Vioxx is a cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 selective, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) that was approved by the USA’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 1999 for the relief of the signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis, the management of acute pain in adults, and the treatment of menstrual symptoms. Vioxx was later also approved for the relief of signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthrit...

BACKGROUND Vital statistics data suggest that the opioid pain reliever (OPR) methadone is involved in one third of OPR-related overdose deaths, but it accounts for only a few percent of OPR prescriptions. METHODS CDC analyzed rates of fatal methadone overdoses and sales nationally during 1999-2010 and rates of overdose death for methadone compared with rates for other major opioids in 13 stat...

BACKGROUND Sales data indicate a major increase in the prescription of antifungal drugs in the last two decades. Many new agents for systemic use that only recently have become available are likely to be prescribed intensively in acute care hospitals. Sales data do not adequately describe the developments of drug use density. Given the concerns about the potential emergence of antifungal drug r...

Understanding the history of the development of diagnostic criteria for ADHD, the parallel growth of the ADHD drug market, and factors that improve the symptoms of ADHD provides insight into alternative approaches to treatment and the potential for prevention. This chapter sheds light on the rise of ADHD as a diagnostic disorder, and highlights the growth of the ADHD drug market and associated ...

Despite striking advances in the biomedical sciences, the flow of new drugs has slowed to a trickle, impairing therapeutic advances as well as the commercial success of drug companies. Reduced productivity in the drug industry is caused mainly by corporate policies that discourage innovation. This is compounded by various consequences of mega-mergers, the obsession for blockbuster drugs, the sh...

The rising costs of health care have forced changes in institutions that provide health care services to patients. Doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, and drug manufacturers have changed business practices to trim costs and maximize profits. One practice exploited by pharmaceutical companies is the freedom to advertise prescription drug products.' Direct-to-consumer advertising can effecti...

Pharmaceutical companies have exploited health information technology to "mine" data from drug prescriptions and use the data to better target their sales pitches to physicians. This article considers the policy arguments and first amendment implications regarding state regulation of data mining. It concludes that the legislative provisions are desirable and should withstand constitutional chal...

Despite knowledge of racial bias for drug-related criminal justice involvement and its collateral consequences, we know less about differences between Black and White drug offenders. We compare 243 Blacks and White non-violent drug offenders in New Haven, CT for demographic characteristics, substance use, and re-entry services accessed. Blacks were significantly more likely to have sales and po...

OBJECTIVES The rapid increase in drug expenditure has become a major source of public criticism in China. In 2009, the National Essential Medicine System (NEMS) was launched in China to control drug prices and improve access to medicines. This study investigated whether and to what extent the prices of essential medicines were reduced after the introduction of NEMS. METHODS Data were obtained...

Congress may be about to rein in the 340B drug program, which lets safety-net hospitals and community clinics use outpatient prescription sales to generate revenue. The Health Resources and Services Administration, which runs the program, has published draft guidance to clarify issues raised by federal watchdog agencies.