October 23, 2015 Report: Specialty drugs drive prescription spending jump Prescription drugs spending jumped 13 percent last year, the biggest annual increase since 2003, according to the nation's largest pharmacy benefits manager.
October 23, 2015 Pain killer prescription practices vary widely among US states, study finds Wide state-by-state variations in how often U.S. doctors prescribe opioid pain killers underline the need for tighter regulations for "pain clinics" that dispense the potentially deadly drugs, particularly in Southern states, a federal agency said on Tuesday.
October 23, 2015 Dangers of overdosing on OTC meds during flu season At some point in your life – maybe even recently during this flu season – you’ve likely been plagued with fever, sore throat, cough, muscle aches and/or congestion. And at some point, you've also probably reached for several over-the-counter medications to combat symptoms, not realizing that you could be overdosing
October 23, 2015 Scientists use bioengineered yeast instead of poppies to make opioids Scientists have invented a speedy method to make potent painkilling opioids using bioengineered baker's yeast instead of poppies, but need to fine-tune the process to make it commercially viable, according to a study published on Thursday.
October 23, 2015 Ibuprofen good as morphine, and safer, for kids with fractures, study says The narcotic drug morphine is not the best choice for pain relief in kids with broken bones, a new study suggests.
October 23, 2015 FDA panel votes down heart safety claim for Aleve A majority of federal health experts said Tuesday that new research is not strong enough to conclude that naproxen, the pain reliever in Aleve and many other medications, is safer on the heart than rival drugs used by millions of Americans to treat arthritis and everyday aches and pains.
October 21, 2015 1 in 6 returned soldiers use opioid painkillers, study finds Almost half of the U.S. soldiers who have recently returned from deployment have chronic pain, and 15 percent use opioid painkillers, a new study finds.
September 16, 2015 Stop pushing drugs on our kids The FDA’s new ruling on OxyContin is for children between the ages of 11 and 16 – the exact window during which young people are most likely to try drugs or alcohol for the first time.
February 5, 2015 Senator seeks to block Zohydro pain drug Sen. Joe Manchin is calling on the government's top health official to overturn the approval of a powerful painkiller, arguing that the pill Zohydro could add to the national epidemic of prescription drug abuse.
