Even nice kids get lice

When children get head lice, parents should remember that the presence of these tiny parasitic insects has nothing to do with dirt. Instead, lice infestations are related to the type of close contact that children are exposed to at school. In addition, children pose rather easy targets for lice because the little creatures are better able to cling to fine hair of thin diameter. Moreover, children often share combs, brushes, hats and other objects that spread lice. The first telltale sign of lice is usually itching behind the ears, on the scalp and at the nape of the neck. Treatment largely consists of an over-the-counter medicated shampoo or rinse containing permethrin or the recently FDA-approved comb-free shampoo ivermectin.

REFORM: U.S. drug costs grossly inflated

We have been hearing a lot about medical health reform lately from our government. This weekend I had an experience that relates directly to this situation.

More poisonings than auto deaths

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, more Americans died of poisonings than in automobile crashes during the most recent year for which there are available statistics. That means that poisoning is now the leading cause of injury death in this country.

A matter of timing

If you take prescription medication to control high blood pressure, a slight change in your daily dosing schedule may provide you with an important advantage. New research indicates that taking blood pressure medications at bedtime instead of in the morning reduces the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems by about two-thirds.

Treating sinus inflammation

When sinus inflammation (sinusitis) strikes, most people probably think that the best thing to do is get a prescription for antibiotics from their doctors. However, antibiotics are ineffective in 90 percent to 98 percent of all sinusitis case because nearly all sinus infections are viral in nature, and antibiotics don't kill viruses.

Poll: Majority of Americans want government to curb prescription costs

WASHINGTON - Move over, "Obamacare." A new poll finds Americans worried about medication costs and broadly supporting government action to curb drug prescription prices.

US regulators lift in-person restrictions on abortion pill

About 40% of all abortions in the U.S. are now done through medication

Medication cautions for pregnancy-minded women

If you are pregnant or thinking about conceiving, you should know that there are risks associated with taking prescription painkillers. Various factors that influence the risk of birth defects include how much medication a woman takes, at what stage of her pregnancy she takes it and what health conditions she might have. With this in mind, women thinking about getting pregnant should discuss the fact with their prescribing physicians. Taking such prescription opioid painkillers as codeine, hydrocodone or oxycodone (Oxycontin) may increase the risk of birth defects in children of women taking these drugs. Taking these drugs just prior to pregnancy or during pregnancy is linked to a moderate risk of congenital heart defects among newborns.

Treating sinus inflammation

When sinus inflammation (sinusitis) strikes, most people probably think that the best thing to do is get a prescription for antibiotics from their doctors. However, antibiotics are ineffective in 90 percent to 98 percent of all sinusitis case because nearly all sinus infections are viral in nature, and antibiotics don't kill viruses. Currently, one in every five antibiotic prescriptions written for U.S. adults is written for sinusitis. Keeping in mind that unnecessary and unneeded antibiotic use leads to more virulent strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The Infectious Diseases Society of America recommends that doctors only suspect a bacterial infection when sinusitis symptoms last ten days or more and do not improve. After that, a five to seven day course of amoxicillin is often recommended.

OTC medications at wholesale prices

Diabetes is an awful disease.

Medications only work if you take them

One of the more worrisome aspects of keeping patients healthy is the fact that many do not take their medications. At the very worst, this compliance problem begins when patients with chronic conditions do not even pick up their newly prescribed drugs. This failure to comply with their prescribing physicians' recommendations places patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol levels and other potentially life-threatening conditions at particular risk.

Rite Aid seeks Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection as it deals with lawsuits and losses

Rite Aid Corp. said in its federal bankruptcy filing that it runs more than 2,000 stores. Most of its locations are on the East and West Coasts, including Idaho

Pain pills

Soaring generic drug prices draw Senate scrutiny

WASHINGTON - Some low-cost generic drugs that have helped restrain health care costs for decades are seeing unexpected price spikes of up to 8,000 percent, prompting a backlash from patients, pharmacists and now Washington lawmakers.

Are you one in a million?

It is estimated that half of American adults have at least one of the leading risk factors for heart disease: Smoking, hypertension or uncontrolled high cholesterol. By reducing these risks significantly, most of the two million heart attacks (and 800,000 of the resultant deaths) that occur in this country annually could be prevented.

‘We can’t arrest our way out of this’

Police shine light on deadly fentanyl crisis in North Idaho

Police shine light on deadly fentanyl crisis in North Idaho

After leaving the hospital

Upon being discharged from the hospital, heart patients, in particular, are prone to making medication mistakes at home. In fact, one recent study indicates that more than half of patients admitted to hospitals for heart attack or heart failure subsequently make drug errors once they leave the hospital. Even well-educated patients who received special counseling and follow-up phone calls to ensure proper medication dosing had as much trouble following their drug regimens as patients left on their own. The most common mistakes made by patients of all kinds include not taking a prescribed medication, missing a dose, taking an incorrect dose, delaying filling out a prescription, and stopping a medication before indicated. The pharmacist can help avoid these common errors.

ADHD drugs perform better than assumed

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects an average 9 percent of U.S. children between ages 5 and 17, making it one of the most common childhood disorders. Because children affected by ADHD experience problems staying focused, hyperactivity, and disruptive/aggressive behavior, they are likely to fall behind at school and display risky behavior as teenagers. While such drugs as methylphenidate (Ritalin) may help children with ADHD concentrate better and control impulsivity, some argue that the prescription stimulants transform children into "robots" or "drug them into acquiescence." However, the latest research on the matter reveals that the ADHD children themselves do not agree. Many say that they still are the same people but they "just act a little better."

Business Briefly August 25, 2011

Google settles pharmacy ad probe

DRUGS ACT: Just say no

Americans are struggling to afford the highest drug prices in the world.

Medication-related weight gain

As if it weren't difficult enough to maintain normal body weight, some people actually put on pounds as a result of the medication they are taking.