It’s important to ask questions when your doctor or dentist writes you a new prescription. This is especially true for opioid pain medications, such as hydrocodone, oxycodone or morphine. While these drugs are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for acute and chronic pain, they can have serious side effects, including addiction and even death. Misuse of opioids have led to the current drug overdose crisis in the United States. The majority of overdose deaths in this country involve opioids, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The FDA offers some tips for using these medications safely. Start by asking your doctor how long your pain is likely to last and what medication is being prescribed. If the drug is an opioid, ask if there are non-opioid alternatives. If your doctor decides an opioid is best, ask how long you should take the medication. Find out when and how to stop using it. Ask for the lowest dose possible for the shortest time needed and in the smallest quantity, the FDA advised. Also ask about a follow-up appointment. While prescription opioids can be safe and effective, using them in a way that differs from what was prescribed or for non-medical reasons can lead to dependence, addiction and even death, the FDA cautioned. Side effects from opioid use include dizziness, drowsiness,…  read on >  read on >

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the first nonhormonal medication aimed at easing menopause hot flashes. The new pill, called Veozah (fezolinetant), is from a class of drugs called neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonists. It targets a specific brain neuron that’s thought to be set off balance as estrogen levels naturally decline during menopause. “It works by binding to and blocking the activities of the NK3 receptor, which plays a role in the brain’s regulation of body temperature,” the FDA explained in a news release issued Friday. “Hot flashes as a result of menopause can be a serious physical burden on women and impact their quality of life,” said Dr. Janet Maynard, who directs the Office of Rare Diseases, Pediatrics, Urologic and Reproductive Medicine at the agency’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “The introduction of a new molecule to treat moderate to severe menopausal hot flashes will provide an additional safe and effective treatment option for women,” she said in the news release. According to the FDA, over 80% of menopausal women experience sudden, often debilitating hot flashes lasting several minutes that can be accompanied by sweating, flushing and chills. While estrogen-based hormone replacement therapy has long been used to help ease these symptoms, long-term use has been linked to a heightened risk for breast cancer and stroke. In addition, “some…  read on >  read on >

Outside advisors for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration voted Thursday to recommend approval of Neffy, the first epinephrine nasal spray for severe allergic reactions. Although most of the Pulmonary-Allergy Drugs Advisory Committee members supported the spray for adults (16:6) and children (17:5), key questions linger about whether more data is needed from its maker, ARS Pharmaceuticals, CBS News reported. But Richard Lowenthal, co-founder, president and CEO at ARS, said in a company statement following the vote that, “We believe our clinical data from more than 600 individuals demonstrate Neffy’s absorption-enhancing nasal spray technology is comparable to injectable products in delivering potentially lifesaving epinephrine, but with unique advantages of being small, needle-free and conveniently sized.” Lowenthal added, “We are committed to making it easier for patients and caregivers to carry and administer epinephrine without the anxiety and hesitation associated with using a needle-based device.” Neffy delivers a 2-milligram dose of epinephrine. Instead of large clinical trials, the drug company compared its product to already approved injectable epinephrine products, such as the EpiPen. It showed the results for Neffy were neither substantially higher or lower than injectable epinephrine. “Patients need options — with different administration methods — to facilitate actual epinephrine use in an emergency event,” Dr. Carlos Camargo, a professor of emergency medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, said in the company’s news release.…  read on >  read on >

(HealthDay News) – Millions of Americans take cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins, but a new study finds Black and Hispanic adults get the drugs less often than white people do. “This adds to the known racial and ethnic disparities already highly prevalent in heart disease,” said lead author Dr. Ambarish Pandey, an assistant professor of internal medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “These findings have the potential to affect how we screen for and treat people who do not have heart disease but may have risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking,” he said in a medical center news release. Using national survey data and examining risk factors for heart disease, researchers found about 38% of white participants used statins like Lipitor (atorvastatin) and Zocor (simvastatin) compared with about 24% of Hispanic and Black participants. Statins are among the most prescribed drugs in the United States. Having health insurance and regular access to routine health care were associated with higher statin use. Rates of heart disease are higher in Black and Hispanic adults than white adults, according to past research, so race and ethnicity are considered factors in your individual risk of developing heart disease. Data for the study came from the 2013-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). A subset of participant records was selected to represent the…  read on >  read on >