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64 Results for search "Over-The-Counter Drugs: Misc.".

Health News Results - 64

15 Nov
Melatonin Use Skyrockets Among U.S. Kids, Study Finds

Melatonin Use Skyrockets Among U.S. Kids, Study Finds

Record numbers of children and tweens now take melatonin for sleep, potentially doing harm to their development, a new study warns.

Nearly one in five school-aged kids are popping melatonin to help them rest, often with the help of their parents, researchers reported in ...

20 Oct
CVS Pulling Popular Cold Meds From Shelves After Report Deems Them to Be Useless

CVS Pulling Popular Cold Meds From Shelves After Report Deems Them to Be Useless

CVS Health plans to pull cold medications that contain phenylephrine from its store shelves after federal regulators determined recently that the decongestant doesn't work.

Oral phenylephrine is an active ingredient in such well-known products as Sudafed and Dayquil. An ...

19 Sep
An OTC Contraceptive Pill Is Coming Soon, but Who Will Pay For It?

An OTC Contraceptive Pill Is Coming Soon, but Who Will Pay For It?

The first over-the-counter birth control pill is slated to hit drug stores in early 2024, but questions about cost and insurance coverage loom.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration

13 Sep
A Year After Launch, OTC Hearing Aids Aren't Catching On With U.S. Consumers

A Year After Launch, OTC Hearing Aids Aren't Catching On With U.S. Consumers

It's now been possible to buy a hearing aid over-the-counter for nearly a year, but few Americans are doing so.

More education is needed about just who these over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids can help, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA...

30 Aug
Opioid OD Rescue Drug Narcan Will Reach Drug Store Shelves Next Week

Opioid OD Rescue Drug Narcan Will Reach Drug Store Shelves Next Week

Narcan, a lifesaving medication that reverses opioid overdose, will be available on U.S. drugstore shelves and online starting next week.

People who want to carry Narcan, the nasal spray version of naloxone, will be able to find it at Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart an...

13 Jul
FDA Approves First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

FDA Approves First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved the nation's first over-the-counter birth control pill, a move that will likely pave the way for far greater access to contraception for Americans.

Women will be able to buy the progestin-only oral contraceptive ...

27 May
Traveling? Here's Your Family Medical Checklist

Traveling? Here's Your Family Medical Checklist

When going on vacation, there's a lot to remember, but it's a good idea if you add one more item to the to-do list.

Baylor College of Medicine in Houston suggests creating a family travel medical checklist, to be sure that you and your loved ones stay healthy and safe wh...

11 May
The Most Common Allergy Medicines

The Most Common Allergy Medicines

If you suffer from allergies, you know how bothersome and uncomfortable the sneezing and itchy eyes can be. These symptoms are more than irritating — they impact day-to-day activities like work, school, sports, sleeping and even eating.

Not only that, but allergies can...

10 May
FDA Advisors OK Approval of First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

FDA Advisors OK Approval of First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

In a unanimous vote, a panel of expert advisors to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday endorsed the over-the-counter sale of a birth control pill, a recommendation that will likely pave the way for far greater access to contraception for Americans.

Opill, ...

09 May
FDA Experts to Consider First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

FDA Experts to Consider First Over-the-Counter Birth Control Pill

As a U.S. Food Drug Administration advisory panel prepares to weigh whether to recommend that a birth control pill be sold over the counter in this country, a coalition of advocates on Monday called attention to the safety and effectiveness of the medication.

If approved...

17 Apr
Get Pain Relief With the Most Common Arthritis Medications

Get Pain Relief With the Most Common Arthritis Medications

Arthritis is a common disease that causes pain and inflammation in different body joints, making it difficult to enjoy everyday tasks and physical activity.

Fortunately, there are many different medications for arthritis. Depending on what type of arthritis you have and...

06 Mar
FDA Panel to Again Weigh Merit of Decongestant That Many Call Useless

FDA Panel to Again Weigh Merit of Decongestant That Many Call Useless

Consumers have been using a common over-the-counter oral decongestant known as phenylephrine for years, but that may not continue much longer.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has asked a panel of its advisors to reassess the drug's effectiveness. The medication's s...

20 Dec
In Face of Tripledemic, CVS and Walgreens Limit Purchases of Kids' Pain Meds

In Face of Tripledemic, CVS and Walgreens Limit Purchases of Kids' Pain Meds

As a tripledemic of the flu, COVID and RSV continues to spread across the United States, customers at two major pharmacy chains will now be limited as to how much children's pain relievers and fever-reducing medications they can buy for their sick child.

