From NJ.com:

State officials said the company will no longer sell non-prescription drugs or infant formula beyond their expiration dates, nor will it sell merchandise for more money than the displayed price. Target also created a new position to monitor the company's compliance with the settlement for the next two years.

The state's Division of Consumer Affairs sued Target, Walmart, and Drug Fair in September 2008, after finding that despite earlier agreements with the state, they were still selling expired products and charging wrong prices. Lawsuits against the other two retailers are still pending.

"Target reaches $375K settlement with N.J. for selling expired baby formula, charging different prices" [NJ.com]
(Photo: j.reed)

Since it's still a drug and not an actual beauty product, you have to have some sort of medical condition to take it. That's why one of the first bits of fine print in the commercial says that the drug is only for people who suffer from "inadequate or not enough lashes, also known as hypotrichosis." Like Brooke, apparently.

"Ad for eyelash drug Latisse goes too far" [Consumer Reports Health Blog]

RELATED
"Yeah, Your Eyes Are Discolored And Red, But Your Lashes Look Great!"

While not as catastrophically deadly as antibiotic-resistant bacteria, resistant flus could still be bad news.

Once ingested, virtually all Tamiflu will end up in the environment in the active form, notes environmental chemist Jerker Fick of Umeå University in Sweden. The reason: Tamiflu becomes active once the body converts it into a carboxylate form. Roughly 80 percent of an ingested dose becomes this OC, which the body eventually excretes. The body sheds the remaining 20 percent of Tamiflu in its original form, but this phosphate form is immediately turned into the active, carboxylate form when it reaches a water treatment plant, he says.

Two years ago, Fick's team published data showing that most sewage-treatment technologies will remove "zero percent" of any OC present. And ducks love hanging out around warm, nutrient-rich outflows of treated water during winter-flu season. While sampling for waterborne OC last year in Japan, "I saw it myself," he says.

You heard it here first: stay away from the flu-resistant superducks.

Excreted Tamiflu found in rivers [Science News] (Thanks, Kelly!)

(Photo: PostcardsFromHome)

Her county has the unfortunate distinction of being the fifth-largest producer of meth in Indiana, despite being the 12-smallest county in the state, which may help explain the law enforcement overkill to some degree.

The Tribune-Star notes that pharmacies in the area post a "Meth Watch" sign "alerting customers that their purchases of drugs containing ephedrine and pseudoephedrine are being monitored," but we're not sure whether Harpold paid attention or knew about the 7-day limit.

Harpold said she did go talk to the prosecutor about the situation, and Alexander offered her the deferral program, in which Harpold is required to pay the court costs, abide by all laws and not be arrested for 30 days. At the end of 30 days, the class-C misdemeanor will be erased from her record.

We do think it would be nice if pharmacies pharmacists made that explicitly clear upon purchase—"This medicine contains pseudoephedrine, and it uses 75% of your weekly allotment of the drug. If you buy anything else with pseudoephedrine in it within the next 7 days, make sure it doesn't have more than n grams." Yeah, that probably sounds like overkill, but with such a severe law on the books it might be wise to keep the public as informed as possible and actually teach them what to watch out for.

Of course, it's also a perfect example of why you should take the time to read any "it's the law!" warnings around your pharmacy, considering the weird locked-down state of many OTC drugs these days.

"Wabash Valley woman didn't realize second cold medicine purchase violated drug laws" [TribStar] (Thanks to Warren!)
(Photo: JOPHIELsmiles)

1) Research, research, research. Before taking any unfamiliar substance (including herbal remedies, of course), check their safety and effectiveness. The law of averages says that whatever you're taking is probably safe—most supplements are—but it's wise to check nonetheless. Government sources are some of the most reliable for medical information. The Wall Street Journal recommends the National Library of Medicine's "Drugs and Supplements" section for evidence, side effects, and interactions. Also two National Institute of Health websites, the National Center of Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Office of Dietary Supplements contains a wealth of data, without all the hippie mumbo-jumbo.

If your main concern is effectiveness, you may want to subscribe to Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, which provides effectiveness ratings. With the high-cost of supplements, the $9.97 per month would likely pay for itself it saved you from buying even one product. This database not only includes info about specific ingredients, but brands as well.

2) Read the ingredients.

Potentially dangerous substances often won't be disclosed. But sometimes they are-if you know what to look for. One step is to look for drugs banned for top athletes, or variations on those names. The World Anti-Doping Agency list is at www.wada-ama.org under "Resources for Athletes." Certain suffixes in chemical names are common for steroids or tweaked versions of them. Among them are -one, -ene, -iol and -bol, though these can also appear in the names of legitimate ingredients. Some products also use versions of steroid names in their brands, like "tren" to connote trenbolone.

3) Lookout for symptoms. If you have any serious side effects, report them to the FDA.

(Photo: stevenb ohio)

What's Really in Supplements? [The Wall Street Journal]

Download this form.

The FDA strongly recommends that you ask your health care provider to fill it out because he or she can "provide clinical information based on your medical record that can help" the FDA evaluate your report. If you can't or don't want to give the form to your doctor, you can fill it out yourself.

Either fax the form to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-0178 or mail it back using the postage-paid addressed form.

