Recent Postings

The use of corticosteroids in patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19, who are typically treated at home and do not require oxygen therapy, is not beneficial and can be harmful. Disturbingly, a recent study shows that substantial proportions of nonhospitalized COVID-19 patients were prescribed systemic steroids.

To better protect consumers, the FDA must ensure that dietary-supplement makers who receive FDA warning letters promptly and permanently cease marketing illegal supplements that endanger consumers’ health.

Patients taking the commonly prescribed antidepressant citalopram should be aware that it has clinically important and potentially dangerous interactions with many other prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Lyme disease is the most common insect-borne illness, accounting for over half of all such disease. In this article, we discuss antibiotics that are routinely used to treat this infection.

In support of our position against the use of duloxetine to treat osteoarthritis patients, a new study fails to show any benefit for adding the drug to usual care in primary care settings among hip or knee osteoarthritis patients with chronic pain.

In this month’s news brief, we discuss a recent FDA warning about serious adverse effects associated with the use of the cancer drug duvelisib.

Results of new research funded by the National Institutes of Health reveals that otherwise healthy, young children with uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia generally do well with a five-day antibiotic course as long as they are monitored for continued improvement.

Given the endless barrage of prescription-drug ads on TV, it is imperative that Congress immediately pass the Misleading Drug Ads Act to help ensure that consumers are not misled by TV ads that cleverly downplay the risks of prescrip¬tion medications while hyping the benefits.

Learn why we have designated the recently approved insomnia drug daridorexant (QUVIVIQ) as Do Not Use.

Patients taking the cholesterol-lowering drug pravastatin should be aware that it has clinically important interactions with many other prescription medications.

In this month’s news brief, we discuss a recent FDA consumer advisory urging people not to use products that are marketed for the removal of moles and other skin lesions — such as seborrheic keratoses and skin tags — because of the risk of potentially dangerous adverse effects.

Numerous prescription and over-the-counter drugs can cause or exacerbate urinary incontinence. Knowing which medications prescribed or recommended by your doctor cause urinary incontinence will allow you to take steps to prevent or minimize this common, troubling adverse drug effect.

New research reveals that routine supplementation with high-dose vitamin D in older adults who are not vitamin D deficient is unlikely to reduce either overall mortality or cardiovascular mortality.

In his editor’s column, Dr. Carome discusses results of a recently published study that revealed a stunning drop over the past decade in the proportion of new drugs approved by the FDA each year that were referred to an advisory committee.

Patients taking the oral combination antiviral drug PAXLOVID (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir), which is used to treat COVID-19, should be aware that it has clinically important and potentially dangerous interactions with many other prescription medications.

A recent clinical trial indicates that many persons with obsessive-compulsive disorder who respond favorably to joint behavioral and drug treatment may then safely taper their medication use very slowly to elimination, though careful follow-up clinical monitoring is still essential.

Learn about the results of a new clinical trial funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs that compared the safety and effectiveness of allopurinol and feboxostat for treatment of gout.