'Prescription Switching' Would Make Most Patients Unhappy

news.yahoo.com — Most prescription drug users would be unhappy if one of their medications was switched to another in the same class without their knowledge or their doctor's approval, a new survey shows. The practice, known as therapeutic substitution, is usually done as a cost-saving measure. "People may not know about it, but it's happening, and if it is happening, it should be happening with full transparency, and patients and doctors should be in on this," said Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League. "It's not necessarily something that we're condemning." But others feel the practice is not unduly widespread and, even when it is used, that doctors and patients rarely go uninformed. read more...

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Chamomile May Help to Relieve Diabetes Woes

healthnews.com — Tea has long been used in China as a natural remedy, used by the British as a societal prerequisite, and the proliferation of tea brands and types at your local grocery attests to Americans current love of the brew. Sure, English Breakfast tea is delicious when paired with a scone, green tea can be sipped alongside sushi, and my favorite spiced Indian chai has become a staple with the latte lovers at Starbucks; but none of these compare to the herbal healing powers of chamomile, which new research concludes could soon help diabetes patients. read more...

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For dinner: Genetically altered 'super chicken'

news.yahoo.com — Super Chicken strutted a step closer to the dinner table Thursday. The government said it will start considering proposals to sell genetically engineered animals as food, a move that could lead to faster-growing fish, cattle that can resist mad cow disease or perhaps heart-healthier eggs laid by a new breed of chickens. The rules will also apply to drugs and other medical materials from genetically engineered animals, a field with explosive potential. read more...

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Hallucinogen’s Popularity May Thwart Medical Use

nytimes.com — With a friend videotaping, 27-year-old Christopher Lenzini of Dallas took a hit of Salvia divinorum, regarded as the world’s most potent hallucinogenic herb, and soon began to imagine, he said, that he was in a boat with little green men. Mr. Lenzini quickly collapsed to the floor and dissolved into convulsive laughter. When he posted the video on YouTube this summer, friends could not get enough. “It’s just funny to see a friend act like a total idiot,” he said, “so everybody loved it.” Until a decade ago, the use of salvia was largely limited to those seeking revelation under the tutelage of Mazatec shamans in its native Oaxaca, Mexico. read more...

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New Blood Pressure Medication Receives FDA Approval

healthnews.com — The new intravenous (IV) treatment for hypertension known as Cleviprex is the first to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a decade. The Medicines Company, a maker of pharmaceuticals located in Parsippany, New Jersey, announced that the FDA has approved Cleviprex (clevidipine butyrate) injectable emulsion for patients with difficult-to-treat high blood pressure and for those patients who cannot take oral medications. The company specializes in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals for the hospital market. Cleviprex offers fast and accurate control of blood pressure for critical care in areas such as the emergency room, operating room, and intensive care unit with a broad amount of data backing its success. Cleviprex has a rapid onset and offset of action in determining the smallest amount of concentration necessary for precise blood pressure control. In addition, Cleviprex does not accumulate in the body, as it metabolized in the blood and tissues, which is different from many current IV hypertension drugs that are metabolized by the kidney and/or liver. read more...

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