HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Linking doctors' offices with pharmacies via electronic health records improves the number of patients who follow doctor's orders on medications for chronic illnesses, a new study suggests.

HealthDay - MONDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Many patients mistakenly believe that medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are foolproof and free of harmful side effects, a new study finds.

AP - Many consumers mistakenly believe new prescription drugs are always safer than those with long track records, and that only extremely effective drugs without major side effects win government approval, according to a new study.

LiveScience.com - If you're suffering from acute pain, don't be surprised if aspirin or acetaminophen doesn't do the trick for you.

Reuters - Grape seed extract is marketed as a way to guard your heart health, but clinical trials so far suggest the supplement has small effects on blood pressure and heart rate, a new review finds.

LiveScience.com - The aisles of a pharmacy are full of supplements and herbs claiming to lower blood pressure, but which ones really work? A pair of cardiologists combed the scientific literature for studies on effective ways to treat blood pressure and concluded, in a new paper, that there are good data that some of the nondrug remedies work, but there is scant evidence for others.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Stroke patients who receive aggressive medical therapy have a better chance of avoiding a second stroke than those who receive medical therapy plus a stent in the brain, a new study reveals.

HealthDay - TUESDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Some children, especially those with rare conditions, receive many different drugs while in the hospital, a new study finds.

HealthDay - WEDNESDAY, Aug. 31 (HealthDay News) -- A new type of cancer treatment that uses a virus to infect and destroy tumor cells without harming normal cells is showing promise in early clinical trials.

Reuters - People who drink or use drugs to calm down anxious nerves are at increased risk of developing full-blown substance abuse disorder down the road, Canadian researchers have found.

AP - Pfizer Inc. on Wednesday declined to comment on reports it hopes to start marketing an over-the-counter version of its cholesterol drug Lipitor, the world's biggest-selling prescription drug, after the original version loses patent protection in November.

ContributorNetwork - Health care consumers of all ages have the potential to be affected by important drug shortages being experienced by hospitals and other health care providers.

ContributorNetwork - The battle to save Ohio from the growing problem of "hillbilly heroin" will decrease the ability of "pill mill" doctors to dispense medications to addicts. Abuse of Oxycontin is a growing concern for authorities ranging from Gov. John Kasich to those on the front lines in the health care field. The increasingly prescribed medication is easy to get from a pain clinic and very popular with rural white youths. Stricter oversight by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy means physicians prescribing the highly addictive medication will have to be affiliated with a hospital and be board certified in pain management.

ContributorNetwork - Medical marijuana may be good for controlling chronic pain, but multiple sclerosis patients may want to skip it.

ContributorNetwork - Tuesday, March 15, 2011, is your last chance to use the money in your Flexible Savings Account, also known as a Flexible Savings Arrangement (FSA). The FSA is a savings vehicle some employers offer which comes with tax-free benefits. Employees designate a percentage of their paycheck to be diverted to the FSA pre-tax. The FSA can be used throughout the year to pay for qualified medical expenses, including out of pocket medical expenses. Co-payments for appointments with doctors, dentists, specialists and prescription drugs are covered. The downside of the FSA is that if you don't spend the money socked away in your FSA account, you lose it. What happens if you don't spend it? The money goes back to your employer.

ContributorNetwork - In what is being hailed as a hallmark in health care, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Benlysta, a medication designed for treatment of lupus erythematosus. Not only is Benlysta the first new drug for lupus in more than 50 years to reach the market, but it is the first drug derived from the study of genes (genomics), reports The Wall Street Journal.

ContributorNetwork - The FDA has just announced approval for the new lupus medication, Benlysta, the first new treatment for this disease in 50 years. More than one million people in the United States have been diagnosed with this autoimmune disease. Here are some important facts about lupus.

ContributorNetwork - For the first time in more than 50 years, a new medication has been approved for the treatment of lupus. On March 9 the Federal Drug Administration (the FDA) granted approval for Benlysta to treat systemic lupus erythamatosus. 1955 was the last time any drugs were sanctioned for the treatment of this devastating illness.

ContributorNetwork - A year after an undercover operation dubbed "Pill Nation" began, several arrests have been made across South Florida in relation to the illegal sale of prescription drugs. The federal operation involved about 400 officers and set out to bust illegal pill mills that dispense massive amounts of drugs across the United States.