Or

Call FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 to report by telephone

The FDA, via a program called MedWatch, also collects data on other drug problems. You should report these as well. Here is what MedWatch is concerned with:

1) Serious adverse event
* death
* life-threatening situation
* requires admission to hospital or longer-than-expected hospital stay
* permanent disability
* birth defect, miscarriage, stillbirth, or birth with serious disease
* requires medical care to prevent permanent damage

2. Product quality problem
* suspected counterfeit product
* potentially contaminated product indicated by suspicious odor or unusual color
* inaccurate or unreadable product labeling

3) Product use error
* mixing up products with similar drug names or packaging
* taking wrong dose of a drug because of confusing dosing instructions on label

4) Problem with different manufacturer of same medicine
* not getting same results from a generic drug as a brand name drug, or from another generic

Reporting by Consumers [FDA]
FDA 101: How to Use the Consumer Complaint System and MedWatch [FDA]

(Photo: Mike Burns)

The first is that the FDA doesn't require Lexapro's makers to statistically back up their claim that Lexapro is more effective than Celexa, which is basically Lexapro's parent. (Forest Laboratories changed the molecular structure of Celexa, which was about to lose its patent protection, in order to create Lexapro in 2002.) In fact, Forest has even used this near-interchangeability to its financial advantage:

The F.D.A. views the two medicines as so interchangeable that the agency recently approved Lexapro's use in depressed adolescents based in part on the results of a study Forest conducted using Celexa.

The second is that sales of Lexapro are on the wane, and correspondingly Forest "has been recently raising the price." But, "Many doctors say they believe that Lexapro is the best antidepressant, so they prescribe the drug despite its cost."

"Document Details Plan to Promote Costly Drug" [New York Times]
(Photo: mandiberg)

Pharmaceutical companies see the strengthening of the placebo response as a crisis because it makes getting new drugs approved all the more difficult.

The effect is most dramatic with drugs targeting the central nervous system, such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, and pain relievers. The ailments that these drugs treat have "turned out to be particularly susceptible to the placebo effect."

One theory behind the stronger placebo is that clinical trials take place in an environment of exceptional, one-on-one health care, the kind patients don't typically get from their own doctors. This personal attention has a therapeutic effect, encouraging a placebo response.

To find out the exact cause, drug companies are now working with the National Institute of Health (NIH).

In typically secretive industry fashion, the existence of the project itself is being kept under wraps. NIH staffers are willing to talk about it only anonymously, concerned about offending the companies paying for it.

But the placebo "crisis" is one that deserves quote marks. Drug companies want to reduce the placebo response in order to make its products look better. But the fact that patients can reap huge benefits from sugar pills should be taken as good news, not bad. It means that finding relief from chronic pain, insomnia, and certain forms of depression need not come from a drug linked to serious side effects - rather, it suggests that the solution to many ills may reside within the human mind.

Placebos Are Getting More Effective. Drugmakers Are Desperate to Know Why [Wired Magazine]

(Photo: BitterScripts)

It turns out that the KFC has been replaced by... a KFC. In this instance, though, the KFC stands for "Kind For Cures", and while they do sell things that are edible, you can't buy them, or even ask about them, without a prescription.

I bet Yum Brands is just thrilled.

New KFC Opens In Palms? Sort of...(Instead of Fried Chicken, They Sell Marijuana) [LA Weekly]
(Photo: Noah Galuten)

Congressmen are targeting the practice, called direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertising, as part of the health care reform push, USA Today reports:

"There are legitimate reasons to criticize DTC, but it doesn't cause problems for pricing, it raises demand," says Bob Ehrlich, CEO of DTC Perspectives, a publishing and consulting company that specializes in DTC marketing. "As a citizen you have to take it for what it's worth. It's advertising. But it's advertising that has to be true."

Perhaps Viagra and Cialis will one day no longer be able do battle during timeouts of NFL broadcasts and magazine pages. But don't expect to see DTC go down without a fight. Drug companies see a 40 percent return on investment from the ads, the story says, so they'll call in whatever favors they can to keep DTC erect.

Push is on to end prescription drug ads targeting consumers [USA Today]
(Photo: sonyaseattle)

1) ReadyFill is a voluntary opt-in program for maintenance medications to be refilled when you're about to run out. Nearly every pharmacy has something like it, CVS took it company wide in the middle of last year. It's a fine idea in theory.

2) You receive a call when it's ready (which is actually three days after it's filled in the case of ReadyFill prescriptions since they're filled slightly ahead of time). If any filled prescription is not picked up, a reminder call is made on day three and day seven. Most people like this.

3) There are also two other types of calls that happen. There are robo-calls that supposedly remind people that medication is due to be refilled. This sucks because the pharmacy has no idea who is getting robocalled, and this person will usually call the store up and talk to a confused technician who can only guess at what you might need refilled. These calls are also apparently misinterpreted that the medication is ready, which it's actually not so sometimes people come in expecting to pick it up and are upset when the pharmacy has no idea what they're looking for.

4) The second type is store-generated calls about refill reminders. The criteria used to be that a maintenance medication had to be coming up due for refill and there also had to be at least one medication that was overdue. Earlier this year they added a category of just overdue medications. In high volume stores, this can be over 100 people that have to be called. Every single employee hates these. They're incredibly stupid because people generally stop taking a medication for a good reason, but we're supposed to ask people if they want to refill it. One store once called a customer that had died. Oops.