Both CVS and Wa...

16 Nov
FDA Moves Toward Making Overdose Antidote an Over-the-Counter Drug

FDA Moves Toward Making Overdose Antidote an Over-the-Counter Drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration appears poised to approve certain naloxone products for over-the-counter use, a move that would help fight the nation's opioid epidemic.

Naloxone (Narcan, Evzio) can save lives when administered soon after the first signs of an overd...

15 Nov
More U.S. Kids Are Heading to ERs After Drinking Cough Suppressant

More U.S. Kids Are Heading to ERs After Drinking Cough Suppressant

Increasing numbers of young children are showing up in emergency rooms after accidentally ingesting the cough suppressant benzonatate, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday.

Benzonatate is a non-narcotic cough suppressant first approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Adminis...

24 Oct
Child Danger: Almost Half of Parents Have Leftover Meds at Home

Child Danger: Almost Half of Parents Have Leftover Meds at Home

Getting into prescription or over-the-counter medicines at home is a major source of accidental poisoning for young children.

Yet, nearly half of parent...

17 Oct
You Can Now Buy Hearing Aids Over-the-Counter.  Experts Offer Tips for Consumers

You Can Now Buy Hearing Aids Over-the-Counter.  Experts Offer Tips for Consumers

It's official: Older Americans with hearing loss can now stroll into a big box store or pharmacy — or just visit a website — and buy hearing aids without a prescription.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved this

27 Sep
Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Are Coming in October. Experts Offer Tips for Consumers

Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Are Coming in October. Experts Offer Tips for Consumers

Adults with hearing loss soon will be able to amble into a big box store or pharmacy — or just visit a website — and buy hearing aids without a prescription.

19 Sep
Chicken Cooked in NyQuil? Help Kids Steer Clear of Social Media 'Medicine Challenges'

Chicken Cooked in NyQuil? Help Kids Steer Clear of Social Media 'Medicine Challenges'

Misusing over-the-counter medications can have dangerous consequences, but recent social media trends encouraging this could be downright deadly for gullible teens, the U.S. Food and Drug Admini...

11 Jul
FDA Mulling Over-the-Counter Sale of Contraceptive Pill

FDA Mulling Over-the-Counter Sale of Contraceptive Pill

For decades, birth control pills in the United States have only been available with a prescription, but an application file...

23 Jun
Need a Pill to Help You Sleep? You're Far From Alone, Survey Finds

Need a Pill to Help You Sleep? You're Far From Alone, Survey Finds

If you struggle to fall asleep at night, you are not alone.

About 28% of Americans say insomnia is taking a toll on their daily lives, and about 64% say they take sleep aids to help them

20 Apr
FDA Warns 12 Companies About Skin Lightening Products

FDA Warns 12 Companies About Skin Lightening Products

Twelve companies have been issued warning letters about selling over-the-counter skin lightening products containing hydroquinone, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday.

The products are unapproved drugs that are not recognized as safe and effective, ac...

16 Dec
Weed May Mess With Your Medicines, Causing Harm

Weed May Mess With Your Medicines, Causing Harm

Many people turn to marijuana or cannabidiol to ease their achy joints and help them sleep, but a new study suggests that could wreak havoc with any other medications they're taking.

Why? Because the body uses the same set of enzymes to process them all, scientists repor...

23 Nov
Addictive Opioid Painkillers Might Not Be Needed After Knee Surgery

Addictive Opioid Painkillers Might Not Be Needed After Knee Surgery

Addictive opioid painkillers aren't the only option for patients seeking relief following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) knee reconstruction, researchers say.

As the United States wrestles with skyrocketing rates of opioid abuse and drug overdose deaths, the findings m...

09 Nov
Most Americans Would Skip Opioids After Surgery If They Could: Survey

Most Americans Would Skip Opioids After Surgery If They Could: Survey

More than two-thirds of Americans would be willing to try alternatives to prescription opioids to control pain after surgery, a new survey shows.

The United States is grappling with an opioid addiction crisis, and it's common for addiction to begin when patients get pain...

07 Nov
Do Your Kids Really Need Cough & Cold Meds?

Do Your Kids Really Need Cough & Cold Meds?

