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		<dc:creator>Drugs.com</dc:creator>
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		<dc:rights>Copyright 2013 Drugs.com</dc:rights>
		<link>http://www.drugs.com/answers/support-group/darvocet-a500/blog/</link>
		<title>Darvocet A500 Blog Posts - Drugs.com</title>
		<description>The latest blog posts from the Darvocet A500 support group brought to you by Drugs.com Answers.</description>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/erectile-dysfunction-tied-long-term-narcotic-men-44558.html</link>
			<title>Erectile Dysfunction Tied to Long-Term Narcotic Use in Men</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
WEDNESDAY, May 15 -- If you&#039;re a man, the pain-killing medications known as opioids may do more than relieve pain -- they may also put a damper on your sex life. A new study found that men who were prescribed medications for erectile dysfunction or low testosterone levels were more likely to be taking opioid (narcotic) medications for chronic back pain. &#34;People who have persistent pain problems need to know that a potential side effect of long-term opioid use may be erectile dysfunction,&#34; said lead study author Dr. Richard Deyo, a clinical investigator for the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore. &#34;This is not a well-known potential side effect among patients, and it should be considered when thinking about treatment.&#34; Deyo also noted,...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 19:24:00 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/know-s-your-child-s-fda-warns-43687.html</link>
			<title>Know What&#039;s in Your Child&#039;s Medications, FDA Warns</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
SUNDAY, March 17 -- It&#039;s the time of year when cold season and allergy season overlap, and parents need to know the active ingredients in the medicines they give their children for these conditions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns.
Taking more than one medicine at a time could cause serious health problems if the drugs have the same active ingredient, which is the component that makes the medicine effective against a particular condition.
For over-the-counter products, active ingredients are listed first on a medicine&#039;s Drug Facts label. For prescription medicines, active ingredients are listed in a patient package insert or consumer information sheet provided by the pharmacist, the FDA said.
Many medicines have just one active ingredient. But combination...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Sun, 17 Mar 2013 17:20:23 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/neurology-group-lists-procedures-may-unneeded-43541.html</link>
			<title>Neurology Group Lists Procedures That May Be Unneeded</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
FRIDAY, March 8 -- Five tests, procedures and treatments that neurologists and their patients should question are outlined in a list released by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) as part of the Choosing Wisely campaign.
&#34;With one in six people affected by a brain disease, such as headache, multiple sclerosis and stroke, our goal is to have patients discuss our Choosing Wisely recommendations regarding medical procedures, therapies, and tests with their neurologists,&#34; AAN president Dr. Bruce Sigsbee said in an academy news release.
The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation-led Choosing Wisely campaign involves about 35 medical specialty groups and is intended to encourage patients and doctors to discuss appropriate care while avoiding unnecessary tests and...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:11:54 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/program-spot-painkiller-ods-saves-lives-study-42882.html</link>
			<title>Program to Spot Painkiller ODs Saves Lives: Study</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
FRIDAY, Feb. 1 -- Teaching people how to recognize and respond to prescription painkiller overdoses could significantly reduce the number of overdose deaths, a new study suggests.
Overdoses of these powerful opioid drugs are a major cause of emergency hospital admissions and preventable deaths in many countries. Opioids include hydrocodone (brand name Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine and codeine.
Since 2005, Massachusetts has had more opioid-related overdose deaths than motor vehicle deaths, so the state introduced several strategies to tackle the problem, including training drug users, their families and friends, and potential bystanders to prevent, recognize and respond to opioid overdoses.
The participants in the overdose education and naloxone distribution...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Fri, 01 Feb 2013 19:54:44 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/doubling-up-cold-flu-remedies-may-harm-liver-42842.html</link>
			<title>Doubling Up on Cold, Flu Remedies May Harm Liver</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 30 -- Taking too much acetaminophen, an active ingredient in many commonly used drugs for fever and pain relief, including Tylenol, can cause liver damage, experts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warn.
People suffering from a cold or the flu may be tempted to take a combination of medicines to treat several symptoms. Used correctly, acetaminophen can be safe and effective. More than 600 prescription and over-the-counter medications contain acetaminophen, however, and doubling up on these remedies can be dangerous, the FDA cautioned. Complicating matters, signs of an acetaminophen overdose may not become apparent for days.