5) Okay, back to ReadyFill. What happened at the start of this year is one of the internal performance metrics for each store became the percentage of prescriptions enrolled and filled by the ReadyFill program. Since this (officially referred to as the Execution Scorecard) actually affects things like pharmacist (and upper management, natch) bonuses, a few stores took it upon themselves to automatically enroll *everything* that they could possibly enroll in this program, regardless of whether the customer wanted it or not and of course without their knowledge. I know this happens beacuse my father fills his medications at a store different from the one I work at and when he tried to refill his drugs over the phone the automated system told him it was already finished. He didn't seem to mind it but I know there are customers who are going to be livid over this, and it's just to satisfy an internal metric. Oh, and the refill reminder calls in #4 are also part of store execution, which is the only reason stores bother with them even though they're hated.

I approached my district manager with the fact that the store was auto-enrolling prescriptions, which I felt could be an issue down the line. He didn't care because as soon as they started doing that, they started making the number needed to satisfy the metric.

Please, please, please, if you are annoyed with the phone calls or were enrolled in ReadyFill without your knowledge, take it to corporate, not the store. It's a pipe dream, but if enough people call and say that they're pissed off by what they view as "world class customer service programs," (really it's "sneaky ways we fill your prescription and hope to collect insurance payment plus your copay") maybe they'll cut back some. I would even go as far as to threaten to take all your business to another pharmacy if the calls continue.

PREVIOUSLY: "Why Is CVS Automatically Refilling My Prescriptions?"
(Photo: bubble dumpster)

"Bag Of Cocaine Found In CVS" [News4Jax] (Thanks to Snarkysnake!)
(Photo: gbeckleyl)

Help's website says:

While some health problems are large, complicated and frightening, most problems are not the end of the world. A kind word and a little help can get you on your way. Help Remedies was created to make solving simple health issues simple.

We appreciate this. We also enjoy their minimal, environmentally friendly packaging and their clever labels and website.

However, health problems can indeed be large, complicated, and frightening. Although the back of the packaging contains a short, cute description of what the drug does, the full drug facts are hidden behind the label. There, you could read about the risks of stomach bleeding and liver failure.















Our fear, of course, is that things will get oversimplified and consumers will ignore potentially bigger medical problems in favor of a simple cure. After all, it's not much of a visual stretch from this:
















to this:








Help Remedies
(Photo: gwydionwilliams)

The Food and Drug Administration's panel voted 21-16 to lower the current maximum dose of nonprescription acetaminophen, which is 4 grams, or eight pills per day. Taking more than that can cause potentially fatal liver damage.

Despite years of educational campaigns and other federal actions, acetaminophen is the leading cause of liver failure in the U.S., sending 56,000 people to the emergency room annually, according to the FDA.

The drugs that could be pulled off shelves are combination medications, such as Procter & Gamble's NyQuil or Novartis' Theraflu, which combine acetaminophen with other ingredients that treat cough and runny nose.

The FDA says patients often pair them with a pure acetaminophen medication, like Tylenol, exposing themselves to unsafe levels of the drug.

Drug makers Wyeth and Johnson & Johnson are rushing to defend your right to take the edge off life, but the FDA is still likely to follow the advisory panel's recommendations. Next time your head starts to hurt, pour a nice big glass of water, and resist the urge to pop a few happy pills. Your liver will thank you.

FDA panel recommends smaller doses of painkillers [AP]
FDA may put restrictions on Tylenol [AP]
(Photo: inhisgrace)

On the downside, as a pill recipient at Salisbury News notes, "Now my 3 year old thinks all prescription pill bottles are just tasty snacks".

I can't wait to see what's next. Wal-Mart promoting its gun department with the Pez "suicide" dispenser?

Saturday at Sam's Club [Salisbury News] (Thanks to Droford!)
(Photo: Joe Albero/Salisbury News)

Guest Bloggers Carrie McLaren & Jason Torchinsky are coeditors of Ad Nauseam: A Survivor's Guide to American Consumer Culture. In previous lives, they worked together on the hopelessly obscure and now defunct Stay Free! magazine.

See, orlistat is under investigation by the FDA again. Alli made an appearance in our disturbing side effects collection back in April. "... gas with oily discharge, an increased number of bowel movements, an urgent need to have them, and an inability to control them," we quoted. 7.7% of patients in one Xenical study experienced "fecal Incontinence." Other, less common, side effects are scarier and deadlier.

Send your orlistat side effect horror stories to tips@consumerist.com with "Orlistat" in the subject line, and we'll send them along.

In this case, the dangerous products were fake antimalarial tablets destined for Nigeria. 642,000 people would have been affected had the Nigerian government not discovered the fake drugs and intercepted them. While the tablets were labeled "Made in India," evidence showed that they were produced in and shipped from China.

Both China and India are big players in the manufacture of generic drugs, and both export medicines to Africa. The Indian government is, understandably, concerned that the incident may hurt the reputation of India's pharmaceutical industry in Africa and elsewhere around the world. Rightly so, since India is more than capable of exporting their own fake drugs. No help from China needed.

