Medicine

Medicines: Use Them Safely
by National Institute on Aging
Modern medicine has made our lives better in many ways. It has helped older adults live longer, healthier lives. But people over 65 have to be careful when taking medications, especially when they're taking many different drugs.

Immunization Registries
by Health Canada
Public health authorities across Canada are working to develop a national network of immunization registries. These registries will help protect your family and community from the threat of vaccine-preventable diseases.

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.

Warfarin Interactions with Drugs, Herbs and Food
by Health Canada
Many people take the prescription drug warfarin as a blood thinner. If you take warfarin, you should be aware that certain drugs, natural health products and foods can alter the levels of warfarin in your system, and this may cause serious health effects.

Safe Use of Medicines
by Health Canada
Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines can help cure diseases and make you feel better. However, all medicines should be used carefully. All medicines carry some risk. Your body can have a mild reaction to a medicine, such as a minor rash

Insulin Products
by Health Canada
Animal-sourced and biosynthetic (man-made) human insulins are used worldwide for managing diabetes. Recently, some concern has been expressed about the overall safety of insulins and the availability of animal-sourced insulins for those patients

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

Generic Drugs: Safety and Effectiveness
by Health Canada
More and more, generic drugs are being used to fill prescriptions. Canadians want to be sure that generic drugs are as safe and effective as brand name drugs. Generic drug is the term used for products that contain the same medicinal ingredients

Proper Use and Disposal of Medication
by Health Canada
There is growing evidence that throwing out or flushing into the water system prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs and other health products may have a harmful effect on the environment.

Buying Drugs over the Internet
by Health Canada
If you buy drugs on line, you may be putting your health at serious risk. This is especially true if you order prescription drugs without being examined in person by a health care practitioner.

Camphor and Eucalyptus Oils
by Health Canada
Some health products that contain camphor and/or eucalyptus oils can cause serious health problems, including seizures, if they are accidentally swallowed by children. Health products containing camphor and/or eucalyptus oils

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.

Metabolomics and Personalized Medicine : Benefits
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Liver injury brought on by a drug is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States and is the most frequent reason a new drug is removed from the market, says John Senior, M.D., associate director for science

Metabolomics and Personalized Medicine
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Urine and other body fluids provide clues to how a person will react to a drug. Scientists believe there are 30,000 to 40,000 genes in the human body. A gene is a piece of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).

Genomics and Personalized Medicine : Challenges
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
In 2002, the FDA held a workshop for industry on pharmacogenomics in drug development and regulatory decision making. 'The agency has taken a leadership role by initiating discussions about pharmacogenomics and gathering input on how the FDA can best

Genomics and Personalized Medicine : What Are the Potential Benefits?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The main benefit of pharmacogenomics for consumers is the availability of drugs that have a greater chance of benefit in terms of treating illness, says Janet Woodcock, M.D., the FDA's deputy commissioner for operations.

Genomics and Personalized Medicine : What Is Pharmacogenomics?
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Your 35,000 genes may help predict how you respond to drugs. Genes determine the color of our eyes and shape of our bodies. Genes also determine our susceptibility to disease and how we respond to medicine.

Toward Safer and More Effective Drugs, Food and Medical Products
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
New technologies and tools have been developed as a direct result of the nation's decade-long effort to understand the entire sequence of the molecule that holds the genetic information that makes us who we are.

Prescription Drugs : Assistance From Pharmaceutical Companies
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Two main types of assistance are available from pharmaceutical companies. Several companies offer programs that allow consumers to take a discount drug card to the pharmacy to get a discount off of the price of prescription drugs.

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage
by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Medicare Part D, the new outpatient drug coverage beginning on Jan. 1, 2006, works like other health insurance plans. Medicare beneficiaries will be able to choose from at least two prescription drug coverage plans.