&#34;If you&#039;re taking more than one medicine at a time, you may be putting yourself at risk for liver damage,&#34; Dr. Fathia Gibril, a...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2013 18:38:43 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/parents-not-worried-kids-pain-meds-poll-42767.html</link>
			<title>Parents Not Too Worried About Kids&#039; Use of Pain Meds: Poll</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
SATURDAY, Jan. 26 -- Many American parents are not very concerned about the misuse of narcotic pain medicines by children and teens, despite the fact that rates of abuse and overdoses involving these drugs are rising in all age groups, a new survey finds.
The number of drug overdose deaths attributed to narcotic pain medicines such as Vicodin or Oxycontin is greater than overdose deaths from heroin and cocaine combined, according to national data.
The survey, conducted last September, included over 1,300 parents with children aged 5 to 17. Among the participants, the investigators found that only 35 percent of parents were very concerned about the misuse of narcotic pain medicines by children and teens in their communities, and only 19 percent were very concerned about the misuse of...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:02:50 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/fda-panel-weighs-tougher-restrictions-some-painkillers-42724.html</link>
			<title>FDA Panel Weighs Tougher Restrictions on Some Prescription Painkillers</title>
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THURSDAY, Jan. 24 -- A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel will meet Thursday and Friday to discuss the fate of certain painkillers that contain an opioid known as hydrocodone.
At issue is whether to reclassify some of these drugs -- which include the commonly prescribed Vicodin (hydrocodone plus acetaminophen) -- into a higher category of danger for misuse or abuse. Other opioid painkillers, such as Oxycontin and Percocet, are already classified in that higher category.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration requested that an FDA advisory panel undertake the review; currently the drugs are classified as Schedule III drugs but the agency wants them placed within the more tightly controlled Schedule II designation. The FDA is not required to follow the recommendations of...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:04:17 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/blood-disorder-cases-tied-painkiller-abuse-42494.html</link>
			<title>Blood Disorder Cases Tied to Prescription Painkiller Abuse</title>
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THURSDAY, Jan. 10 -- Tennessee health officials report cases of a rare blood-clotting problem among people who injected the painkiller Opana ER (extended release) after crushing pills meant to be taken by mouth.
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a disorder that causes blood clots to form in small blood vessels around the body and is usually seen in about one in 100,000 people. From August to October, however, there were 15 cases seen in Tennessee. All were associated with intravenous drug abuse, with 14 specifically related to Opana ER.
&#34;I don&#039;t think anybody has a figure for the percentage of people who are crushing these drugs to inject them; nobody really knows how commonly people do that,&#34; said Dr. Leonard Paulozzi, a medical epidemiologist at the U.S....
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jan 2013 19:38:31 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/prescription-painkillers-trail-only-marijuana-abuse-rates-report-shows-42486.html</link>
			<title>Prescription Painkillers Trail Only Marijuana in Abuse Rates, Report Shows</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
THURSDAY, Jan. 10 -- Prescription painkillers are second only to marijuana when it comes to drug abuse, a new government report claims.
Some 22 million Americans have misused prescription painkillers since 2002, according to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
&#34;Any time you have 2 percent of the population using medications like this there is a lot to do, but we are doing a lot with a combination of putting tighter controls on who can get these drugs and public education,&#34; said Peter Delany, director of SAMHSA&#039;s Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.
Also, programs such as the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, which allows doctors to track patients who may be getting painkillers from several sources, has helped get...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:31:56 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/fda-issues-draft-guidance-abuse-deterrent-opioids-42466.html</link>
			<title>FDA issues draft guidance on abuse-deterrent opioids</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
January 9, 2013 -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a draft guidance document to assist industry in developing new formulations of opioid drugs with abuse-deterrent properties.
 
The document &#8220;Guidance for Industry: Abuse-Deterrent Opioids &#8211; Evaluation and Labeling,&#8221; explains the FDA&#8217;s current thinking about the studies that should be conducted to demonstrate that a given formulation has abuse-deterrent properties, how those studies will be evaluated by the agency, and what labeling claims may be approved based on the results of those studies.
