Medicine

Accutane Risk Management
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA has announced changes that strengthen a risk management program regarding pregnancy and a drug used to treat severe acne. Accutane (isotretinoin) is a drug approved to treat the most serious form of acne - a type that is painful

When Do You Need an Antacid?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Used according to directions and in moderation, over-the-counter antacids can help relieve occasional heartburn and indigestion symptoms. But improper use can cause irreparable harm to your heart, kidneys or bones.

Chronotherapy: Asthma, Arthritis
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Successful treatment of diseases may depend on the time of day or month that a medicine is taken or surgery performed. Asthma and arthritis pain are among conditions now being treated by the clock or calendar.

Prescription Drug Use and Abuse : There Is Help, Striking a Balance
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Some treatments need to alleviate both withdrawal symptoms and the psychological addiction to drugs. Detoxification, the process by which the body recovers from tolerance and dependence, is considered a first stage in the sense that it purges drugs

Medications Available Without a Prescription
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Consumers can now buy a variety of drugs over the counter that used to be available by prescription only. These include nicotine patches and gum to help people stop smoking, and a variety of medications for vaginal yeast infections and heartburn.

Grapefruit and Grapefruit Juice Interactions with Drugs
by Health Canada
Certain drugs can cause serious or occasionally life-threatening effects if consumed in combination with grapefruit or its juice. Consuming grapefruit or its juice (fresh or frozen) can increase, or less commonly decrease, the effects of some drugs.

Buying Medical Products Online: Prescription Drugs
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Many legitimate Web sites bring customers health products with the benefits of convenience, privacy, and, sometimes, cheaper prices. 'But consumers need to be aware that the Internet has also created a marketplace for unapproved medical products, illegal

Gardasil: Cervical Cancer Prevention Vaccine
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
FDA has approved Gardasil, the first vaccine developed to prevent cervical cancer and precancerous genital lesions and genital warts due to certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine is approved for use in females ages 9 years to 26 years.

Dietary Supplements and Serious Drug Interactions
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA focus has been mainly on drug-drug interactions, but interactions between drugs and dietary supplements are gaining more and more attention. A recent Institute of Medicine report, sponsored by the FDA, estimated that Americans spend close

Avoiding Problems: Liquid Medication and Dosing Devices
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Using household spoons to give liquid medication can cause problems, but so can some devices specifically designed to give medicines. Here's how to take advantage of the devices' benefits while avoiding the hazards.

Estrogens
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Estrogens are the hormones mainly responsible for female sex characteristics. They assist in preparing girls' bones for rapid growth in adolescence. In women, estrogens maintain tone and elasticity of the urinary and reproductive organs and protect agains

ACE: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
All angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are used to treat high blood pressure. In addition, captopril and enalapril are used to treat heart failure, usually only after other medications, such as digitalis, have been tried.

Buying Medical Products Online : Dietary Supplements
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Dietary supplements are products taken as a supplement to the diet. Examples are vitamins, minerals, herbs, botanicals, and amino acids, the individual building blocks of proteins needed for all life. Dietary supplements are classified as foods

Rx to OTC: The Switch Is On
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Toxicity is the major issue in deciding whether to switch a drug from prescription to OTC status. Because almost any drug, if misused, can have some adverse side effect, one way to evaluate possible harm in switching is to consider the drug's overall

Over the Counter Drug Options for Cuts, Scrapes and Burns
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Nonprescription products used on the skin help kill or weaken bacteria that might cause infection in minor cuts and scrapes. A half-inch scar on my left knee is a graphic reminder of a painful scrape at age 7.

Children's Anesthesia
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
To a child, pain and fear are inseparable. How to safely relieve both is a subject of growing debate and research. Only recently has a narcotic drug been approved specifically for children, and its use is controversial.

Serious Drug Interactions Prevention
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Mixing two drugs together could make one of the drugs ineffective. The combination also could increase a drug's effect, and be harmful. The result might be mild symptoms such as nausea, stomach upset, or headache, or more serious symptoms

Why Drugs Get Pulled Off the Market : More Toxic than Expected, Safer Options
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
There are also times when a drug's toxicity is known, but the drug turns out to be more toxic than the clinical trials suggested, which again may only be seen when the drug is used in larger numbers or in different ways.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Benefits and Risks
by Health Canada
For many years, women have been prescribed Estrogen with or without Progestin Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to relieve some of the symptoms of menopause. However, recent scientific studies have identified significant risks associated with this therapy

Smart Drugs and Drink May Not Be Smart
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Young professionals in some parts of the country are turning to so- called smart drugs and drinks in an effort to be hip or get ahead. But there's no evidence that they work, and they may be harmful.