Fake generic medicines from China with ‘Made in India' label seized: Nigerian Government [Government press release]
Chinese passing off fake drugs as ‘Made in India' [Times of India] (Thanks, Abhinav!)

(Photo: untitleed_x)

These aren't all sketchy insta-storefront places, either. The owner of one dispensary highlighted in the article says he's spent considerable money recently remodeling his store:

n an interview at his dispensary, Edward Hovnanyan, one of the owners of L.A. Collective, expressed dismay that the council had targeted his store. He said that it was the first to open on Glendale Boulevard and that he has worked closely with city officials on his renovation. The shop has new floors and walls. A display case holds 20 jars filled with dusky green buds.

"I spent so much money, so much time, now I'm facing maybe being shut down," he said. "If something's wrong, something's not right, why did government not stop me?"

The number of dispensaries grew in the past two years due to a loophole in the moratorium that the LA City Council never addressed. If any store filed a hardship request to stay open, the city's attorney took no further legal action.

"L.A. closes loophole for medical marijuana dispensaries" [LA Times]
"L.A.'s medical pot dispensary moratorium led to a boom instead" [LA Times]
(Photo: TheTruthAboutMortgage.com)

Several recent studies have shown convincingly that older, less expensive drugs work just as well as newer, far more expensive ones. According to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a decades-old, inexpensive diuretic does as good a job preventing fatal and non-fatal heart attacks as some newer high blood pressure medications.

Similarly, older medications for illnesses ranging from arthritis to schizophrenia have proven to be as effective as newer, higher-priced drugs.

So, whether you're already taking a medicine or getting prescribed a new medication, ask your doctor if there are any established, but not as pricey, versions of the drug that you could be taking instead.

Seven ways to cut the cost of medicine [Vanguard] (Photo: Spidra Webster)

Although not every news report mentioned this detail, he even got the robber to convert to Islam, albeit perhaps temporarily:

"When he gets $40, he's very impressed, he says, 'I want to be a Muslim just like you,' " Sohail said, adding he had the would-be criminal recite an Islamic oath.

"I said 'Congratulations. You are now a Muslim and your name is Nawaz Sharif Zardari.'"

When asked why he chose the hybrid of two Pakistani presidents' names, the Pakistani immigrant laughed and said he had been watching a South Asian news channel moments before the confrontation.

Sohail said the man fled the store when he turned away to get the man some free milk.

On Tuesday, the story broke across the mainstream media, and Sohail has been enjoying some hero limelight for his bravery and compassion.

That same day, however, his shop was raided as part of a city-wide drug bust:

The same day Mohammad Sohail's big heart earned him nationwide fame, his store in Shirley, L.I., was one of seven businesses raided by town investigators.

Pipes and bongs were seized from Shirley Express on Tuesday night, and the 46-year-old was charged with breaking Brookhaven town codes, a civil violation.

He does not face criminal charges, but will likely have to pay a hefty fine.

The Associated Press reports that 3 times in recent weeks, undercover officers bought bongs and pipe screens at the deli, and that the violation is punishable by a fine of up to $30,000.

Well, we still think you're pretty cool, Sohail. Maybe all the pot smokers of Shirley, Long Island should pitch in and help you pay off that fine! Umm, yeah, probably not.

Below is store security footage of the thwarted robbery:

"Merciful storekeeper changes robber's mind, religion" [CNN]
"Mohammad Sohail, store owner who took pity on robber, busted for selling illegal drug paraphernalia" [Newsday]

The drug in question is prasugrel (to be advertised as Effient), which watchdog Public Citizen and Johns Hopkins research director Dr. Victor Serebruany say wasn't tested at a proper dosage by Lilly. The result, Public Citizen argues, is an unsafe drug potentially harmful in the long term may be released to the public.

This is a high-stakes issue because the drug, as a competitor to Plavix, could earn Lilly a billion dollars a year, an Associated Press story says.

The drug prevents more heart attacks than Plavix, but it also causes more internal bleeding, according to a study of over 13,000 patients conducted by Lilly.

But consumer watchdog Public Citizen says that study did not give an accurate comparison of prasugrel versus Plavix.

In a letter Wednesday, the group notes that the dose of prasugrel studied by Lilly was about 2.5 times more potent than the dose of Plavix. The scientists say that the higher dose accounted for the excess bleeding seen with prasugrel. The letter said some patients on prasugrel actually stopped forming blood-clotting platelets completely, putting them at increased risk of hemorrhages.

The story says a panel of outside advisers recommends the FDA approve the drug, because it cured 24 heart-related problems for every 10 cases of bleeding it caused. The department is mulling things over and has already missed two target dates for the drug's review.

Consumer group wants halt on review of Lilly drug [AP]
(Photo:largeprime)

It took three calls from CVS' automated reminder service for me to realize what was going on: CVS Pharmacy was refilling our prescriptions without our asking for them to be refilled, and then their automated dialer was calling us to notify us that we had a prescription waiting. Nobody in my family requested to have a prescription refilled, yet three times CVS called us to tell us to come and pick up our prescription.

