Health Highlights – June 16th, 2007

Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.

Health Highlights

FDA Attempting to Regulate Dietary Supplements

A new U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) docket was published on the FDA website last month. The draft guidance, when finalized, will represent the FDA’s current thinking on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Docket No. 2006D-0480: Draft Guidance for Industry on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Products and Their Regulation by the Food and Drug Administration [1] discusses when a CAM product is subject to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act) or the Public Health Service (PHS) Act.

Pharmacy Errors – Avoid Prescription Dispensing Mistakes

Recently, an undercover pharmacy investigation conducted by 20/20 and reported on by Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross evaluated prescription dispensing at some of the best known U.S. chain drug stores.

The results are surprising and the suggestions at the end of this article really could save your life or that of someone you love.

Pharmacy errors and prescription drugs

Merck Focuses on Traditional Chinese Medicine for Cancer Drugs

Merck recently announced that it will collaborate with Hong Kong-based Chi-Med, a pharmaceutical firm that focuses on researching, developing, manufacturing and selling pharmaceuticals, health supplements and other consumer health and personal care products derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine and botanical ingredients, to develop new cancer drugs.