FDA

A proposal by the Drug Enforcement Administration to more tightly control prescriptions of drugs containing hydrocodone is prompting debate among doctors, according to NPR.

The Food and Drug Administration will soon consider whether prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone should be more tightly regulated, as the Drug Enforcement Administration has urged, USA Today reports.

Energy drinks, under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration after reports of deaths and serious injuries, offer little or no benefit to consumers, experts say.

A panel of experts assembled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted against recommending approval of the painkiller Zohydro ER on Friday. The panel cited concerns over the potential for addiction.

The Food and Drug Administration said this week it is likely to seek advice about the potential health dangers of energy drinks, in the wake of reports of deaths and injuries possibly related to the products.

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released reports of injuries that cited the possible involvement of the nation’s top-selling energy drink, Red Bull. The reports follow the release of similar reports for other energy drinks, The New York Times reports.

The Food and Drug Administration has received reports of 13 deaths over the last four years that may have involved the highly caffeinated drink 5-Hour Energy, The New York Times reports.

Cigarette labels that display graphic images of the consequences of smoking have a greater impact on smokers who are less educated about health issues, compared with text-only labels, a new study suggests.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating reports that five people have died since 2009 after they consumed Monster energy drinks, according to the Los Angeles Times.

As leaders in public health, it is our job to protect the consumer. Tobacco has been and remains the number one preventable cause of death for decades and we know this fight to save lives is a marathon, not a sprint, explains Legacy President and CEO Cheryl Healton.

Injecting the painkiller Opana ER can lead to a serious blood disorder that can result in kidney failure or death, the Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday.

The U.S. Justice Department has asked a federal appeals court to rehear a case about the Food and Drug Administration’s requirement that tobacco companies place graphic labels on cigarette packages to warn about smoking’s health dangers. In August, a three-judge appeals court panel affirmed a lower court ruling that blocked the mandate.

The Food and Drug Administration is launching a new campaign to warn consumers to avoid buying medicine from fraudulent online pharmacies. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy estimates that less than 3 percent of online pharmacies meet state and federal laws.

A federal appeals court has upheld a federal judge’s order that requires tobacco manufacturers to run corrective ads about the dangers of smoking, the Associated Press reports.

Some doctors are concerned that making it more difficult to prescribe opioids could hinder treatment of patients in pain, ABC News reports. Earlier this week, 37 health care workers signed and submitted a petition to the Food and Drug Administration, urging officials to change labels on prescription opioids, in an effort to curb prescription drug abuse.

A group of doctors and public health experts has asked the Food and Drug Administration to change prescription guidelines for opioids, to prevent prescription drug abuse, according to Reuters.

Prescription drug abuse is more than a public health epidemic – it’s a national tragedy, and a comprehensive national strategy for combating it is desperately needed, explains Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-CA).

Physicians and other prescribers will not be required to take educational courses under a new government plan aimed at reducing prescription drug abuse. The Wall Street Journal reports the plan does compel the makers of extended-release painkillers to fund courses for doctors and provide safety information to patients.

Smokers are more likely to recall information from graphic cigarette warning labels than text-only warnings, a new study finds.

A bill that would make New York the first state to ban the sale of e-cigarettes appears unlikely to pass, the Associated Press reports.

Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will meet this fall to discuss whether prescription painkillers containing hydrocodone should be more tightly regulated, Bloomberg reports.

A counterfeit form of the drug Adderall is being sold online, the Food and Drug Administration warned this week. Adderall, prescribed for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, also is used illicitly to increase attention and get high, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says distributing the opioid overdose antidote naloxone should be considered as a way to curb the increase in overdose deaths, Time reports.

Cigarette package warnings about the health dangers of smoking can be effective in helping to stop former smokers from lighting up again, a new international study suggests.

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a safety alert about fentanyl painkiller patches, warning that young children are at risk of death if they are accidentally exposed to the patches.