwell during the daytime they often also interfere with their sleep.

17 Mar 2008

Prescribing costs increase dramatically when people reach 65

Prescribing costs increase dramatically when people reach 65, according to a detailed analysis of more than five million patients published in the March issue of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.

14 Mar 2008

Low cost tactics improve medication use after heart attack

Direct-to-patient communication about the importance of continuing prescription drug treatment after a heart attack is a simple, low-cost way to increase the likelihood of patients adhering to life saving therapies at least four out of every five days.

14 Mar 2008

Call for all cigarettes to be sold in plain cardboard packs

Cigarettes should be sold in plain, dull cardboard packs, with nothing but the health warning and the brand name allowed, researchers at the University of Sydney School of Public Health have argued in a major review published in the international research journal, Addiction.

13 Mar 2008

Diabetes and dental health

People who live with diabetes on a daily basis are usually instructed to eat right, maintain regular physical activity, and if necessary, take medication.

13 Mar 2008

Aspirin reduces the risk of breast cancer

According to a new British report, taking drugs such as Aspirin can reduce the risk of breast cancer by as much as 20 percent.

10 Mar 2008

Abuse of prescription medications linked to drug abuse among college students

College students who take frequently abused medications without a prescription appear to have a higher risk for drug abuse than those who use such therapies for medical reasons, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Mar 2008

Mail order pharmacies growing more popular

Of Americans who buy prescription drugs, the proportion who purchase them from mail order pharmacies rose from just under 9 percent in 2000 to just over 13 percent in 2005, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

26 Feb 2008

New gene discovered that determines hair texture and density in humans

A Columbia University Medical Center research team has discovered a new gene involved in determining hair texture in humans.

26 Feb 2008

Throwing money at back pain treatments does not guarantee relief

A new study by researchers in the United States has revealed that despite the billions of dollars spent in recent years on treating back pain, many people gain little relief.

13 Feb 2008

Pharmaceutical policies: effects of cap and co-payment on rational drug use

A new review of existing research suggests that co-pays and caps on drug expenditures could keep crucial medications out of the hands of those who need them.

13 Feb 2008

NACDS launches campaign to expand role in healthcare debate

Pharmacy is vital to healthcare quality, affordability and accessibility, and should be valued and utilized more completely. That is the message of a major advertising campaign launched today by the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) as part of its increasingly proactive outreach to policymakers to tell the story of its members.

4 Feb 2008

Bush's efforts to rein in government spending places a dangerous target on health care

President George W. Bush today submitted his budget proposal to Congress for fiscal year 2009. In response Bruce Roberts, RPh, executive vice president and CEO of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) issued the following statement:

4 Feb 2008

Researchers propose consumers buy yearly 'drug licenses' as new way to pay for prescriptions

Changing the way consumers pay for prescription drugs so that the system more closely resembles paying for cell phones or computer software could increase drug use without altering patients' out-of-pocket spending, health plan costs or drug company profits, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

23 Jan 2008