Category Archives: Drug Safety Information Podcasts

Xanodyne agrees to withdraw propoxyphene from the U.S. market

Xanodyne Pharmaceuticals Inc. which makes Darvon and Darvocet, the brand version of the painkiller propoxyphene, has agreed to withdraw the medication from the U.S. market at the request of the U.S. Food Administration. The FDA has also informed generic manufacturers of Xanodyne’s decision and they will be removing their propoxyphene-containing products from the market as well.

FDA launches initiative to develop innovative external defibrillators

Safety concerns on the devices that treat abnormal heart rhythms also to be addressed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a program aimed at facilitating the development of safer, more effective external defibrillators used to treat abnormal heart rhythms through improved design and manufacturing practices.

FDA Urges Consumers to be ‘Smart’ about Antibiotic Use

This year, millions of antibiotics will be prescribed. Antibiotics can be used to treat bacterial infections; however, they are commonly over-prescribed. Patients sometimes ask their health care professional to prescribe antibiotic drugs for viral infections, like the common cold, despite the fact that they will not work and may lead to potentially harmful side effects. The misuse of antibiotics has contributed to one of the world’s most pressing public health problems today, antibiotic resistance.