When children have colds, parents may want to hold off on using cough and cold medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggests.

Most children get better on their own, and cough or cold medicines won't change the natural course of a cold or make it go away faste...

19 Oct
FDA Eases Access to Cheaper Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

FDA Eases Access to Cheaper Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids

Affordable over-the-counter hearing aids could soon bring relief to millions of Americans suffering from hearing loss, under a landmark proposal announced Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The proposal would create a category of hearing aids that could be...

28 Sep
Low-Dose Aspirin Guards Against Preeclampsia: Task Force

Low-Dose Aspirin Guards Against Preeclampsia: Task Force

Pregnant women at risk for a serious high blood pressure disorder called preeclampsia should take low-dose aspirin after their first trimester, according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF).

The

09 Sep
Could Cheaper, Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Finally Be Here?

Could Cheaper, Over-the-Counter Hearing Aids Finally Be Here?

Until now, folks suffering from hearing loss typically have had to fork out thousands of dollars for a device that could be adjusted only by a professional audiologist.

No wonder that only one-quarter of the nearly 29 million U.S. adults who could benefit from a hearing ...

30 Jun
CBD Products Gain Following Among Fibromyalgia Patients

CBD Products Gain Following Among Fibromyalgia Patients

Could the answer to easing the tough-to-treat chronic pain and fatigue of fibromyalgia be found in edibles and other products containing CBD?

A new study from Michigan Medicine examined whether people using potentially addictive painkillers like opioids could get relief ...

22 Jun
Too Many Older Americans Are Taking Daily Aspirin

Too Many Older Americans Are Taking Daily Aspirin

Many older adults are still taking a daily baby aspirin to ward off first-time heart problems -- despite guidelines that now discourage it, a new study finds.

Researchers found that one-half to 62% of U.S. adults aged 70 and up were using low-dose aspirin to cut their ri...

18 May
Low- or High-Dose, Aspirin Brings Similar Protection Against Heart Disease: Study

Low- or High-Dose, Aspirin Brings Similar Protection Against Heart Disease: Study

When it comes to taking a daily aspirin to cut heart patients' risk of heart attack and stroke, a new study finds dosing doesn't matter.

Researchers looked at more than 15,000 heart disease patients at 40 health centers across the United States who took either 81 milligr...

10 May
Reviews Find No Evidence Weight-Loss Supplements Work

Reviews Find No Evidence Weight-Loss Supplements Work

You're getting no real benefit from taking weight-loss supplements like garcinia cambogia, green tea extract, glucomannan, conjugated linoleic acid or chitosan, two new reviews show.

Most of the clinical trials studied didn't show these supplements producing any weight l...

07 May
Are You Taking a Med That's Raising Your Blood Pressure?

Are You Taking a Med That's Raising Your Blood Pressure?

Nearly one in five Americans with high blood pressure use medications that can cause blood pressure to spike, a preliminary study shows.

The researchers said the findings are concerning, given how many people have difficulty controlling their high blood pressure.

"...

04 May
1 in 3 Neighborhoods in Major U.S. Cities Is a 'Pharmacy Desert'

1 in 3 Neighborhoods in Major U.S. Cities Is a 'Pharmacy Desert'

One-third of neighborhoods in the 30 largest U.S. cities are "pharmacy deserts," and this is much more common in Black and Hispanic communities, a new study finds.

What's a 'pharmacy desert'? In general, in a neighborhood where most residents have cars, the study labele...

03 May
Could High-Dose Fish Oil Raise Odds for A-Fib in Heart Patients?

Could High-Dose Fish Oil Raise Odds for A-Fib in Heart Patients?

Many people take fish oil to protect their heart, but a new study suggests that prescription versions may raise the risk of a common heart rhythm disorder.

At issue are prescription-strength omega-3 fatty acids, which are naturally found in fish oil. The medications are ...

25 Mar
FDA Clamping Down on Abuse of an OTC  Decongestant

FDA Clamping Down on Abuse of an OTC  Decongestant

Makers of inhalers that contain the nasal decongestant propylhexedrine should make design changes to prevent misuse, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says.

Propylhexedrine is a nasal decongestant in over-the-counter inhalers, and right now is "only marketed under th...

21 Mar
Spring Cleaning Can Sweep Away Allergens From Your Home

Spring Cleaning Can Sweep Away Allergens From Your Home

If seasonal allergies get you down, try tackling them with a good spring cleaning.

