New drug approved for treating addicts
Primary care doctors soon will be able to treat a new patient population: drug addicts. Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced approval of the drug buprenorphine, which can be prescribed by primary care physicians to treat people addicted to heroin and other opiates.
( By Katherine Spitz, Beacon Journal medical writer, 10/16/2002 08:49 AM PDT)

Pfizer 'Cautiously Optimistic' on Viagra for Women
Pfizer said on Wednesday it was "cautiously optimistic" about the chances of developing a female version of Viagra following study results showing the drug can help women who have difficulty becoming sexually aroused.
( BY RICHARD WOODMAN, Reuters, 10/16/2002 12:38 PM PDT)

Generic Coupon Program in Michigan Saves Money
An experiment aimed at enticing health plan members to give generics a try has saved Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan $3 for every $1 spent on the program.
( BY KAREN PALLARITO, Reuters, 10/16/2002 09:17 AM PDT)

Court rules against generic Prilosec
A federal court ruling Friday boosted a drug company's efforts to block generic versions of its blockbuster heartburn drug Prilosec.
( THERESA AGOVINO, AP Business Writer, 10/14/2002 06:57 AM PDT)

Insurer OKs foreign drugs via AARP
The country's biggest health insurer has informed members of the senior citizens lobbying group AARP that it will reimburse them for prescriptions filled in Canada and elsewhere abroad.
( THERESA AGOVINO, AP Business Writer, 10/14/2002 07:00 AM PDT)

Doctors Switching Drugs Due to Cost Decisions
Doctors across America sometimes switch patients off of popular brand-name prescription drugs for reasons that have little to do with how their patients are responding to particular products, survey data suggest.
( BY KAREN PALLARITO, Reuters, 10/14/2002 07:55 AM PDT)

Feds Nix Menopause Treatment Patch
Schering AG, the No.1 maker of birth-control pills, said Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has rejected its application for approval of a patch to treat menopause symptoms.
( 10/11/2002 07:27 AM PDT)

Watch expiration date, heed directions on over-the-counter drugs
Q. My acetaminophen bottle has an expiration date of November 2002. Does that mean the tablets become totally useless on Nov. 1? A. It's not that sudden and dramatic. But there is no assurance that drug products held past their expiration dates are safe and effective.
( 10/10/2002 07:51 AM PDT)

Bold moves needed to protect public from dangerous pharmacies
Pharmacy professionals and regulators never want to see another year like 2001.
( By DONNA McGUIRE and MARK MORRIS, The Kansas City Star, 10/08/2002 07:10 AM PDT)