Medications

With the first snowstorms blowing in across the U.S. the annual battle with colds and coughs assails us. For children with coughs, parents running to the drug shelf used to be considered a responsible way to alleviate the cough and its suffering. But as many natural health care advisors have known for a long time: honey is better and safer. Now a study by a team at Penn State University concludes that honey is indeed superior to over-the-counter cough syrups for children (older than 1) in both efficacy and safety.

There is no question that dollar stores provide bargains and more consumers have started to look toward them for basic needs.  Yet, dollar stores bargains are accompanied by products that may be health hazards.  Consumer Reports tested some of the more popular products bought from dollar stores and found both bargains and dangers.

The brave new world medical technique of stem cell cloning was elevated to new possibilities yesterday in Oregon. Researchers at the Oregon National Primate Research Center successfully cloned monkey embryos from single monkey skin cells and also generated stem cells.

Is it really possible for a $5 billion settlement to be a victory for a drug company?  It may seem unlikely, but analysts view Merck’s recent settlement over Vioxx as a big win.  Such analysis raises serious concerns for consumers who now must fear that drug companies may be willing to place unsafe products in the marketplace and deal with the consequences later.

Many of us assume that our doctor has our health in mind when prescribing a specific drug. But doctors face tremendous pressure from drug companies to prescribe their newest and most expensive products. Promotions as simple as pens, mugs or pizza lunches can be very effective in influencing a doctor's choice of medication.  Now, however, a group called No Free Lunch is taking on the drug industry.