Bill is not impressed by this service, which CVS calls "Ready Fill" and which is intended as a convenience both for the customer and the pharmacy. He writes,

When my wife went in to our local Washington, DC CVS to ask about this she was told 1) a lot of people are complaining about CVS' auto-notification system, 2) there's nothing they can do about the robo-caller since it's a system that the company, not this store, initiated, and 3) the doctor wrote these prescriptions with instructions that they be automatically refilled. Say what? Our doctor did no such thing – he didn't write the prescriptions with instructions that they automatically be refilled every 30 days. (One of the medicines was a seasonal allergy medication that obviously wouldn't be refilled in the winter.)

We couldn't find much information about Ready Fill on the CVS website, but this post on a student doctor forum suggests that it's opt-in, but that a lot of times the program isn't sufficiently explained to the customer when he opts in. (We imagine it's also possible that some CVS pharmacies opt in their customers automatically, but we hope that's not the case.) There are also problems with unwanted refills when a prescription changes. Here's the forum post:

If a patient has a monthly prescription that has refills, s/he is eligible for readyfill. This means that in our system we will automatically fill the prescription without us having to call the patient or the patient having to call us to ask for a refill. Basically a few days before the patients prescription runs out, our computer will tell us to fill the rx so all the patient has to do is come in and pick it up. Readyfill is meant to help people who sometimes don't call in their refills till the last minute or people who sometimes just forget to call their refill in.

But truthfully readyfill, from what i have noticed, brings up more problems than it solves. I get a lot of people who say they want readyfill but 1 month later they're angry/confused as to why they are getting an automated call about a prescription being ready that they never called in. Also if there is a dosage change, or a prescription is no longer being taken, or a patient has changed pharmacies, someone has to notify us to take it off or that rx will still be on readyfill and we'll get the angry/confused calls.

So here's the deal: if you get your drugs at CVS and don't want the Ready Fill experience, pay them a visit and ask to have it removed/turned off. If you like the convenience of not having to remember to get your prescriptions refilled, don't forget to contact them if the prescription changes before you're out of refills. And if they won't or can't turn it off and you don't want it, take your prescriptions somewhere else.

(Photo: Lee Nachtigal)

The pharmacist on duty at CVS tells me they got a call from CVS Corporate, instructing them to bill only Medicare B (B pays 80% for imunosuppressants) and to "not" bill secondary insurer N.J.P.A.A.D. (New Jersey Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled), but to bill me instead. $296.47 for 1 month supply of Prograf.

The pharmacist said it is because P.A.A.D. has never paid their portion for the 21 months I've been on the medication.

I asked for a rejection printout and she told me they couldn't do it because it will come out "APPROVED!!!" No name of who called. No printout. Just some ghost at CVS corporate.

To me, it's a problem between CVS and N.J.P.A.A.D. Part of my kidney transplant evaluation was to prove that I could get my anti-rejection meds paid for. I know of people with full time jobs and what they thought was "good" insurance, get denied transplant surgery even though they had a donor only because they couldn't get the meds paid for!

He wrote back this morning with an update:

P.A.A.D. tells me that CVS has been billing the entire amount instead of the 20%. P.A.A.D. will email CVS corporate and clear things right up! LOL I have 4 days of anti-rejection meds to hold me over.

(Photo: strangelv)

Fuze Slenderize
Advertising for Fuze Slenderize energy drinks was allegedly misleading consumers with claims that the drinks would cause appetite suppression and/or weight loss. (Consumerist was suspicious of Fuze's advertising claims years ago.) If you bought a Slenderize drink between July 16, 2004 and April 6, 2009 (July 16, 2002 and July 15, 2004 in New Jersey) You can claim for fewer than ten bottles without proof of purchase. Fill out the form here. Deadline: July 10, 2009.

T-Moble Early Termination Fees
If you were charged a flat-rate early termination fee instead of a prorated one when canceling your T-Mobile contract between July 23, 1999 and February 19, 2009, you're eligible. However, you're also eligible if you happened to be under a T-Mobile contract with a flat-rate ETF during that period, whether you canceled the contract or not. The claim form is located here. Deadline: September 25, 2009.

450 Prescription Drugs
The suit alleges price-fixing among major pharmaceutical companies, and consumers who paid cash (between 8/1/01 and 1/23/09) or percentage-based co-pays (between 8/1/01 and 3/15/05) for any of 450 name-brand drugs (PDF link) are eligible. Evidence such as receipts or a doctor's letter is recommended, but not required. Get the claim form for your class here. Deadline: July 9, 2009.

Bextra and Celebrex
The suit claims that Bextra (which is now off the market) and Celebrex were marketed in a way that was not consistent with their FDA approval. If you paid cash or a co-pay for Bextra or Celebrex before July 29, 2005, you're eligible to file a claim. Deadline: October 23, 2009

GE Microwaves (warning: site immediately plays video with sound)
A number of GE microwave owners have experienced scary, scary problems with their appliances, including control panel failures, arcing, fires, pet deaths, property damage, and the microwaves turn themselves on for no reason. They are looking for other people who have experienced similar problems and are interested in a class action suit.

(Thanks to Top Class Actions for some of this info, and our lovely readers for the rest!)

