Researchers at Midwestern University, in Glendale, Arizona, assessed the extent of appropriate counseling provided by pharmacists and nonpharmacists in retail settings. Continue reading Herbals for weight loss: Counseling by pharmacists and nonpharmacists
Category Archives: THINGS THAT DON’T FIT ABOVE
Physicians rate acupuncture for pain management
Researchers at Harvard Medical School, in Boston, collected information from pain physicians and referral physicians who manage the care of patients in pain. Continue reading Physicians rate acupuncture for pain management
Risk of interactions between supplements and blood thinners
Dr. Jennifer Strohecker at the Intermountain Medical Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah, tells us the safety of warfarin (Coumadin) use can be compromised by many popular herbal and nonherbal supplements.
Here’s what we know from her research. Continue reading Risk of interactions between supplements and blood thinners
Kaiser points out the 800-pound gorilla
“14 states and the District of Columbia have launched a medical experiment that doesn’t follow any of the rules of science. By approving the use of marijuana as a medicine, they are bypassing the federal government’s elaborate processes for approving medicines.”
It has happened only once before. Continue reading Kaiser points out the 800-pound gorilla
High use of CAM among people with diabetes
Would you believe that about 80% of people with diabetes use CAM?
Researchers at the University of California, in San Diego, surveyed patients attending the 6 Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD) educational conferences during 2004-2006. Continue reading High use of CAM among people with diabetes
Consumer Alert: Pentrexyl Forte Natural
FDA has recalled Pentrexyl Forte Natural because the packaging is believed to be misleading — causing it to be confused with an antibiotic.
High percentage of supplements are contaminated
The New York Times reports, “Nearly all herbal dietary supplements tested in a Congressional investigation contained trace amounts of lead and other contaminants, and 16 of the 40 supplements tested contained pesticide residue that exceeded legal limits.
Here are the details of what the Government Accounting Office found. Continue reading High percentage of supplements are contaminated
Drug interactions with St John’s wort
It’s a long list compiled by researchers at RMIT University in Victoria, Australia. Continue reading Drug interactions with St John’s wort
CAM in the US: Patterns of use
I’ve largely ignored these studies in the past, but perhaps it’s worth a second look.
To start, this 1993 study by Dr. David Eisenberg, who is now the director of Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies at Harvard University, is considered a landmark in the field of “unconventional medicine.” Continue reading CAM in the US: Patterns of use
CAM use by children with asthma
Today is World Asthma Day.
So, researchers at the Universite de Montreal, in Quebec, surveyed CAM use and factors associated with its use. Continue reading CAM use by children with asthma
CAM use among cancer patients during drug trials
A key outcome of early cancer drug studies is the toxicity of a new experimental drug. The use of CAM in patients with advanced cancer might make it difficult to make this determination.
Researchers at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, in Houston, studied the prevalence of CAM use in their patients participating in experimental cancer drug treatment studies. Continue reading CAM use among cancer patients during drug trials
Use of herbal supplements by people taking blood thinners
During the American Heart Association meeting, Dr. Jennifer Strohecker, at the Intermountain Medical Center, in Salt Lake City, Utah, reported that documentation of supplement use in the medical chart is poor. Continue reading Use of herbal supplements by people taking blood thinners
Consumer Alert: Fraudulent STD treatments
The FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today announced a joint effort to remove products from the market that make unproven claims to treat, cure, and prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
Among the products targeted are Medavir, Herpaflor, Viruxo, C-Cure, and Never An Outbreak. Continue reading Consumer Alert: Fraudulent STD treatments
Does Echinacea interact with HIV drugs?
Not much, according to researchers in Spain. Continue reading Does Echinacea interact with HIV drugs?
Using mobile phones to improve HIV drug thearpy
Researchers in Kenya and Canada studied the effects of mobile phone communication between healthcare workers and patients starting antiretroviral (antiviral) therapy in Kenya. Continue reading Using mobile phones to improve HIV drug thearpy
Teleconferencing for fatigue managment in MS patients
Fatigue is a common symptom of multiple sclerosis (MS) that challenges patients in their daily activities.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago compared teleconference to face-to-face, group-based fatigue self-management. The results were reported during the Joint Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers and America’s Committee on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis meeting. Continue reading Teleconferencing for fatigue managment in MS patients
The final word on the warfarin-cranberry interaction?
“The warning that there is a potential to enhance the effect of warfarin… with cranberry juice intake is mostly based on faulty reports.”
That’s the conclusion by researchers at Lenox Hill Hospital, in New York City. Continue reading The final word on the warfarin-cranberry interaction?
FDA warns companies to stop making MRSA claims
FDA is warning companies to stop making MRSA claims.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria can cause an infection that’s highly resistant to some antibiotics. MRSA cause infection after they enter the body through a cut or sore.
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued 4 warning letters to companies that manufacture and market over-the-counter (OTC) drug products (including hand sanitizers) that claim to prevent infection by MRSA. Continue reading FDA warns companies to stop making MRSA claims
CAM use among African American breast cancer survivors
Researchers in Boston and Washington, DC, determined the prevalence of multivitamins, folic acid, and herbal supplement use. Continue reading CAM use among African American breast cancer survivors
CAM use among women with vaginitis
Researchers in the US and Israel describe the use of CAM in women with chronic vaginitis and the epidemiologic factors associated with these treatments. Continue reading CAM use among women with vaginitis