Accidental overdose of the popular medication Acetaminophen is sending patients to the emergency room and in some cases into liver failure.  Tuesday, a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel recommended some steps to help solve the problems.

If you're enrolled in a Medicare Part D Plan, the term "doughnut hole" may be familiar. 

The FDA is asking you stop using a popular over-the-counter cold medication because it can damage your sense of smell.

If you've noticed your over-the-counter medication isn't working as well as it used to, it's not you. It may be the medication.

This new year, you may not be the only one who needs a fresh start. Just like the refrigerator, your medicine cabinet needs to be cleaned out every once in a while.

Medicare's annual open enrollment period began on November 15th and ends Wednesday at midnight. 


Enrolling in a program will cover prescription costs through 2009, but if you miss Wednesday night's deadline you will face a 12-month penalty and there is a no second chance to enroll again until November of 2009.

The number of people who've accidentally overdosed on prescription drugs has increased dramatically in the U.S. A new study looks at how Americans are getting their hands on these drugs and why one state in particular is seeing the largest increase. 


They're prescription narcotics you've most likely heard of. 



Aron Hall with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, “Some common brand names for these drugs include vicodin, percocet, as well as methadone or methadose." 



They're painkillers, often at the root of unintentional prescription drug overdose deaths.

On this Thanksgiving, you're sure to get your fill of nutrients and vitamins from your holiday meal. But many are still taking supplements to offset their diet mistakes. 

The 2009 enrollment for Medicare Part D began Saturday and has seniors doing their homework to find the plan that fits their prescription needs.

Just in time for the cold and flu season, manufacturers for children's over-the-counter cough and cold medications are changing their recommendations on who can take them. 

According to figures released Thursday, seniors are more likely to ask their pharmacist for generic medications 
when they are paying, but chose more expensive originals when the government is picking up the cost. 



Generic drugs are medically indistinguishable from non-generic brands, and can cost up to 80% less.

Doctors write out more than 50 million prescriptions for asthma inhalers every year.  But, those so called rescue inhalers are changing. 


Asthma inhalers are going green, and patients have to switch by the end of the year.  But the new inhalers are already on the market and most manufacturers have already made the change.  That means patients may already have the new inhaler and not even realize it. 



Many patients carry a rescue inhaler in case of an asthma attack---that's when the lungs become inflamed and tighten up, making it hard to breathe.  A medicine inside the inhaler called albuterol helps relax and open up the airways. 



Dr.

If you get Medicaid Supplemental Security Income, or if your Medicare premiums are paid for by the state, you automatically qualify for extra help when paying for your medication. But there are thousands of people in KELOLAND who qualify for the extra help and they aren't taking advantage of it. 


If you're on a limited income you could be saving hundreds, even thousands of dollars on your prescription drug costs.

It might not surprise you to hear that Americans buy much more prescription medicine per person than any other country. But what may surprise you is what we're taking. 


America's dependence on pills is adding up. 51-percent of adults and children take 1 or more prescription drugs each day.

If you're among the millions of people with asthma or other lung diseases, there's something you should know. Your inhaler is about to change. And that means you'll have to make some changes, too.

Have you ever gone into your medicine cabinet, grabbed a prescription bottle only to realize you've forgotten what the pill is for?

Children diagnosed with attention deficit disorders are often prescribed stimulants, such as Adderall, Strattera, Concerta or Ritalin to treat the condition. But according to the American Heart Association, certain steps should be taken before your child pops one of these pills.

A new study claims two widely-prescribed drugs for lowering cholesterol may not be the best choice for patients. Now some drugs are getting another look and researchers say there could be better options. 


Some doctors are suggesting a return to older, tried-and-true cholesterol medications after a new study found that Vytorin and a related drug, Zetia, may not help prevent heart disease, even though they may reduce key risk factors. 



More bad news about the cholesterol lowering pill Vytorin has cardiologist Seth Uretsky hearing from worried patients. 



Dr.

If you think your doctor is doing you a favor by handing you a free drug sample or two, you might want to reconsider taking them. 


Free drug samples may seem like a money saver at the time, but a new study finds they can actually end of costing you more in pharmacy fees in the long run. 



The University of Chicago research says patients who don't get samples spend about $175 on prescriptions drugs over six months.

Some parents spend a lot of money on vitamins, trying to make sure their children get the nutrients they need. But one expert says that may not be necessary. 


According to a study in the medical journal, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, one third of children in the United States take vitamin and mineral dietary supplements.