Women who take birth control pills and have a hormone disorder called polycystic ovary syndrome have twice the risk of blood clots as other women, according to a new study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. A blood clot, also called a venous thromboembolism, can be fatal if the blood clot moves to the lungs. […]
Year: 2012
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that the newest oral contraceptives containing drospirenone, such as Yaz, Yasmin and Ocella, may have a higher risk of causing blood clots than other oral contraceptives. Blood clots can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Federal food and drug regulators have approved for sale two basic types […]
The latest report by the Institute for Safe Medication Practices raises added concerns about the prevalence of bladder cancer among people taking the diabetes drug Actos. The widely prescribed brand name drug manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals is used to manage blood sugar levels in adults with Type 2 diabetes. The Institute for Safe Medication Practices […]
The diabetes drug Avandia is in the news again because of allegations that the drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline misrepresented the safety of Avandia. GlaxoSmithKline LLC announced a $90 million settlement to resolve allegations that the pharmaceutical company illegally marketed Avandia, according to an article in The Wall Street Journal. The settlement was announced shortly after 38 states, […]
Patients undergoing kidney dialysis should not have to wonder whether the medications they are receiving are safe. But an FDA investigation of one of the largest operators of dialysis centers and a major supplier of dialysis products raises serious safety concerns. This year, the FDA issued a Class I recall of dialysis drugs Granuflo and […]
People who take the blood thinner warfarin as well as a certain class of antidepressants that includes Zoloft and Paxil may have a higher risk of uncontrolled bleeding, according to a new study presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in early November. Patients taking warfarin and a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), such […]
A new report by the Food and Drug Administration describes a long list of unsafe practices and unsanitary conditions at Ameridose, a drug supplier with some of the same owners as the pharmacy that produced contaminated products linked to a nationwide outbreak of fungal meningitis. Ameridose has been a major supplier of sterile injectable medications […]
Two more highly caffeinated energy drinks —marketed as dietary supplements—are being linked to serious injuries or deaths in reports to federal regulators. In the last four years, the Food and Drug Administration has received reports of 13 deaths that cited possible involvement of 5-Hour Energy, according to a report in The New York Times. The […]
Long-acting reversible contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and hormonal implants have been gaining popularity in the United States. According to a recent article in USA Today, the portion of women who rely on these types of contraceptives increased from 2.4 percent a decade ago to 8.5 percent in 2009. The trend toward long-acting contraceptives […]
Nearly eight in 10 prescriptions filled in the United States are generic medicines, and the number is expected to increase through 2015 as patents expire on a number of popular drugs. Extended time-release medicines represent a growing portion of generic medications. It’s noteworthy that federal drug regulators announced the Food and Drug Administration will be […]