(Photo: muffet)

He wrote, in part:

I don't know how many people are affected by this, but I bet quite a few. I'm certainly annoyed by it. I've been taking Prozac for years. I remember how nice it was the day it went generic (fluoxetine hcl) and my prescription drug insurance cost went way down. It's been generic for a long time now.

United Health Care has a three tiered prescription drug program. Tier 1 for generics (the cheapest, was $8 now $10 for 30 days supply), Tier 2 for name brand ($25) and Tier 3 for optional stuff like Viagra ($40). That was how it used to be defined anyway. Now it seems they can put any drug in any tier they want. As of last August my generic Prozac went from Tier 1 to Tier 2. I asked them why and they just said that sometimes drugs change tiers.

As many people take this, I'm surprised there hasn't been more of a backlash. I used to have 2 generic Tier1 prescriptions and one name brand Tier 2 (Lipitor), for a total of $41 per month. (8+8+25). Now I have two Tier 2 and one Tier 1 for a total of $60 per month (10+25+25).

It just makes me mad that they are so greedy.

We don't normally have time to answer every question on the tipline, but I had some extra time that day. So I wrote B. back, telling him about the $4 generics program at Wal-Mart, Target, and some other stores. I remembered seeing fluoxetine on the list, and behold, there it was. I advised him to fill his prescription at Wal-Mart without using his insurance card.

A few weeks later, he wrote back:

I just want to thank you for your reply. I was not aware of the deals available at Wal-Mart on fluoxetine and triamterene/HCTZ, both of which I use. Now, instead of paying $33.99/month for these two items thru my United Health Care prescription drug plan, I can pay $20 every 3 months by not using any insurance at all! It turns out that even though the fluoxetine is a $25 Tier 2 UHC drug, Walgreens "only charges $23.99 for it because that's how much they sell it for". So they save me $1.01 and think I should thank them.

I've been thinking about it since, though. It's been a few years since I've filled a prescription with an insurance card. I remember Target charging me just the $4 generic cost instead of my $10 co-pay, I wasn't sure whether Wal-Mart and other stores had this policy, and even whether it was still done that way, so I advised him not to use his insurance.

Have you switched to a store that carries $4 generics since stores started this policy?

(Photo: jm3)

The FDA says, in a letter to General Mills:

Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios® Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease.

The letter continues on to say that Cheerios "may not be legally marketed with the above claims in the United States without an approved new drug application."

Is it wrong that we desperately want to read such an application?

FDA Warns General Mills: Cheerios Is a Drug [WSJ]
(Photo:Superchou)

Wikileaks reports that the Web site for the Virginia Prescription Monitoring Program was defaced last week with a message claiming that the database of prescriptions had been bundled into an encrypted, password-protected file.

[...]

Whitley Ryals said the state discovered the intrusion on April 30, after which time it shut down Web site site access to dozens of pages serving the Department of Health Professions. The state also has temporarily discontinued e-mail to and from the department pending the outcome of a security audit, Whitley Ryals said.

Here's the full text of the ransom. Why can't hackers be a bit more elegant and well spoken in a James Bond Villain sort of way?

ATTENTION VIRGINIA

I have your shit! In *my* possession, right now, are 8,257,378 patient records and a total of 35,548,087 prescriptions. Also, I made an encrypted backup and deleted the original. Unfortunately for Virginia, their backups seem to have gone missing, too. Uhoh :(

For $10 million, I will gladly send along the password. You have 7 days to decide. If by the end of 7 days, you decide not to pony up, I'll go ahead and put this baby out on the market and accept the highest bid. Now I don't know what all this shit is worth or who would pay for it, but I'm bettin' someone will. Hell, if I can't move the prescription data at the very least I can find a buyer for the personal data (name,age,address,social security #, driver's license #).

Now I hear tell the Fucking Bunch of Idiots ain't fond of payin out, but I suggest that policy be turned right the fuck around. When you boys get your act together, drop me a line at hackingforprofit@yahoo.com and we can discuss the details such as account number, etc.

Until then, have a wonderful day, I know I will ;)

"Hackers Break Into Virginia Health Professions Database, Demand Ransom" [Washington Post via Slashdot] (Thanks to Chris!)
"Over 8M Virginian patient records held to ransom, 30 Apr 2009" [Wikileaks]
(Goblin statue: tanakawho)

I recently switched doctors because I didn't like the first random doctor I picked after moving to Austin last year. My prescriptions from that doctor had one renewal left on them at the Costco pharmacy. My new doctor said if I had Costco fax him for refills, he'd have them all changed over to him, since he'd done my bloodwork already and determined that those prescriptions were fine to continue.

I phoned Costco and asked them to switch the prescriptions to the new doctor. They said it would be no problem, just to give them a few days to process it. I had planned for that anyway.

So at the end of that week I picked up the prescriptions while shopping at Costco with my family. As usual, I glanced at the list to make sure they were the right drugs. However, what I didn't notice then - and actually didn't notice until three days later when I went to use one - was that one of them was the right drug, wrong dosage. It was the 15mg version but I'm on the 30mg version. Of course, it was the brand-name, no-generic-available one so I'd paid the bigger $30 copay.

