North America

Why some patients are reluctant to take osteoporosis drugs

There are a number of factors that contribute to patients’ fear and reluctance to take osteoporosis drugs, leaving them at increased risk of fractures.…

President Trump demands lower drug prices but vows to overhaul drug approvals process

The US president has told pharmaceutical company executives that they must reduce drug prices in the United States, but promised them he will streamline US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) processes to speed up new drug approvals.…

Why Australia got it right with reclassifying codeine to prescription-only

Australia’s medicines regulator made a smart decision when it recently decided that codeine products will no longer be sold over the counter (OTC) ( The Pharmaceutical Journal online, 23 December 2016). Addiction and death have been linked to these products in many countries.…

A good introduction to formulation science

How to develop robust solid oral dosage forms: from conception to post-approval, by Bhavishya Mittal…

Financial ties between researchers and the pharmaceutical industry might distort clinical trial results

Analyses of data from 195 clinical trials show that financial ties between researchers and the pharmaceutical industry were associated with a 3.57 greater odds of a positive trial outcome.…

Best pharmacy practice guidance

ASHP best practices 2016­–2017: position and guidance documents of ASHP, by Bruce Hawkins…

Why biosimilars should be interchangeable with biologics

Research suggests no substantive outcome differences between the use of originator biologics and their biosimilar counterparts Source: Shutterstock.com There is sufficient evidence to prove that biosimilars are equivalent to biologics and should be used i…

A potted history of cannabis in the United States

Marijuana: a short history by John Hudak.…

Vaccines: under threat by the post-truth populist movement

In a climate where science and facts appear to play second fiddle to post-truth rants on social media, Cynthia Leifer explains why activism and public engagement must become part of the everyday work of scientists and physicians.…

Eucrisa approved for eczema in US

A new treatment for mild-to-moderate atopic dermatitis has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for use in patients aged two years and older. Eucrisa (Anacor Pharmaceuticals, recently acquired by Pfizer) is applied topically twice daily. It is a phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE-4) inhi…