Medical Health Blog

Mevacor, a drug used for treating high cholesterol (a statin drug), should not change status from prescription only to over-the-counter (OTC), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel recommended today. The Panel believes patients may not know how to use the drug correctly. This is the third time that Mevacor makers, Merck & Co, apply for OTC status. [click link for full article]

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has concluded that updated warnings to doctors and patients are needed to increase awareness of cases of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts reported in patients using Champix (varenicline), a medicine indicated for smoking cessation in adults. [click link for full article]

Kenya’s dependency on donor funding is hindering the country’s efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, Allan Ragi, executive director of the Kenya AIDS NGOs Consortium, said recently, the East African Standard reports. According to KANCO, donor funding accounts for 98% of the resources needed to run HIV/AIDS initiatives in Kenya. [click link for full article]

A new survey from NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health examined parents’ views in light of recent concerns about the safety and effectiveness of giving over-the-counter cold and cough medications to children, NPR’s “Morning Edition” reports. [click link for full article]

The World Bank in partnership with the United Nations and private companies on Tuesday in New Delhi, India, launched a competitive grant program that aims to identify and fund creative approaches to reducing HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in the South Asia region, IANS/Yahoo! News reports (IANS/Yahoo! News, 12/11). [click link for full article]