 
&#8220;The FDA is extremely concerned about the inappropriate use of prescription opioids, which is a major public health challenge for our nation,&#8221; said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg,...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:56:26 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/painkiller-abuse-kids-way-up-study-finds-40980.html</link>
			<title>Painkiller Abuse by Kids Way Up, Study Finds</title>
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WEDNESDAY, Oct. 17 -- The rate of prescription painkiller abuse among American youth is 40 percent higher than in previous generations, and it is now the second most common type of illegal drug use after marijuana, according to a new study.
The current generation&#039;s abuse of prescription pain medications such as vicodin, valium and oxycontin is &#34;higher than any generation ever measured,&#34; study author Richard Miech, a professor of sociology at the University of Colorado, Denver, said in a university news release.
The researchers analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 1985 to 2009, and found that prescription painkiller abuse led to:

A 129 percent increase in emergency department visits between 2004 and 2009.
A more than 500 percent increase in...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Wed, 17 Oct 2012 19:01:27 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/doctor-shopping-tied-fatal-overdoses-40370.html</link>
			<title>&#039;Doctor Shopping&#039; Tied to Fatal Prescription Drug Overdoses</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 -- People who visit multiple doctors and pharmacies to get medications are at greater risk of dying from a prescription drug overdose, according to a new study.
Drug-monitoring programs might help identify patients who engage in what&#039;s known as &#34;doctor shopping&#34; or &#34;pharmacy shopping,&#34; the researchers said.
&#34;These programs currently exist in most states, and efforts are under way to create one large program that would compile the controlled-substance prescription data from all participating states,&#34; Marie Abate, a professor at the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy and faculty affiliate in the university&#039;s Injury Control Center, said in a university news release.
One such program, the West Virginia Controlled Substance...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Sun, 16 Sep 2012 19:39:54 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/teens-drink-smoke-more-likely-abuse-painkillers-later-study-39942.html</link>
			<title>Teens Who Drink, Smoke More Likely to Abuse Painkillers Later: Study</title>
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TUESDAY, Aug. 21 -- Teenagers who smoke or drink are two to three times more likely to abuse prescription painkillers later on in life, new research shows.
Researchers from Yale University analyzed information collected from young adults aged 18 to 25 from the 2006-2008 U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
About 12 percent of the young adults surveyed said they currently abused prescription opioids. Of those, 57 percent had abused alcohol as teens; 56 percent smoked cigarettes and 34 percent used marijuana.
About 3.5 million young adults abuse prescription opioids, &#34;and this number is growing,&#34; study lead author Dr. Lynn Fiellin, associate professor of medicine at Yale, said in a university news release.
Gender was also associated with risk of opioid abuse, the...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Tue, 21 Aug 2012 18:29:00 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/teach-prescribers-dangers-long-acting-pain-meds-fda-39164.html</link>
			<title>Teach Prescribers About Dangers of Long-Acting Pain Meds: FDA</title>
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MONDAY, July 9 -- As part of its efforts to curb the abuse of narcotic painkillers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is requiring drug makers to educate doctors about the risks of long-acting and extended-release forms of the drugs.
&#34;Prescription-drug abuse is our nation&#039;s fastest-growing drug problem,&#34; FDA commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg said during a Monday afternoon press conference.
Commonly prescribed drugs that come in longer-acting forms include oxycodone, morphine and fentanyl.
The continuing-education programs will be based on FDA-created blueprints. The agency expects the more than 20 companies that make these drugs to provide grants to firms that specialize in medical continuing education. These firms will, in turn, develop and administer the programs...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:09:05 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/tylenol-overdose-can-deadly-child-38637.html</link>
			<title>Tylenol Overdose Can Be Deadly for a Child</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
FRIDAY, June 8 -- Overdoses of the pain and fever drug acetaminophen (brand name Tylenol) are a leading cause of acute liver failure in children, and more public education is needed to warn parents and others of this danger, experts say.
Acetaminophen is a widely available over-the-counter medication, but repeated doses above the recommended level, or overdoses due to errors or intentional consumption, can lead to acute liver failure and even death in children, according to Dr. Rod Lim, of the Children&#039;s Hospital at the London Health Sciences Center in Ontario, Canada, and colleagues.
