Category: Latest
There are plans to reportedly limit the “number and strength” of opioid drugs for first-time users. The decision is based on an attempt to curb a reported “epidemic” where many are thought to be subject to over-prescription of opioids, resulting in reliance and dependency on the powerful drug.
Patients prescribed the drug for the first time are set to only be given a seven-day prescription as part of plans to tackle this growing problem.
Whilst the topic of overusing opioids is hot in America, it’s also being hugely debated here too. In the U.K., we’re also reportedly facing an epidemic of overusing prescription medications.
Read More “Attempts to tackle opioid crisis by limiting prescriptions”
Whilst medication purchased over-the-counter are generally accepted as safe for use, some regulators worldwide are noting that more and more hospital admissions and deaths are being linked to overuse or misuse of over-the-counter drugs.
These drugs are generally seen as safe when used for their intended purpose, but the issue is that they can sometimes “interact negatively” with other drugs, alcohol and any pre-existing conditions the user may have.
It’s also thought that some people are using over-the-counter medications for purposes that they’re not specifically intended for because they can produce some “benefits”. That being said, this can be fraught with dangers.
Read More “Do you know what side effects your over-the-counter medication has?”
Public Health England has published a report with an alarming statistic that shows older men are aging faster than their years.
The Heart Age Test indicates that 10% of men aged 50 or over have a heart that is ten years older than they actually are, putting them at higher risks of heart attacks and strokes.
The study was conducted using 1.2 million test results, and 64% of males had an older heart age compared to women. A new government-led campaign is trying to raise awareness of heart health, and with statistics like 7,400 deaths by heart disease and stroke per month, it shouldn’t be too difficult to press the points.
Read More “One in ten men over 50 have a heart age of a decade older than their actual age”
We put our lives in the hands of doctors, and we expect to be provided with a health service designed to help and protect us.
As we know, however, this is not always the case.
Sometimes, prescription drugs are required to treat certain ailments, but are usually only recommended if the benefits outweigh the risks. Reportedly, there are alarming concerns surrounding doctors allegedly failing to warn patients about the potential side-effects of prescription drugs they are being given.
Read More “Doctors are reportedly failing to properly inform patients of side effects for prescription drugs”
When we think of drug addiction, most of us think of illegal drugs. However, studies have found that over-prescribing painkillers is starting a potential epidemic of people getting addicted to prescription medications.
Apparently, some manufacturers and marketers may be allegedly going above and beyond to ensure health providers underestimate the strength and prevalence of prescribed drugs. Some suggest that hospitals and pharmacies are prescribing excessively strong doses of addictive medication like opioids, fuelling a public dependency and consequential addiction.
Read More “Over-prescribing medicine may be fuelling drug addiction”
In 1995, U.S. regulators approved a new drug called OxyContin; a highly effective opioid manufactured by Purdue Pharma. The oxycodone hydrochloride controlled-release painkiller was hailed as a wonder drug for many aches and pains, and drug manufactures have made an absolute fortune selling this drug as part of a $400 billion-a-year industry.
However, the manufactures stand accused of serious wrongdoing that helped them cement their success, namely: deceptive advertising; and excessively aggressive marketing.
That’s what the law firms suing these giant drug companies allege is happening.
Read More “The U.S. opioid “crisis” and how it may be coming to the U.K.”
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been criticised for sending marketing letters to terminally ill patients advertising private clinical services.
The Trust reportedly used patients’ medical data to send hundreds of marketing leaflets advertising a private clinic, Nova Healthcare.
Read More “NHS Trust sent letters to terminally ill patients advertising private clinics”
Generic drugs and branded drugs – are the generic versions just as good as the branded ones?
Bloomberg recently reported that consumers are apparently unaware of the dangers of generic drugs that can actually cause harm to you. Generic drugs were introduced in the market as copies of brand-name drugs. They’re supposed to have the exact same dosage, intended use, effects, side-effects, method of use, risks, safety and strength as the branded drug; i.e. the same intended pharmacological effects as branded drugs.
But experts fear generic drugs are more dangerous than most people think…
Read More “Generic vs branded drugs: is there a difference?”
There’s a false perception that drug misuse comes from taking illegal highs. Reportedly, there is also a growing problem with prescription drugs that first swept the U.S., and is now possibly making its way to the U.K.
The extent of the problem is not yet known over here as there doesn’t seem to be enough data. In one example, prescriptions for opiate-based painkiller Tramadol has apparently doubled in the past decade to 24 million prescriptions annually.
So, what are we seeing here? A pandemic of overusing prescription drugs? Growing addictions to prescription drugs? Should we be worried, and what can be done?
Read More “The reported rise in U.K. prescription drugs use”
Statins are a group of drugs commonly used to combat cholesterol levels. Here in the U.K., cardiovascular disease (CVD), otherwise known as ‘heart disease’, is a common cause of death. There are several types of CVD including coronary heart disease, angina and heart attacks. All can occur due to blood flow being restricted from getting to the heart.
Statins help to lower cholesterol, and as with any drug, it comes with its own side-effects including upset stomach; headaches; nausea; muscle aches and pains; and pins and needles. However, researchers suggested that side-effects from statins may not be real. As such, their theory was put to the test…
Read More “Statins side-effects – Researchers run tests to see if they’re real or not!”
Back in February 2017, reports revealed that hundreds upon thousands of medical correspondences never made it to healthcare providers. The contractor hired by the NHS to send medical information between health institutions and providers reportedly lost around 709,000 pieces of data.
Truly staggering…
The information included patient medical records and test results. At the time the atrocity was revealed, it was suspected that 500 patients may have been harmed as a result of missing key medical information. Now, the number is over 1,700.
Read More “Potential risk of harm to hundreds of NHS patients because of undelivered medical mail”
The pharmaceutical sector has been investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) for suspected breaches of competition legislation for alleged unfair pricing. The allegations of unfair pricing could have a severe knock-on effect on the NHS which is already in a vulnerable state.
The investigation into the unfair pricing was opened in October 2016. A large degree of scrutiny and information gathering is usually completed before the CMA will come to a definitive conclusion as to whether the pharmaceutical company have breached competition laws – namely Chapter II of the Competition Act (CA) and Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
The key issue here though is whether unfair pricing is needlessly costing the NHS too much. If so, the repercussions for this – given the state of our NHS – could be significant.
Read More “Investigation into alleged unfair pricing of drugs and medicines supplied to the NHS”