FDA Updates

In this section we showcase products and product news that ran up against space limitations or fell outside the parameters of recently featured categories in the print edition. Look for more OTC Product News in upcoming issues of the Drug Topics e-newsletter.

From arthritis to blisters to ingrown toenails, hurting feet present a huge public health concern.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Sanofi-Aventis is appealing a federal judge's decision to lift the injunction against the sale of a generic Allegra D24 product in the United States.

A group of regulatory, industry, and consumer groups has created a new voluntary guideline to ensure that nutritional supplement companies have the necessary data to support expiration dating on product labels.

In this section we showcase products and product news that ran up against space limitations or fell outside the parameters of recently featured categories in the print edition. Look for more OTC Product News in upcoming issues of the Drug Topics e-newsletter.

Some Medicare Advantage patients have a new way to buy over-the-counter products: OTCNetwork, a prepaid point-of-sale card.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Starting this month, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires employees with tax-advantaged health accounts to have a prescription for an OTC drug to qualify for account reimbursement and preferred tax treatment. Insulin and OTC medical devices and supplies are exempt.

In this season of gustatory indulgence, it can't hurt to prepare for the occasional upset stomach.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

In this section we showcase products and product news that ran up against space limitations or fell outside the parameters of recently featured categories in the print edition. Look for more OTC Product News in upcoming issues of the Drug Topics e-newsletter.

To help provide consumers with some protection against winter ailments, manufacturers have introduced a number of new treatments and preventives for dry lips and cold sores, as well as cold and flu medicines for children.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Does she or doesn't she? Only her drugstore knows for sure. Even in today's racy culture, certain products are not discussed in polite company. Yet even blushworthy personal care products are essential, and their manufacturers are tuned to the preferences of 78 million style-conscious Baby Boomers.

Pharmacies soon may be stocking their shelves with laboratory-developed tests that first require FDA approval.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Underlying a recent FDA-hosted public meeting and workshop was the question of how FDA as a regulatory agency should increase its current oversight of clinical laboratories, specifically those developing genetic tests that may be offered at their own facilities or made available through direct-to-consumer channels.

Annoying hair and scalp problems distress many families. Manufacturers offer a number of over-the-counter products that can help.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Pharmacists are in a good position to tell patients that sand, water, snow, and clouds reflect and intensify the sun's rays, causing unsuspected sun damage, even in shade, and that protecting skin from sun damage should be incorporated into a daily routine.

Summer brings picnics, hikes, and trips to the water, along with sunburn, bug bites, and dry, itchy skin. For all that exposed skin, manufacturers offer several new skin-care aids.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 greatly reduced FDA involvement in assessing the safety of dietary supplements, leaving pharmacists with the problem of obtaining accurate information with which to advise patients.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products

Bumps, bruises, and scrapes happen - especially during the summer months when knees and elbows are bare and so much time is spent outdoors. Many first-aid products can help.

As Americans increasingly turn to vitamins and herbal supplements as alternatives to prescription drug use, medical professionals and government leaders worry that few realize the implications.

A survey of new Rx, new generic, and new OTC products