Writing in the June 4 issue of the Canadian Medical Association Journal, they cite a case study of parents who mistakenly gave their 22-day-old baby boy too much acetaminophen after a circumcision....
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jun 2012 21:27:31 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/many-americans-much-acetaminophen-38516.html</link>
			<title>Many Americans Taking Too Much Acetaminophen</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
FRIDAY, June 1 -- Many U.S. adults are at risk for overdosing on over-the-counter pain relievers containing acetaminophen, according to a new study.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is the most commonly used over-the-counter pain medication in the United States, and acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure, according to researchers from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill..
The researchers interviewed 500 adult patients at outpatient general medicine clinics in Atlanta and Chicago. More than half had used acetaminophen in the past six months and 19 percent said they were heavy users, which means they took acetaminophen every day or a couple of times a week.
The study authors then assessed whether the patients understood the recommended dosage of acetaminophen...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Sat, 02 Jun 2012 01:48:50 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/patients-may-receive-much-acetaminophen-hospital-38354.html</link>
			<title>Patients May Receive Too Much Acetaminophen in Hospital</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
WEDNESDAY, May 23 -- Roughly 2.5 percent of admitted hospital patients may receive more than the safe daily cumulative dose of the pain-reliever acetaminophen, best known as Tylenol, on at least one day, according to a new U.S. study.
Patients on more than one drug containing acetaminophen often consume more than the recommended 4 grams per day of the drug, the researchers from Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia found.
Together, two tablets of extra-strength Tylenol contain 1 gram of acetaminophen, commonly used to relieve pain and reduce fever.
Over the course of two years, researchers led by Dr. Jesse Civan examined 46,000 hospital admissions and the medications those patients were given. They found that on at least one day of hospitalization, roughly 1,100 patients...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Wed, 23 May 2012 18:01:26 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/kids-most-likely-start-abusing-painkillers-16-study-38049.html</link>
			<title>Kids Most Likely to Start Abusing Painkillers at 16: Study</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
MONDAY, May 7 -- Among U.S. adolescents, misuse of prescription painkillers peaks at age 16, earlier than thought, a new large survey analysis reveals.
&#34;What our findings suggest is that if we wait until the last year of high school or college to take some kind of action that could prevent the misuse of opioid painkillers, it&#039;ll be a case of too little, too late,&#34; cautioned study co-author James Anthony, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the department of epidemiology and biostatistics at Michigan State University in East Lansing.
Many experts consider &#34;extramedical&#34; painkiller abuse -- taking pain drugs such as OxyContin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone) to get high rather than to relieve extreme pain -- the country&#039;s most serious drug...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Mon, 07 May 2012 20:20:09 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/u-s-sees-tripling-babies-born-addicted-painkillers-37902.html</link>
			<title>U.S. Sees Tripling of Babies Born Addicted to Painkillers</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
MONDAY, April 30 -- About one baby an hour is born addicted to powerful painkillers called opiates in the United States, a new study shows.
The number of infants born with a drug withdrawal syndrome called neonatal abstinence syndrome tripled between 2000 and 2009, jumping to more than 13,000, according to a study published online April 30 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
At the same time, use of prescription painkillers such as oxycodone (OxyContin) by mothers-to-be increased fivefold, the researchers noted.
&#34;This is becoming a big problem and affecting newborns at an alarmingly high and increasing rate,&#34; said study author Dr. Stephen W. Patrick, a fellow in the University of Michigan&#039;s division of neonatal-perinatal medicine in Ann Arbor.
Babies with...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:54:00 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/another-back-day-scheduled-saturday-37827.html</link>
			<title>Another Drug &#039;Take-Back Day&#039; Scheduled for Saturday</title>
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THURSDAY, April 26 -- The fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says.
The event gives Americans an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs.
At the third Take-Back Day last October, participants turned in more than 377,000 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications at more than 5,300 sites located in all 50 states.
In total, the three Take-Back Days have taken in nearly 1 million pounds of prescription drugs during the past 13 months.
&#34;The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:39:25 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/seniors-long-term-strong-painkillers-concern-36927.html</link>
			<title>Seniors&#039; Long-Term Use of Strong Painkillers a Concern</title>
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MONDAY, March 12 -- Older patients prescribed narcotic painkiller drugs, such as codeine or oxycodone, soon after short-stay surgery are at increased risk of becoming long-term users, a new study finds.
