Researchers at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver looked at sales figures and prices for the blood thinner Plavix after direct-to-consumer advertising started in 2001. What they found was that the campaign was largely ineffective at increasing prescribing rates, but that the price of the drug shot up 12% almost immediately to cover the cost of the marketing campaign. [More]
Pharma Medicine
Will This Vaccine Cure Smoking?
By 11.24.09
Meet NicVax, the opposite of the cool kids at the bus stop in 7th grade who got you to try a cigarette for the first time. [More]
Target's Reality Vortex Expands To Walgreens
By 11.15.09
Stephanie sent us this photo from her local Walgreens. Have they been taking lessons in pricing from Target? Sure, MSRP is is merely a suggestion, but this is a rather obvious case.
Selling Expired Products: CVS To Pay $875,000 Settlement
By 11.12.09
The NY AG’s office says that CVS will pay an $875,000 settlement to end legal action against them over the sale of “expired products – including over-the-counter drugs, baby formula, milk, and eggs – at stores across New York State.”
Target Pays New Jersey $375K To Settle Fraud Charges
By 11.10.09
Target has agreed to pay New Jersey $375,000 to settle charges that it sold baby formula and non-prescription drugs that had expired, and that it charged higher prices on some products than what was displayed on the shelves.
Top 10 Crappiest CEOs (According To Their Employees)
By 10.27.09
Glassdoor released its report of the 50 lowest-rated CEOs as determined by employee reviews on its site. I scractched out all the companies you don’t care about and ended up with this list of the 10 Crappiest CEOs (of consumer-facing compaines) (according to their employees)…
Brooke Shields Has Hypotrichosis
By 10.27.09
Oh no! Brooke Shields used to have stringy, stick-figure eyelashes! I figured this out after watching Consumer Reports’ video dissection of a new commercial for Latisse, the glaucoma medication that has been rebranded as an expensive, temporary eyelash enhancer with side effects.
Greenbacks For Green Bags At CVS
By 10.17.09
Many stores offer discounts to customers who bring their own reusable bags to shop. Now, CVS is integrating their customer loyalty program with a green initiative, and plans to reward customers with 25 cents every time they use reusable bags.
Coupon Ninja Spends $5 For $91.97 Of Merchandise
By 10.8.09
Sure, not everyone has the time, inclination, or buying habits that make extreme coupon-shopping worthwhile. But everyone can benefit from learning some of the proud secrets of the coupon ninjas, such as coupon sources for products you probably already use, and combining sales, rebates, and coupons.
Excreted Tamiflu Found In Rivers; Flu-Resistant Superbirds Coming Soon
By 10.2.09
You know all that delicious Tamiflu we humans have been taking in order to reduce our suffering as various strains of regular, swine, and bird flu fly around the globe? Yeah, um, turns out that it doesn’t break down in our bodies and can’t be removed by water treatment plants. The combination of Tamiflu-polluted waters and wild birds may result in resistant strains of avian flu.
Find Flu Shot, Cheap Generics With Medtipster
By 9.29.09
Medtipster is a website that locates nearby sources of discount generic versions of prescription drugs, as well as flu and other immunization shots. You enter the drug (or shot) you’re looking for and your zip code and it spits out a list of nearby pharmacies. Currently they don’t list H1N1 vaccination sources, but they say they’re going to add that info as soon as it becomes available.
Grandmother Arrested For Buying Cold Medicine Twice In One Week
By 9.29.09
Last March, Sally Harpold bought a box of Zyrtec-D cold medicine for her husband, then a few days later bought a box of Mucinex-D cold medicine for her grown daughter. That put her over the limit for how much pseudoephedrine-laced cold meds you can buy in a week in her small Indiana town, so she was arrested along with 16 other potential meth makers earlier this month.
Great Deal At CVS
By 9.29.09
Reader Evan spotted this smoking deal at a Los Angeles CVS. He didn’t specify what exactly a “CVS HLTH GRO THPST” is, but at that spectacular discount, who could pass one up? I’ll tell you who — those wise consumers who hold fast until the price drops even further, to $3.19.
Tylenol Voluntarily Recalls Children's Medicines
By 9.25.09
Concerned about bacterial contamination, Tylenol is recalling certain children’s liquid medication products manufactured during a certain period in 2008. While the risk of infection is low when the medicines are ingested, still: eww, bacteria.
Keep Track Of Your Prescriptions With This Free App
By 9.10.09
If you have to take meds, you know that one of the big issues is watching out for potential drug interactions—the last thing you want is to pass out at the supermarket from uncontrollable flatulence and a sudden onset of glaucoma. Consumer Reports has developed My Medication Tracker, a free desktop app that lets you privately keep a record of your medication history (and related costs), as well as watch out for potential interactions.
What's In Your Herbal Remedies and Supplements?
By 9.8.09
In the wake of FDA warnings about steroids in nutritional supplements, federal officials are studying ways to improve safety in dietary supplements. Mean time, we’ve got a few consumer tips for those of you who take supplements, courtesy of the Wall Street Journal:
Got Side Effects From Drugs? Report Them To the FDA
By 9.8.09
Over the past few years, the numbers of recalled pharmaceuticals has grown as new drugs are rushed to market before their safety is proven. Want to help improve drug safety? If you experience any serious side-effects from pharmaceutical or suspect drug interactions be sure to report these instances to the FDA. Here’s how:
You Can Make Your Own Liquid Tamiflu At Home
G.’s young son was recently ill with H1N1, but no pharmacy in the city where he lives had liquid Tamiflu in stock. (Even the federal government released its stockpile not long ago.) He writes that nearly every pharmacy he called turned him down. Then he learned that the liquid can be made from Tamiflu capsules by pharmacists, or even by parents at home. Why didn’t the pharmacy staff, or his doctor, tell him this?