Category: Pharmaceuticals
What are the risks of touching fentanyl?
There is the widespread belief that simply touching fentanyl can be fatal. This assumption isn't supported by science or evidence.
Melatonin poisonings in children are increasing
Melatonin use is increasing, and accelerated during the pandemic. Overdoses are also increasing in children, and in rare cases are linked to serious harms.
Good faith doctoring or greedy drug dealing? SCOTUS hears opioid prescribing cases
Physicians running opioid "pill mills" were convicted of violating the Controlled Substances Act and given substantial prison sentences. The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide whether they were entitled to a "good faith" defense at trial.
Pfizer’s new COVID-19 protease inhibitor drug is not just “repackaged ivermectin”
Pfizer recently announced that its new protease inhibitor-based drug was 89% effective in preventing hospitalization due to COVID-19 and it is seeking an emergency use authorization for it from the FDA. Antivaxxers claim that ivermectin targets the same protease and is being "suppressed" to protect Pfizer's profits from the new drug. What's the real story? Hint: Antivaxxers took a grain of truth...
Two New Antivirals Targeting COVID-19
There are two new drugs on the horizon that actually work against COVID-19.
Courts should not order hospitals and physicians to administer ivermectin against their will
Courts in several states have ordered hospitals to administer ivermectin to COVID patients against the medical judgment of treating physicians. Patients have no legal right to a particular treatment and health care providers should not be forced to administer this drug.
Genetic Testing for Selection of Psychotropic Medications
GeneSight is a blood test to determine which neuropsychiatric medications are indicated for an individual based on genetic analysis. The test is expensive and not likely to be helpful for most patients.
Near-fatal blood infection following naturopathic IV vitamin infusion
A patient nearly died from a blood infection after a compounded naturopathic vitamin infusion. IV vitamin infusions are a common naturopathic therapy used without adequate medical rationale and are not worth the risks.
FDA’s Decision to Approve Aduhelm (aducanumab) for Alzheimer’s
Criticism of the FDA's decision to approve aducanumab for Alzheimer's disease.
No evidence, no problem: A closer look at the aducanumab approval
Why did the FDA approve aducanumab, a drug that hasn't been shown to work?