Canadian researchers looked at data from almost 400,000 patients aged 66 and older who had short-stay surgery for cataracts, gallbladder removal, prostate tissue removal or varicose vein stripping.
Of those patients, almost 28,000 (more than 7 percent) were prescribed narcotic painkillers, also called opioids, within seven days after hospital discharge. More than 30,000 (nearly 8 percent) were prescribed opioids one year after surgery. Almost 3,000 (more than 10 percent) of patients from both groups were identified as long-term opioid users one year after surgery.
Patients who received...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:30:25 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/drug-free-housing-helps-heroin-oxycontin-addicts-recover-36700.html</link>
			<title>Drug-Free Housing Helps Heroin, Oxycontin Addicts Recover</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
TUESDAY, Feb. 28 -- Drug-free recovery housing and day treatment programs greatly improve the chances that those addicted to opioids who have gone through detoxification will be able to kick the habit, a new study shows.
Opioid abuse includes both the use of illegal drugs such as heroin and the nonmedical use of prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet.
Opioid addicts seeking treatment typically start with detoxification, but relapse rates within a month of undergoing detox as a standalone treatment are between 65 percent and 80 percent, according to background information in the study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine researchers.
They found that opioid addicts who were provided with drug-free recovery housing and day treatment programs after...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:07:56 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/hard-middle-age-could-prove-fatal-study-finds-36266.html</link>
			<title>Hard Drug Use in Middle Age Could Prove Fatal, Study Finds</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
FRIDAY, Feb. 3 -- People who start using hard drugs -- such as cocaine, opiates and amphetamines -- as young adults and continue to use them into their 50s have a fivefold increased risk of early death, researchers report.
The finding is from an analysis of hard drug use among 4,300 U.S. adults who took part in a long-term study of cardiovascular disease and risk factors. The participants, including blacks, whites, men and women, were recruited when they were 18 to 30 years of age and followed from 1985 to 2006.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers compared those who stopped drug use early in life to those who continued, and calculated their risk of premature death.
&#34;Fourteen percent of the people in the study reported recent hard-drug use at least once, and of...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:59:29 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/too-much-acetaminophen-over-time-may-damage-liver-35009.html</link>
			<title>Too Much Acetaminophen Over Time May Damage Liver</title>
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TUESDAY, Nov. 22 -- Taking slightly too much of the pain reliever acetaminophen (best known by the brand name Tylenol) over time can lead to an overdose that can cause liver failure and death, according to a new study.
These &#34;staggered overdoses&#34; can occur when people have ongoing pain and repeatedly take a little more acetaminophen than they should, explained Dr. Kenneth Simpson, author of the study, published Nov. 22 in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology.
&#34;They haven&#039;t taken the sort of single-moment, one-off massive overdoses taken by people who try to commit suicide, but over time the damage builds up, and the effect can be fatal,&#34; Simpson said in a journal news release.
He and his colleagues analyzed data from 663 patients with acetaminophen-induced...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Tue, 22 Nov 2011 21:25:28 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/older-er-patients-less-likely-pain-meds-data-shows-34910.html</link>
			<title>Older ER Patients Less Likely to Get Pain Meds, Data Shows</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 -- Elderly patients are less likely than middle-aged patients to receive pain medications in U.S. hospital emergency departments, even when they have severe pain.
That&#039;s the finding of researchers who analyzed data collected from U.S. emergency departments between 2003 and 2009.
Among patients with a primary complaint of pain, an analgesic (such as morphine, oxycodone or ibuprofen) was given to 49 percent of patients 75 and older, and 68 percent of patients aged 35 to 54.
An opioid (such as morphine or oxycodone) was given to about 35 percent of elderly patients and 49 percent of middle-aged patients, the investigators found.
Age-related differences in the use of pain medications remained even after the researchers adjusted for factors such as sex,...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 Nov 2011 19:52:37 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/experts-debate-tylenol-s-safety-asthmatic-kids-34724.html</link>
			<title>Experts Debate Tylenol&#039;s Safety for Asthmatic Kids</title>
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MONDAY, Nov. 7 -- Taken in the proper dose, acetaminophen has long been considered one of the safest over-the-counter medications. It&#039;s approved for use in children, and many obstetricians are even OK with its use during pregnancy.
