VA Tagged Articles
FDA launches pilot project to oversee foreign drug products
The FDA announced today that it will launch a voluntary two-year pilot program to help promote the safety of drugs and active drug ingredients made outside the U.S. As part of the Secure Supply Chain program, the FDA will select
AP: 'software glitches' led to prolonged infusions of heparin
Medical mishaps including prolonged infusions of drugs such as the blood thinner heparin were given to patients at Veterans Affairs medical centers throughout the U.S., potentially putting their lives in danger, according to the Associated Press. The errors, which occurred
Diabetic questions safety of insulin in light of heparin scandal
Meet Allie Beaty. As a diabetic, her life depends on insulin. She wants to make a difference for others like her, make “the world safer for people with diabetes,” she says on her Web page, Alliesvoice.com. So Allie established a
Head injury protocol reduces death rate for patients on blood thinners
Blood thinners, like heparin, are routinely administered or prescribed to patients to help prevent blot clots that can lead to heart attacks or strokes. But if a patient taking blood thinners bumps his head, he is at greater risk for
The Chantix experience: salvation, downfall, or just plain strange?
Chantix has to be one of the most bipolar prescription drugs ever created. Every day, a search for the latest Chantix news digs up blogs written by fans of the smoking cessation drug, who often tout it as a miracle
Drug makers rush to produce new blood thinners
New blood-thinning medicines are in the works and to offer doctors more options in treatment and prevention of blood clots, according to Bloomberg. Bloomberg reports that at least six companies are working on blood thinners to take advantage of a
Will those long Chantix commercials disappear again?
In September, we learned that those long Chantix ads featuring the tortoise and the hare were reappearing on TV after Pfizer yanked them from the airwaves for several months. The drug maker pulled the ads when it became evident that
Generics may be bio-equivalent of brands, but are they as safe?
Clinical tests conducted by the Journal of the American Medical Association comparing brand and generic cardiovascular drugs show that generic drugs are bio-equivalent to the drugs they are patterned after. And, the FDA adds, generics are far less expensive than
the decline of smoking, cancer rates, and Chantix
Researchers conducting long term studies of smoking and cancer are impressed by the latest statistics, which show cancer rates falling among both men and women for the first time since the government started keeping track of long-term trends. The favorable
BBC investigates Chantix suicides in the UK
An investigative report aired by the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) tells the stories of two people who became suicidal after taking Chantix (marketed by Pfizer as Champix in Europe and the UK). Chantix became available in the UK in December
