-
Tech NewsWhy Did the Pentagon Push the FDA to Approve a Powerful New Opioid?
In November 2018, the Food and Drug Administration approved America’s newest opioid, a formulation of sufentanil called Dsuvia. Sufentanil is the strongest prescription painkiller available—five to 10 times more potent than its parent drug fentanyl, which is in turn 30-50 times more potent than heroin. The outcry over Dsuvia—its potency, its potential for abuse—was immediate. … Continued
-
ScienceHealthFDA Approves New 23andMe Pharmacogenetic Reports, But There Are Some Caveats
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced Wednesday that it has approved the marketing of 23andMe’s reports on pharmacogenetics, which the genetic-testing company claims are designed to assess whether genetics may affect an individual’s ability to metabolize certain drugs including antidepressants. The company is characterizing the move as the “first authorization of a direct-to-consumer … Continued
By Catie Keck -
Tech News
Drug Companies May Not Be Able to Justify the Cost of Medicines
In the US, drug prices for consumers are climbing. The average cost is up 11%from 2013 to 2014 — that’s a lot more than inflation. What’s really behind that sky-high pricetag? First, a Few Numbers Pharmaceutical companies cite the high costs of drug discovery as the reason for expensive medication, but it’s hard to fact-check … Continued
Olga Oksman -
Tech News
This Sticker Automatically Injects Meds When a Chemo Patient Can’t
Chemotherapy is a brutal but often life-saving treatment for an even worse disease. It can also reduce a patient’s white blood cell count, which hinders the body’s ability to fight off infections. Injections of Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) can help boost white blood cells, if given exactly a day later. That’s where this sticker comes in handy. … Continued
-
Tech News
FYI, The FDA Recommends Mixing Kitty Litter Into Your Old Meds
I have a small orange bottle in my bathroom cabinet with a couple painkillers leftover from the time I got my wisdom teeth out a few years ago. They’re way out of date. I should toss ’em. BUT HOW?? According to the FDA, flushing is a no-no; proper protocol is mixing them with kitty litter … Continued
-
Tech News
A Wearable IV Pole Is Like Morphine-2-Go For Patients
Even when a patient recovering from surgery is strong enough to get out of bed, they’re still usually tethered to an IV bag for medication—which means they have to drag around one of those awkward IV poles even when just going to the bathroom. But if they’re strong enough, they might soon be able to … Continued
-
ScienceHealth7 Up Used to Include Prescription Mood Stabilizers
Today I found out that the soft drink 7 UP used to include a psychiatric medication as one of its ingredients. The lemon-lime flavored soda, 7 UP was created by Charles Grigg of the Howdy Corporation in 1929 and first launched two weeks before the stock market crash that spurred the Great Depression… Timing! It … Continued
Staci Lehman - TodayIFoundOut.com -
ScienceHealth
Water Powered Nano Rockets Can Safely Explore the Human Body
The idea of targeting a specific part of the human body with a microscopic rocket carrying a payload of medication has been tossed around for a while. And working nano-sized rockets have already been created, the only problem is that they’re powered by chemicals like hydrogen peroxide which will do more harm than good for … Continued
-
ScienceHealth
Take Your Meds Or This Ultra-Expensive Pillbox Will Guilt You Into Remembering
It’s staggering to see how many pills seniors have to take every day, but not as overwhelming as the ridiculous number of organizers they can buy to help them remember which pill is taken when. And at the top of the heap is this $250 pill sorting contraption that actually needs to be programmed with … Continued
