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Canadian prescription drugs

Canadian pharmacies that mail prescription drugs to U.S. patients have been backed into a no-win situation by the Canadian government and the provincial medical and pharmacy associations.

16 Nov 2004

FDA commits to use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is stepping up its efforts to improve the safety and security of the nation's drug supply through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

16 Nov 2004

Medicare to reimburse preventive cholesterol screening

As the nation's leading cardiologists gather for the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2004, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) has announced the 2005 Physician Fee Schedule, which guarantees access to preventive cholesterol screenings for 39 million Medicare-eligible beneficiaries.

9 Nov 2004

FDA has warned consumers not to purchase or to consume Actra-Rx or Yilishen, promoted as "dietary supplements" for treating erectile dysfunction

The Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers not to purchase or to consume Actra-Rx or Yilishen, two products promoted and offered for sale on Web sites as "dietary supplements" for treating erectile dysfunction and enhancing sexual performance for men.

9 Nov 2004

Obese and overweight men spend 3.5 times more on prescription drugs than normal-weight men

As middle-aged men’s weight goes up, so do their monthly costs for prescription drugs to treat heart disease risk factors and weight-related conditions, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2004.

8 Nov 2004

Quitting smoking can be made easier with long-term comprehensive drug and psychological interventions

People who want to quit smoking have an improved chance of success if they receive long-term comprehensive drug and psychological interventions, according to a new study by UCSF researchers.

4 Nov 2004

The Bush Medicare Prescription has changed the identity of medical oncology

Under previous law, Medicare covered chemotherapy as well as radiation treatment for cancer patients, but did not pay for oral-dose anti-cancer drugs, unless they were available in both oral and injectable form.

4 Nov 2004

Generic drugs are still a good buy

A new AARP study found that manufacturers' prices for some generic drugs experienced a rapid rise over the past three years. However, these increases would have added only a few dollars per year to consumers' costs for any one of these products.

4 Nov 2004

FDA warns against use of Actra-Rx and Yilishen

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has warned consumers not to purchase or to consume Actra-Rx or Yilishen, two products promoted and offered for sale on Web sites as "dietary supplements" for treating erectile dysfunction and enhancing sexual performance for men.

4 Nov 2004

Guidance for generic drugs

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that a Guidance for Industry entitled "Listed Drugs, 30-Month Stays, and Approval of ANDAs and 505(b)(2) Applications Under Hatch-Waxman, as Amended by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003

4 Nov 2004

Tentative approval of testosterone gel product

Par Pharmaceutical Companies today announced that its partner, Paddock Laboratories, has been granted tentative approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for testosterone gel 1%.

1 Nov 2004

Researcher finds no long-term benefit of using glucosamine for knee joint pain

A popular food supplement used to treat osteoarthritis pain in knee joints has been shown to have no long-term beneficial effect, according to a national study conducted by a University of British Columbia post-doctoral fellow working at the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada

1 Nov 2004

Long-term medication and counseling helps smokers quit

People who want to quit smoking have an improved chance of success if they receive long-term comprehensive drug and psychological interventions, according to a new study by UCSF researchers.

1 Nov 2004

Mail-order prescriptions exposed to excessive heat may become significantly less effective for patients

Mail-order prescriptions exposed to excessive environmental heat, such as temperatures found in mailboxes and car interiors, may become significantly less effective for patients.

28 Oct 2004

Obese patients have higher health care costs

Compared to nonobese persons, obese patients had higher average health care costs over a one-year period, according to an article in the October 25 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

25 Oct 2004

Call for disclosure of the prices of the most commonly-used prescription drugs over the Internet

In an effort to continue to protect Michigan’s seniors and vulnerable citizens without drug insurance coverage, Attorney General Mike Cox is pushing for disclosure of the prices of the most commonly-used prescription drugs over the Internet to increase consumer awareness and assist buyers with informed choices.

25 Oct 2004

Representatives from Bush and Kerry campaigns to present health plans at University of Michigan

With health care on the short list of hot topics for this year's presidential election, many voters want to know exactly what the two leading candidates propose to do about Medicare, the uninsured, prescription drugs and rising health care costs if they're elected.

12 Oct 2004

New survey reveals continued drug price disparities across the New York State

New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has announced that his office's drug price website has been expanded to include pharmacies within every county in New York State.

11 Oct 2004

18 percent of seniors with chronic conditions such as heart disease and depression skip medicines due to costs

A recent nationally representative survey of older adults finds that 18 percent of those with chronic conditions such as heart disease and depression skip some of their prescription medicines because of out-of-pocket cost pressures, and 14 percent do so at least every month.

6 Oct 2004

Eight out of ten women take some form of therapeutic drugs during pregnancy

The advice from the British National Formulary (British Medical Association and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain) is that all drugs should be avoided if possible during the first three months – and only prescribed at all if the benefits to the mother outweigh the risk to the foetus.

6 Oct 2004