I phoned Costco the next morning and explained the problem to the pharmacist. I figured that since I had signed for the pickup and then taken three days to notice the error, that they'd a) tell me it was my new doctor's fault and to call him myself, and b) too bad on the $30. I was wrong! The Costco pharmacist was extremely pleasant and helpful. He could see that they had faxed the request properly to the doctor, but said that the electronic prescription filing system my doctor uses (which is apparently a big national one) is highly prone to errors, and that the doctor had probably clicked on the wrong dosage in a list of choices. The pharmacist went on to say that they have tons of problems with that system, from wrong dosages like this to wrong directions to even the wrong patients with same or similar names. He said the system is set up in a way that makes errors easy.

But instead of telling me to go call my doctor, he said he'd take care of it for me. He said he'd fax the doctor again with a partial record to show that I had been on the 30mg for some time, and that he'd call me when he heard back from the doctor. He said if the doctor wouldn't fix it, then I'd have to deal with them directly, but otherwise he'd take care of everything.

Since moving to the US from Canada 9 years ago, I've become sadly used to having to chase down medical/insurance problems all the time, spending hours on the phone at times just to resolve the most basic billing problems. I can't fully express what it meant to me, even in this small instance, to have someone else say they'd handle it for me.

Happily, the doctor quickly replied to the pharmacist with the right dosage. I brought in the wrong pills and the receipt. They did the exchange at no cost to me at all.

Costco really stepped up to the plate for me on this. They took care of the hassle and the money when they didn't have to do either. It may not have been a particularly dire issue, but it made me a very happy customer. I really shouldn't be surprised, since we've had consistently excellent customer service from all departments at Costco, both here in Austin and when we lived in Las Vegas. Clearly, discount prices doesn't have to mean discount service!

PS to Consumerist readers: if your doctor uses electronic prescription filing, be sure to check everything carefully! And don't count on it being quick; I had to wait 18 hours once before a basic antibiotic prescription made it through the system because of backlog on a busy Monday when lots of prescriptions are sent in to the system.

(Photo: CarbonNYC)

I am stunned by what happened to me with Walgreens. I moved to a new town and needed a prescription and decided to go to Walgreens. I was pretty unfamiliar with the process for having a prescription filled and I received excellent service from the pharmacist. They answered all my questions and made sure I understood the precautions with taking the prescription.

That was all well and good but today, about a month later, I got something in the mail from Walgreens. It was a HAND-WRITTEN card written and signed directly by the pharmacy manager. It said "Thank you for choosing Walgreens for your recent prescription. We hope you will continue to use Walgreens for all your pharmacy needs." She included her card and a Walgreens magnet. I was extremely impressed with this nice gesture and I absolutely will use Walgreens in the future for my prescription needs.

We don't want to bring you down from your up-with-people high, but pharmacists pretty much have to explain how to take the drugs, Mike. However, the hand-written note is a really nice touch.

(Photo: freddthompson)

"Dream Lover" [Slate]
(Photo: Martin Kingsley)

The study doesn't disprove that inflammation may be a factor in Alzheimer's, just that NSAIDs don't seem to be preventive. As for any earlier studies that suggested the drugs helped, one expert says they were probably biased by the test groups:

Duke aging expert Murali Doraiswamy says that the latest results aren't a revelation to him and that previous trials evaluating Vioxx, aspirin and prednisone, among other anti-inflammatory medications, did not show reduced risks cognitive decline. "Any benefits noted in prior studies were likely due to an epiphenomenon - the people taking NSAIDS were younger, healthier and better educated, all of which biased the results."

You can read about the details of the study here.

"Anti-inflammatory drugs don't cut dementia risk, they raise it" [USA Today]
(Photo: LoreleiRanveig)

MIRAPEX - for "Restless Leg Syndrome"
"...hallucinations may occur..."
"...increased gambling, sexual, or other overpowering urges..."




ABILIFY - bipolar disorder, schizophrenia
"coma or death...And trouble swallowing."




FLOMAX - decreases symptoms from having an enlarged prostate (mainly frequent urination)
* runny nose
* dizziness
* decrease in semen


ALLI - weight loss aid
"These changes may include gas with oily discharge, an increased number of bowel movements, an urgent need to have them, and an inability to control them."



VERAMYSYT - "treats allergy symptoms with a gentle fine mist that is scent-free."
"nasal sores, glaucoma, cataracts and nasal fungal infection"
More disturbingly, ads for Veramyst used to say, "The way VERAMYST works is not entirely understood."

ORTHO-NOVUM - birth control pill
"...benign but dangerous liver tumors. These benign liver tumors can rupture and cause fatal internal bleeding. In addition, some studies report an increased risk of developing liver cancer."



ADVAIR - asthma treatment
"asthma related death"





CHANTIX - anti-smoking aid
"Nausea, sleep disturbance, constipation, flatulence, and vomiting."

That doesn't sound so bad, except "sleep disturbance" is more like psychotic nightmares that persist even after you stop taking the pill. To wit:

By night four, my dreams began to take on characteristics of a David Cronenberg movie. Every time I'd drift off, I'd dream that an invisible, malevolent entity was emanating from my air conditioner, which seemed to be rattling even more than usual. I'd nap for twenty minutes or so before bolting awake with an involuntary gasp. I had the uneasy sense that I wasn't alone.

