Responding to the significant increase in deaths due to overdose of illicit or prescription drugs, federal legislators have introduced a bill that would fund programs to prevent overdose death and require additional tracking of overdose deaths. If it becomes law,...

FDA has issued a safety alert reminding patients, caregivers, and health care providers to appropriately store, use, and dispose of fentanyl patches to prevent children’s accidental exposure to the medication, which is potentially life-threatening. FDA recently evaluated a series of...

Federal marshals seized more than 1,600 containers of products held by Notions-n-Things Distribution of Bogard, MO, that allegedly violate FDA approval and labeling requirements. Three products were seized from the distributor: “Chickweed Healing Salve, allegedly marketed as a skin cancer...

As part of the 50th National Poison Prevention Week, the Poison Prevention Week Council encourages consumers to use medications safely, and the campaign includes the following tips for consumers:   Follow the directions on the label when you give or...

The 50-year anniversary of National Poison Prevention Week will be observed March 18 through March 24, 2012, to create national awareness about the risk of injury or death due to poisoning, including information on avoiding medication mistakes, overdose, or accidental...

Published in the November 2009 Ohio State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) compiles statistics on many different health-related topics every year and tries to monitor trends so that action can be taken when needed. Just...

Published in the October 2007 Washington State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter A jump in overdose deaths from the use of prescription pain killers has created what many medical officials are describing as a poisoning epidemic. There were 923 poisoning deaths...

Published in the September 2007 Kentucky Board of Pharmacy Newsletter Overdose due to methadone is on the rise in Kentucky. The 2006 Office of the State Medical Examiner’s Annual Report indicates 197 deaths related to the misuse of the prescription...