Drug, health, and beauty product recalls happen more frequently than you probably realize. And while not all recalls make headlines, some have gained attention and notoriety, often because they were widespread, affected countless consumers, and in many cases, caused harm (or had the potential to cause harm.) Continue reading
Just take a little pill…
A recent study of nearly 400,000 patients found that people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who take stimulants face a small but notable risk of developing psychosis or bipolar disorder. About 3 percent of patients developed one of these conditions after starting medication. Continue reading
Our society today is geared towards the quick fix. With the barrage of drug commercials there is a pill for every symptom. If you can’t sit still pop a pill. Big Pharma’s partnership with government agencies including public education is responsible for the drastic increase of children being put on dangerous drugs.
It’s been 25 years since my last opinion piece covering ADHD, ADD and prescription medications like Ritalin and Adderall. I thought I would never write another piece on this specific issue, but things have evolved since 1999. When I learned Illinois Governor Pritzker signed into law a new bill making it mandatory for yearly psychological exams on schoolchildren starting in 3rd grade, I had to write again on this issue. Continue reading
The 22 million Americans with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder could be more likely to develop early-onset dementia, a preliminary study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh analyzed health records from people diagnosed with ADHD as children in the 1980s and 90s.
These patients were then followed into adulthood and are now in their 40s.
They found adults living with ADHD scored worse on cognitive tests looking at executive function, complex tasks, word recall and working memory. Continue reading
The extremism around the question of how to treat gender dysphoria has begun to erode under the pressure of science and common sense. Is it possible that the same will happen regarding ADHD?
A long New York Times Magazine piece skeptical of the ADHD consensus, by Paul Tough, published about a week ago, could be an inflection point in the debate and, one hopes, lead to a fundamental reconsideration of how we think about this overdiagnosed, overprescribed, highly ambiguous disorder.
For a couple of decades now, we’ve made fidgeting in the classroom and other typical childhood behavior, especially among boys, a medical condition that should be treated with amphetamines. Continue reading
Hippocrates, for whom the Hippocratic Oath is affectionately named, covers the breadth and depth of his knowledge and teachings from his life as a healer. Scholars believe it to be a compilation of his writings and teachings, estimating that it was written in the 4th or 5th century BC. The most memorable phrase attributed to Hippocrates, “First do no harm”, as an admonition to the physicians who would follow him, is a paraphrase of ‘either help or do not harm the patient,’ and probably ‘I will abstain from all intentional wrongdoing and harm.’
It offers a comprehensive list of cautions for covering topics such as Abortion, Religious Themes, and Euthanasia. Hippocrates’ central premise is to ‘Treat the patient, not the disease’, which is a real departure from where we find ourselves today in Merka and the Business of Medicine – or as I like to think of it, “Making Pain Pay”!
New research reveals the Inflation Reduction Act’s $2,000 cap may not help most Medicare beneficiaries as insurers raise drug costs and deductibles. Image (c) ConsumerAffairs
A core promise of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), signed by President Biden in 2022, was to lower the cost of prescription medications for Americans, particularly older adults on Medicare. But new research suggests the reality may be more complicated — and costlier — for most beneficiaries. Continue reading
Phenazopyridine — sold under various brand names including Azo, Pyridium, Prodium, Pyridiate, Baridium, and Uricalm — is available over the counter (OTC) in the US and UK at lower strengths and by prescription at higher strengths.
It works by numbing the lining of the urinary tract, which helps to lessen the symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs), which include burning, irritation, and discomfort, as well as frequent and urgent urination.
But now experts are warning the drug could cause cancer based on early evidence from animal studies. Continue reading
What if everything you thought you knew about anxiety – or ADHD – was missing the bigger picture? In a powerful episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast , Mel sits down with psychiatrist Dr. Tracy Marks to unpack the deep, often misunderstood connection between these two conditions. What she shared can shift not just how you understand your own mental health, but how you support the people you love. Continue reading
1911, May 15
The Supreme Court of the U.S. finds John Rockefeller and his Trust guilty of corruption, illegal business practices and racketeering. As a result of this decision, the entire Rockefeller Standard Oil-Trust, the world’s largest corporation of its time, was sentenced to be dismantled. But Rockefeller was already above the Supreme Court and did not care about this decision. Continue reading
President Trump touted a new executive order that would more closely align drug prices in the US with those sold in Europe and the UK, opening the door for drugs used by millions of Americans to become cheaper.
The EO does not specify which drugs will be targeted but a similar policy proposed by Trump in 2020 included drugs administered in hospitals or clinics under Medicare Part B, which covers inpatient drugs for seniors. However, that policy was blocked by a federal judge who ruled the government had overstepped its bounds by sidestepping Congress. Continue reading
I was a third week Senior at Glenbrook North High School in 1965 – and I knew that something was wrong…
As I progressed from the 5th grade on – through the 6th grade and then into Middle School at Northbrook Junior High and subsequently into High School, I found myself beginning to lack in numerous areas of my education. In English, I was an astute reader (and still am), and Science classes were interesting to me – chiefly due to the exciting talents of one teacher in Junior High – who smoked a pipe in class! History was always a subject that I thoroughly enjoyed, but as time went on, many of the teachers became boring – hence I became bored – more so in High School. Continue reading
Rates of ADHD medication use, particularly stimulants, have been rising in the United States, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, with prescriptions for both stimulant and non-stimulant ADHD medications surging.
The rising frequency of ADHD medication prescription has prompted a renewed focus on their safety profiles. Recent research shows that all common treatments result in slight increases in blood pressure and heart rate. However, experts caution that these effects should be considered alongside the significant benefits these medications provide. Continue reading
Pharmaceutical companies just raised list prices for over 500 medicines, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic, Gilead’s HIV-1 treatment Biktarvy and Genentech’s hemophilia A medication Hemlibra.
Drugmakers typically increase prices in the U.S. every January, according to 46brooklyn Research, a nonprofit group that analyzes drug prices. And although this month’s price hikes are comparable with those in recent years, consumers and insurance companies will likely feel the impact. Continue reading
Drugmakers plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 250 branded medications including Pfizer COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid, Bristol Myers Squibb’s cancer cell therapies and vaccines from France’s Sanofi at the start of 2025, according to data analyzed by healthcare research firm 3 Axis Advisors. Continue reading