This can not only ease some of those spring symptoms, but also get rid of allergens you've been living with for a while, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology...

27 Feb
Spring Allergies Are Near, Here's What Works to Fight Them

Spring Allergies Are Near, Here's What Works to Fight Them

For millions of Americans, sneezing, coughing, runny noses, itchy eyes and congestion are sure signs that spring is on the way.

The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) has advice for coping with these classic hay fever symptoms. It recently publish...

13 Jan
Stuck at Home, Suffering With COVID? Experts Offer Guidance on Care

Stuck at Home, Suffering With COVID? Experts Offer Guidance on Care

Most folks infected with COVID-19 will only have mild or moderate illness -- but that means they'll still be stuck at home and feeling really lousy.

What's the best way to cope?

In many ways, you want to behave as you would if you were suffering from a cold or the ...

15 Dec
FDA OKs First Over-the-Counter Home Test for COVID-19

FDA OKs First Over-the-Counter Home Test for COVID-19

The first non-prescription COVID-19 test that enables people to collect samples and get results at home has received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

"This is a great step forward," said Dr. Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns...

02 Oct
Common Heartburn Meds Tied to Higher Diabetes Risk

Common Heartburn Meds Tied to Higher Diabetes Risk

Often-used drugs called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) ease heartburn symptoms, but a new study suggests they might also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Chinese researchers drew on information from studies of more than 200,000 U.S. health care professionals and...

03 Sep
Common Meds Tied to Faster Mental Decline in Seniors

Common Meds Tied to Faster Mental Decline in Seniors

A group of widely used medications might speed up older adults' mental decline -- especially if they are at increased risk of dementia, a new study hints.

The medications in question are called anticholinergics, and they are used to treat a diverse range of condition...

24 Aug
Bee Healthy: Honey May Beat Cold Meds Against Cough

Bee Healthy: Honey May Beat Cold Meds Against Cough

There may be no cure for the common cold, but a spoonful of honey might make it less miserable, a new research review concludes.

Parents have long used honey to soothe kids' sore throats and cough -- probably because their parents did. But the review of 14 clinical t...

02 Apr
Heart Patients Need to Be Wary of Coronavirus

Heart Patients Need to Be Wary of Coronavirus

People with high blood pressure and heart disease may be vulnerable to complications from COVID-19, heart experts say.

Nearly half of Americans have high blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

Based on current knowledge, seniors...

23 Jan
Prescription-Strength Steroid Creams Sold Over-the-Counter Can Be Dangerous

Prescription-Strength Steroid Creams Sold Over-the-Counter Can Be Dangerous

Rubbing cream into your skin to calm an itchy rash may seem harmless, but not all topical anti-itch formulas are created equal.

"People don't understand the potential dangers of prescription-strength steroid creams," said Dr. Lawrence Green, clinical professor of der...

10 Jan
Two More Heartburn Meds Recalled Due to Possible Carcinogen

Two More Heartburn Meds Recalled Due to Possible Carcinogen

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is adding to a list of recalled lots of popular heartburn medications -- including generic forms of Zantac -- because the pills might contain small amounts of a suspected carcinogen.

The substance, called N-Nitrosodimethylamine (...

27 Nov
Popular Heartburn Drugs May Up Odds of Stomach Bug

Popular Heartburn Drugs May Up Odds of Stomach Bug

If you're one of the millions who rely on medications known as proton pump inhibitors for relief from heartburn, you may be at higher risk of illness from a stomach bug, new research suggests.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) include medications such as Nexium, Prevaci...

30 Oct
Acetaminophen in Pregnancy Might Raise Children's Odds of ADHD, Autism

Acetaminophen in Pregnancy Might Raise Children's Odds of ADHD, Autism

Two-thirds of American women take acetaminophen for the aches and pains of pregnancy, but the medication might not be as benign as thought.

New research shows that women who took acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol, at the end of their pregnancies were much more li...

25 Oct
Antibiotics Not Recommended for Most Toothaches, New Guideline Says

Antibiotics Not Recommended for Most Toothaches, New Guideline Says

Antibiotics aren't necessary for most toothaches, a new American Dental Association (ADA) guideline says.

It's common for doctors and dentists to prescribe antibiotics to ease toothache symptoms and prevent a more serious condition.

But a review that led to...