over-the-counter drugs

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For Birth Control Access in the US, a 'Groundbreaking Moment'

HRA Pharma submits application to FDA for nation's first over-the-counter birth control pill

(Newser) - Ever since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last month, effectively banning abortion in states that choose to, reproductive rights advocates have worried that contraception might be the next target of conservative activists and lawmakers. One company is now trying to dismantle at least some of the barriers to...

Popular Heartburn Drug Is Latest Hope on Virus

Test underway involving active ingredient in Pepcid

(Newser) - Next up in the coronavirus drug parade: Pepcid. More specifically, famotidine, the active ingredient in the popular heartburn drug, reports Science Magazine . Hospitals in New York have begun a test involving COVID-19 patients in which roughly half will receive the drug and the rest will get a placebo, per CNN...

Sell the Pill Over the Counter

 Sell the Pill 
 Over the Counter 
opinion
Jun 22, 2010 12:00 PM CDT

Sell the Pill Over the Counter

It's time to end the prescription-only rule

(Newser) - After 50 years, it's time to start selling birth control pills over the counter, writes Kelly Blanchard. "The pill" has proven to be a safe, simple, and essential tool for women's contraception, but the prescription-only barrier limits its usefulness, she writes in the New York Times . It's not just...

Americans Sleepless, Sexless

Not getting enough rest takes a toll on work, social, sex lives

(Newser) - Americans are getting by on less and less rest, a survey by the National Sleep Foundation reveals. Fewer than half of Americans say they get a good night's sleep, and average sleep times are about 2 hours shorter than those reported 40 years ago. Sleeplessness is taking a toll not...

FDA: Tylenol Maker Delayed Recall of Tainted Drugs

Regulator issues warning letter over moldy-smelling OTC products

(Newser) - The maker of Tylenol waited more than a year to recall products it knew were chemically tainted, the FDA alleged in a warning letter to the company today. The agency says McNeil Consumer Healthcare Products, a division of Johnson & Johnson, learned in 2008 that some batches of Tylenol, Motrin,...

Tylenol's Dangers 'Sneak Up on People'
 Tylenol's Dangers 
 'Sneak Up on People' 
ANALYSIS
Jul 7, 2009 12:09 PM CDT

Tylenol's Dangers 'Sneak Up on People'

Unknowingly mixing acetaminophen products may cause ODs

(Newser) - Experts say we needn’t be scared off by a panel’s push for limits on acetaminophen—but it’s important to take it in moderation, which can be harder than it sounds, writes Melinda Beck in the Wall Street Journal. “It’s sneaking up on people,” says...

Dieting? Skip the Pricey Pills
 Dieting? Skip the Pricey Pills 
analysis
Jan 22, 2009 6:25 PM CST

Dieting? Skip the Pricey Pills

No way around healthy eating and exercise

(Newser) - Now that Americans have had access to the first over-the-counter weight-loss drug for 18 months, we've become a lean, mean nation, right? Not so much, writes Debra Sherman for Reuters. It's true that Alli—$60 for a 30-day supply—gives users slightly better results, but they're probably not worth the...

Seniors, Remember Ledger: Don't Mix Meds

Seniors in danger from drug interactions

(Newser) - Millions of older Americans take so many prescription and over-the-counter drugs that they risk serious side effects from the drugs’ interactions, USA Today reports. A new study found that about 30% of people aged 57 to 85 now take at least five prescription drugs regularly—plus non-prescription medications and supplements—...

8 Meds Docs Won't Take
 8 Meds Docs Won't Take 
Jun 23, 2008 7:55 PM CDT

8 Meds Docs Won't Take

If trained professionals won't use them, why would you?

(Newser) - Some drugs have such serious drawbacks that even doctors won’t take them, Men’s Health reports. The big eight:
  • Advair: Can actually increase the severity of asthma attacks
  • Avandia: Diabetes drug carries risk of heart attack

US, UK Zero in on Illegal Prescription Drug Abuse

'These drugs are coming from inside our homes,' expert warns

(Newser) - American and British officials have launched campaigns to curb the illegal use of prescription drugs. The target of the British effort is doctors who "mis-prescribe" high doses of painkillers and sleeping pills that officials say are proving dangerously addictive, the Guardian reports. Across the Atlantic, Washington is spearheading an...

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