Just because you need a prescription medication, doesn’t mean you can’t shop around to get the best price. Shopping around is particularly valuable if you are on a given medication for an extended period of time. However, these tips and tricks can be used to save money any time you get a prescription: 1. Always check for prescription transfer coupons. Some pharmacies offer as much as $20-$30 in bonus cards if you transfer all your drugs to their pharmacy. However, make sure all your drugs...

With a struggling economy and consumers trying to stretch an already tight budget, online pharmacies appear to be an easy way to cut down on medical costs. However, without the benefit of a trained pharmacist to look over your medical history, the dispensation of powerful drugs is potentially extremely dangerous. As consumers, we are always looking for ways to get the best deal. However, it is irresponsible to take this natural urge so far that it endangers our health. Online pharmacies have no regulation...

After you leave the doctor’s office with a prescription in your hand, do you know what to do? Do you know what information you should ask for when you receive a new medication from your local pharmacy? Experts say you should agree to a pharmacist consultation about any drugs you’ve never taken before. Here are some things that you should ask during your consultation: 1. Make sure you know how and when to take the medication so, if you are at all unclear, ask. 2. Ask if you should avoid...

Most adults visit the pharmacy for prescription medication, but do not know what goes on behind the glass window, amongst the shelves of drugs. Your community pharmacist is responsible for shielding you from an adverse drug interaction, as well as he or she is able. Pharmacists accomplish this through careful examination of your medical history, which describes your previous medications, and allergies. Once the pharmacist gives you a specific medication, you can feel confident that it has passed...

A study published online in the journal Archives of Psychiatry (September, 2010) has established the safety and feasibility of administering moderate doses of psilocybin ??? the active ingredient in ???magic mushrooms??? ??? to patients diagnosed with advanced-stage cancer that present with anxiety. Psilocybin is classified as a hallucinogen and is derived from mushrooms from the tropical and subtropical regions of the United States, Mexico, and South America. The hallucinogenic effect of psilocybin...

A study published in the journal Public Library of Science One(September 2010) has demonstrated that vitamin B could help offset the effects of Alzheimer???s disease. One of the most serious symptoms of Alzheimer???s disease is ???brain shrinkage.” Under normal circumstances, adults over age 60 experience brain shrinkage ??? approximately 0.5 percent shrinkage for each year after 60. However, people diagnosed with Alzheimer???s disease experience an increased rate of shrinkage ??? about 2.5...

In September 2010, Allergan, the pharmaceutical company that produces BOTOX, agreed to pay a penalty of $600 million resulting from allegations of illegally promoting BOTOX for off-label use and for contributing to false claims to Medicare and Medicaid. However, Allergan may soon make all that money back ??? and then some. July 9, 2010, the British Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency approved BOTOX for use in the prevention of a condition labeled ???chronic migraine.??? Chronic migraine...

Protopam chloride, also known as pralidoxime chloride, is a drug that acts as an antidote for exposure toorganophosphate class chemicals and pesticide poisoning. This drug has been used to treat adults since 1964. However, in early September 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this drug for use as a pediatric therapy. Protopam chloride is to be administered to children either by intramuscular injection orintravenously through an IV drip. In the approval announcement, the director...

On Thursday September 9th 2010 the FDA issued warning letters to five distributors of electronic cigarettes. These letters detailed various violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, such as poor manufacturing practices and making unsubstantiated claims, perpetrated by e-cigarette companies. A sixth letter was also sent by the FDA to the Electronic Cigarette Association, a non-profit trade organization whose mission is to provide accurate information about e-cigarettes to the media, opinion...

September 2010 – the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a statement saying that gadolinium-based contrasting agents (GBCAs) must display new warnings on their labels. These new warnings state that use of these products carries a risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), which is a rare condition that is potentially fatal. The data, while not totally conclusive, is strong enough to indicate that NSF may result following the administration of any GBCAs. The FDA has previously...