Pepto-Bismol Chewable Tablets With InstaCool
Pepto-Bismol chewable tablets are now available in a peppermint-flavored InstaCool formulation that provides a powerful, instant cooling sensation. The cooling sensation is intended to signal that “relief is on its way.”
Dayquil Mucus Control DM
Procter & Gamble has introduced Dayquil Mucus Control DM, a combination liquid product containing the cough suppressant dextromethorphan (10 mg/15 mL) and the expectorant guaifenesin (200 mg/15 mL). It is labeled for use in patients 6 years of age and older.
Robitussin To Go
• A retrospective review of the medical records of 1,786 patients in southern England found that wearing contact lenses remains the most important risk factor for infectious corneal ulcers. Contact lens wear was the main predisposing factor in nearly one third (31%) of cases. The authors urged continuous education of both patients and professionals to reduce the rate and severity of infectious keratitis. (Br J Ophthalmol. 2009;93:1319-24.)
Lipid assessment in vascular disease can be simplified by measuring either (1) total cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) or (2) apolipoproteins, without the need to fast and without regard to triglyceride levels, according to a study published in the November 11, 2009, issue of JAMA.
Data presented at the recent American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in Miami, Florida, suggest that long-term daily use of nasal saline irrigation may make patients more susceptible to sinus infections.
In a head-to-head comparison of five smoking cessation pharmacotherapies, combination therapy with a nicotine patch plus nicotine lozenges was found to provide the greatest benefit relative to placebo. The results of the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial appear in the November 2009 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
The trial included 1,504 adults in Wisconsin who smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day during the past 6 months and reported being motivated to quit. Participants were randomized to one of six study arms:
• Nicotine lozenge for 12 weeks postquit
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a public health advisory concerning an interaction between clopidogrel (Plavix) and omeprazole (Prilosec/Prilosec OTC). According to the FDA, new data show that the effect of clopidogrel on platelets is reduced by as much as 47% when clopidogrel and omeprazole are taken together. The agency recommends avoiding concomitant use of omeprazole and clopidogrel.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has unveiled the Safe Use Initiative, a program aimed at reducing the likelihood of preventable harm from medication use. In conjunction with that initiative, the FDA released a series of recommendations for dosage delivery devices that accompany over-the-counter (OTC) liquid medications.
Cervarix Approval; New Gardasil Indication
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cervarix, a new vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and precancerous lesions caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. The vaccine is approved for use in girls and women 10 years to 25 years of age.
Daily consumption of the oral probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei for 2 months led to a significant decrease in both scalp adherent and free dandruff among 30 healthy men with moderate to severe dandruff, according to data presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research, held September 9 to 12, 2009, in Budapest, Hungary.
Administering prophylactic doses of acetaminophen at the time of vaccination and during the following 24 hours significantly reduces several vaccine antibody responses, based on the results of two consecutive randomized, controlled, open-label studies of infants at 10 health centers in the Czech Republic.