Feeling Pressure from the Public, NIH Opens the Books on Clinical Trials

Researchers may now have to make clinical study results public— even if the results run counter to the interests of Big Pharma. Action Alert! In response to mounting concerns that important health data has been kept hidden from physicians and their patients, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Department of Health and Human Services… Continue reading Feeling Pressure from the Public, NIH Opens the Books on Clinical Trials

Incandescent Light Bulb Ban Could Harm Your Health

This is yet another tangled tale of unintended consequences. Action Alert! Full spectrum light is a more natural light, more similar to what we receive in the sun. It has numerous health benefits including less stress and anxiety, improved attitude, and in classroom settings, improved health and attendance along with increased performance and academic achievement. Natural daylight reduces anxiety, helps… Continue reading Incandescent Light Bulb Ban Could Harm Your Health

Are You Marketing a New Drug? FDA Will Do Its Best to See That You Have No Competition from Any Source!

If you thought the FDA was hostile only to supplements, think again. The agency is also unfriendly to drugs no longer under patent. Aspirin is a very old drug. It is no longer under patent protection, which means there is no longer any financial windfall to be made from it. We have reservations about taking… Continue reading Are You Marketing a New Drug? FDA Will Do Its Best to See That You Have No Competition from Any Source!

Sleeping Pills So Dangerous There’s Now an “Ambien Defense”

Even OTC sleep meds may be hazardous—and may contribute to Alzheimer’s. One of the world’s most popular sleeping pills is also, at 40 million prescriptions per year, one of the most-prescribed medications, period. Ambien—also sold under the brand names Intermezzo, Stilnox, Stilnoct, Sublinox, Hypnogen, Zonadin, Sanval, Zolsana, and Zolfresh—is becoming better known for its disturbing side… Continue reading Sleeping Pills So Dangerous There’s Now an “Ambien Defense”

How a Tooth-Whitening Lawsuit Landed before the Supreme Court

—and why their decision will have far-reaching ramifications for state licensing boards. Last year we told you about the Federal Trade Commission’s investigation of the North Carolina dental board. The FTC decided the board had attempted to monopolize the teeth whitening business, and found it had illegally thwarted competition through cease-and-desist letters. The board—composed mainly of private dentists—had… Continue reading How a Tooth-Whitening Lawsuit Landed before the Supreme Court

The Trans Fat Ban that Never Was

The FDA seems to be waiting for GMO soybeans to be ready before it follows through on its promise to ban the toxic fats. A new study published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, available on the CDC’s website, shows that Americans are consuming much more trans fat than they realize. A federal loophole allows food companies… Continue reading The Trans Fat Ban that Never Was

What is Compounding?

Compounding is a method of preparing medications that are individualized for a patient’s specific needs. Compounding is when a licensed pharmacist, a licensed physician, or a person under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, combines, mixes, or alters ingredients of a drug to create a medication tailored to the needs of an individual patient. Compounding… Continue reading What is Compounding?

Problems with Compounding Regulation?

Recent regulations released by the FDA contain several provisions that are harmful to doctors, patients, and compounding pharmacists. Office Use: This is an area of the rulemaking that has garnered the biggest reaction from the compounding community. Congress and the FDA have required a patient-specific prescription for all drugs compounded, with a narrow exception if… Continue reading Problems with Compounding Regulation?

How is Compounding Regulated?

Compounding has recently undergone a regulatory overhaul by Congress and the FDA. In November 2013, the Drug Quality and Security Act (DQSA) was signed in to law, amending the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and overhauling the regulation of compounding. In July 2014, the FDA released rules and guidances and other documents implementing… Continue reading How is Compounding Regulated?