Did we mention the killing of yourslef? Another side effect is, "suicide ideation"

Like a spoiled teenager, I'd suddenly uproot drawers from the bureau, push all the belongings off shelves with a sudden swat of the arm, smash a glass against the wall, and then the crying would take over yet again. Meanwhile, the room seemed to be pulsing and reverberating around me, and my eye would keep zeroing in on objects-the television, the AC, a pair of shoes-and feel as though they were somehow buzzing with life and gleefully watching me endure the biggest meltdown I'd ever had. I had somehow ruined myself, and suicide seemed like a good way to avoid the embarrassment of this fact's being exposed.

This Is My Brain on Chantix [NY Mag]

ACCUTANE - acne
* depressed mood, trouble concentrating, sleep problems, crying spells, aggression or agitation, changes in behavior, hallucinations, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself;
* sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body;
* blurred vision, sudden and severe headache or pain behind your eyes, sometimes with vomiting;
* hearing problems, hearing loss, or ringing in your ears;
* seizure (convulsions);
* severe pain in your upper stomach spreading to your back, nausea and vomiting, fast heart rate;
* loss of appetite, dark urine, clay-colored stools, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes);
* severe diarrhea, rectal bleeding, black, bloody, or tarry stools;
* fever, chills, body aches, flu symptoms, purple spots under your skin, easy bruising or bleeding; or
* joint stiffness, bone pain or fracture.

But hey, at least you don't have pimples!

Undoubtedly we've missed some deservingly disturbing drugs. Rectify our omissions in the comments.

(Photo: Maddest Hatter)

That's right, Botox in your butt.

Now if someone could just figure out something useful for salmonella...

"So Botox Isn't Just Skin Deep " [New York Times]
(Photo: Sarah and Iain)

Pattie says:

Today I picked up my medication from CVS Pharmacy, it's something I've taken for a couple years now so I'm familiar with what the pills are supposed to look like. When I got home with the bottle of pills and went to take one, I found that they looked all wrong. My pills are blue oval pills and rather large. These pills were small round gold pills. It's written on the bottle what they are supposed to look like, and the bottle said, "blue oblong tablets." I have never noticed this description before but I now see (looking at old empty bottles) this has been on there for some time. I wonder how many other people don't read the description.

I returned to the pharmacy with the bottle of pills and the pharmacists seemed confused but not concerned or terribly apologetic. They did say they were sorry, but that did not explain to me how this happened. What if I couldn't see? I'd have taken these mystery pills and who knows what could have happened to me. Don't pharmacies have double check policies to make absolutely certain that what is in the bottle is the proper medication? How often does this happen?

It's hard to actually know how often this happens — because pharmacies are not required to report errors to any regulating agency.

A 2007 20/20 investigation found that "in more than one in five cases, chain pharmacies made some type of error in filling their prescriptions," which, of course, is totally terrifying.

ABC says that none of the errors that they found were as severe as yours, (they were never given the wrong medicine) but their report apparently saved someone's life. A mom saw the investigation and checked her son's meds — only to find out that he'd been on the wrong pills for three weeks.

Ramirez said she filled her son's prescription for a drug called Tegretol-XR, which was prescribed to treat her son's mental health problems, on March 15 at her local Walgreens. But her child's condition worsened, and his doctor told her to increase the dosage.

It was not until a friend suggested she view the recent ABC News "20/20" report on pharmacy errors on The Blotter on ABCNews.com that Ms. Ramirez thought to double-check the prescription.

To her horror, instead of Tegretol-XR, Walgreens had given her Toprol XL used to treat high blood pressure in adults.

Apparently, had this gone on for much longer, it might have been fatal.

So pharmacy errors happen. Drugs sound the same, doctors scribble, and pharmacists don't have magical bad handwriting deciphering powers. They're also human beings who make mistakes.

Consumer Reports Health has some tips for preventing pharmacy errors from harming you or your family. Check them out.

Prevent drug mix-ups [CR Health]
Results of the ABC News '20/20' Undercover Pharmacy Investigation [ABC News]
New Pharmacy Error Found at Walgreens [ABC News]
(Photo:Spidra Webster)

The program will last through the end of 2009, and is offered every weekday between 11am and 3pm. You can find the nearest clinic on this page. If you need cheap meds, check out Walmart's $4 Prescriptions Program to see if your drug is on their cheap list.

"Walgreen giving free care to jobless and uninsured" [Associated Press] (Thanks to Jesse!)
(Photo: simon_music)

Such "political considerations, delays and implausible justifications" showed that the F.D.A. had acted without good faith or reasoned decision making, Judge Korman wrote.

Susan F. Wood, a former F.D.A. director of women's health who resigned in 2005 to protest the handling of Plan B, said Monday that the judge's decision to send the drug back for reconsideration signaled hope of the agency's ability to act independently under a new administration.

There is a new chance to "restore the scientific integrity of the F.D.A.," said Ms. Wood, now a professor of public health at George Washington University.

The FDA, which said it was "reviewing the ruling," has 30 days to comply with the judge's order.

Contraception Pill Strictures Are Eased by a Judge [The New York Times]
PREVIOUSLY: FDA Says Plan B Causes Teen Sex Cults