People with asthma know how difficult it can be to breathe at times. Getting medication during an attack can be a matter of life and death.

It's a common problem.  Six to twelve million kids are affected by head lice each year. Fortunately, there's a safe, new treatment that's fast acting.

Many people take it for an everyday headache but ibuprofen can have big benefits when it comes to lowering your risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

A new study on antibiotics and pregnancy may give some relief to expectant moms this flu season.

During this cold and flu season you'll have a lot of decisions to make when it comes to medicating yourself and your children. But there are medication mishaps you'll want to avoid.

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.