But an Ohio pediatrician thinks it&#039;s time to rein in use of acetaminophen -- more popularly known as Tylenol -- particularly in people with asthma.
&#34;The fundamental issue is that there&#039;s an epidemiological problem associated with acetaminophen and asthma,&#34; explained Dr. John McBride, vice chair of the department of pediatrics and director of the Robert T. Stone Respiratory Center at Akron Children&#039;s Hospital.
&#34;Is that because acetaminophen contributes to asthma, or is it just because people with asthma tend to take...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:51:18 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/deaths-abuse-painkillers-triple-decade-cdc-34606.html</link>
			<title>Deaths From Abuse of Painkillers Triple in a Decade: CDC</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
TUESDAY, Nov. 1 -- The number of deaths from prescription drug overdoses has tripled in a decade, hitting a peak of 36,000 fatalities in 2008, U.S. health officials reported Tuesday.
&#34;The unfortunate and shocking news is that we are in the midst of an epidemic of prescription overdose in this country,&#34; Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a midday news conference.
Since 1999, there have been significant increases not only in overdose death rates, but in the sales of prescription painkillers such as OxyContin, Vicodin and methadone, and admission for treatment of abuse of these drugs, the CDC said.
&#34;Now there are more peopled killed by prescription narcotics than from heroin and cocaine combined,&#34; Frieden...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:58:43 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/health-tip-alcohol-can-interact-medications-34442.html</link>
			<title>Health Tip: Alcohol Can Interact With Medications</title>
			<description><![CDATA[
-- Over-the-counter medications may seem safer because they don&#039;t require a prescription. But they can still interact badly when alcohol enters the mix.
The American Academy of Family Physicians mentions these popular medications that may have adverse effects if mixed with alcohol:

NSAID pain relievers, which may lead to gastrointestinal bleeding if taken while consuming as few as two alcoholic drink per week.
Acetaminophen, which may cause liver damage when taken with alcohol.
Some OTC antihistamines can make you drowsy when taken with alcohol.
Decongestants and cough medications that contain the cough suppressant dextromethorphan can increase drowsiness when taken with alcohol.
Herbal supplements, such as kava kava, St. John&#039;s wort or valerian root, may increase...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:51:27 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/accidental-poisonings-kids-rise-33712.html</link>
			<title>Accidental Medication Poisonings in Kids on the Rise</title>
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FRIDAY, Sept. 16 -- Despite ongoing prevention efforts, a growing number of young children are being accidentally poisoned with medications, according to new research.
The study, which was based on data reported to the American Association of Poison Control Centers between 2001 and 2008, found that medication poisoning among children aged 5 and under increased by 22 percent, although the number of children in the United States in this age group rose by only 8 percent during the study period.
&#34;The problem of pediatric poisoning in the U.S. is getting worse, not better,&#34; Dr. Randall Bond, of Cincinnati Children&#039;s Hospital Medical Center, said in a hospital news release.
In conducting the study, which is scheduled for publication in the Journal of Pediatrics, the researchers...
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			<category>Darvocet A500</category>
			<pubDate>Fri, 16 Sep 2011 14:46:18 +0000</pubDate>
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			<link>http://www.drugs.com/news/over-adverse-reactions-hospitals-preventable-study-33597.html</link>
			<title>Over Half of Adverse Drug Reactions in Hospitals Are Preventable: Study</title>
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FRIDAY, Sept. 9 -- More than one-half of all adverse drug reactions treated in hospitals and emergency care are preventable, according to a new study.
In addition, prior research has shown that many preventable drug reactions -- which include drug overdoses and internal bleeding associated with the improper use of blood thinners and painkillers -- are life-threatening, said the Swedish researchers. This widespread problem, which is even more common among the elderly, has important implications for health care systems, they said.
There are many reasons for the high numbers of preventable adverse drug reactions, according to Katja Hakkarainen, a pharmacist from the Nordic School of Public Health, Gothenburg. These may include &#34;poor coordination of care, lack of time and knowledge...
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			<pubDate>Fri, 09 Sep 2011 18:58:17 +0000</pubDate>
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