Content about Medicine

NANUET, N.Y. — AllerMates on Thursday launched an online community at AllerMates.com for parents and healthcare professionals to exchange experiences, seek advice, post recipes, get breaking news and alerts, make friends, share photos and videos, use the “ask the doctor platform” and create a strong support network of allies among others dealing with allergies and asthma. 

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the agency said Friday.

The FDA announced the approval of Breo Ellipta (fluticasone furoate and vilanterol), a once-per-day inhaler made by GlaxoSmithKline and Theravance for long-term treatment of COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.

NEW YORK — Senior U.S. District Judge Edward Korman on Friday denied a Food and Drug Administration motion for a stay pending an appeal of Korman's earlier decision that all levonorgestrel-based emergency contraceptives be available without a prescription and without any age restrictions. 

However, Korman did grant a stay "pending the hearing or submission of the defendants’ motion for a stay in the Court of Appeals on the condition that the motion for a stay be filed by noon on May 13, 2013."

TAMPA, Fla. — The Specialty Pharmacy Certification Board has appointed Terri Smith Moore as the education director, the group said Friday.

Moore is the senior manager for product development at healthcare accreditation organization URAC, where she manages the group's accreditation programs and revisions and maintenance of related accreditation documentation.

WASHINGTON — The Drug Enforcement Administration collected more than 371 tons of unused medications last month as part of its sixth annual drug take-back program, the agency said.

PARSIPPANY, N.J. — Declining use overall of healthcare services drove down spending on medicines in the United States by 3.5% per capita last year, according to a new study.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Bipartisan legislation that would let pharmacists devote more time to Medicare beneficiaries and less to adjudicating claims with pharmacy benefit management firms was introduced in the U.S. Senate and won the backing of the National Community Pharmacists Association earlier this week.

AKRON, Ohio — With the successful launch of Purell Advanced hand sanitizer last year, Purell Consumer has helped bring some excitement back to the category.

Sales of Purell's core brand were up 28% to $31.1 million across total U.S. multi-outlets for the 52 weeks ended March 24, according to IRi, with Purell Advanced adding more than $10.3 million.

While beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, this month's Patient Views seeks to better understand beauty in the eye of the patient. AccentHealth viewers — 73% of which are female — were surveyed as to the relationship between health and beauty, as well as their purchasing of personal care products in the areas of hair care, body care, oral care, cosmetics and more.

AKRON, Ohio — TripAdvisor on Wednesday named Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer "best hand sanitizer" as part of the travel site's second annual Travelers' Choice Awards for Travel Favorites.  

The awards honor top brands travelers across select global markets prefer to use on their trips. In the U.S., there were 21 winners in categories ranging from cameras to sunscreen and carry-on luggage. Winners also were announced in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, India, Italy, Spain and Russia.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Federal prescription drug programs are more susceptible to waste, fraud and abuse because of the lack of transparency and oversight of mail-order pharmacy, proclaimed the Taxpayers Protection Alliance on Tuesday in a report called “The Expensive Truth Behind Taxpayer-Funded Mail Order Pharmaceuticals.” 

NEW YORK — The seventh annual Delete Blood Cancer Gala held on May 1 at Cipriani Wall Street broke all records of previous years and raised $3.7 million to support the fight against leukemia and other blood-related cancers. The money raised jointly by beauty company Coty Inc. and Delete Blood Cancer, part of the world's largest bone marrow donor center, will help register 55,000 new bone marrow donors and help patients worldwide.