Aimee Simone, Assistant Editor

Television ads for both prescription and OTC medications frequently feature potentially misleading claims, according to the findings of a new study.

In the seventh-annual report from J.D. Power on pharmacy customer satisfaction, brick-and-mortar pharmacies increased their advantage over mail-order pharmacies.

Between 2000 and 2010, the rate of opioid prescription increased by 73%, while the portion of patients with a primary symptom or diagnosis of pain was generally stable.

After successful treatment for early-state prostate cancer, Rick Lyke decided to raise awareness of the disease among men by appealing to their interest in beer.

Influenza vaccination rates increased during the 2012-2013 season, but still have a long way to go to reach national coverage targets, health officials reported.

Vaccination rates for children aged 19 to 35 months remained high in 2012, though they fell short for some vaccines and varied from state to state and based on family income.

Since prostate cancer frequently progresses very slowly, active surveillance is a frequent option, but where necessary, surgery, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, and chemotherapy can be used.

Infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus associated with hospitalization have dropped dramatically in recent years, while infections picked up in the community have barely declined at all.

Lower doses of vancomycin encouraged by antimicrobial stewardship programs were just as effective as higher doses in treating Clostridium difficile infection, a study found.

The medications may lower cholesterol levels in advanced chronic kidney disease patients, but they do not appear to reduce the number of cardiovascular events and may interact with other drugs the patients are taking.

A new study finds that the portion of adults aged 60 and older who were vaccinated against shingles increased from 6.7% in 2008 to 15.8% in 2011.

A team of researchers has recommended that all cases of acute otitis media in children aged 6 months to 2 years be treated with antibiotics, disagreeing with guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Labels on all extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesics will be amended to ensure they are used only by those who need them and to warn pregnant women of the risk of neonatal narcotic withdrawal syndrome.

A child's risk of developing pertussis increased along with the number of doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine he or she had missed, a study finds.

Survival rates are generally quite high for the second-most-common cancer among men in the United States.

A review of previous studies finds that children with chronic conditions who fail to take their medications as prescribed are more likely to visit the emergency department and be hospitalized.

The chain's pharmacies stopped filling prescriptions for controlled substances written by 36 physicians it had identified as inappropriate prescribers.

The report found that use of the sleep aids was more common among women, those who were older, and those who had attained more education.

Goals for several vaccines recommended for adolescents are in sight or have been met, but coverage with the HPV vaccine continues to lag behind, a CDC report finds.

Patients with or at high risk for cardiovascular disease who took a pill that combined aspirin, a statin, and 2 antihypertensives had significantly higher adherence levels than those who received usual care.

Study participants aged 40 to 64 who had received a flu shot had a risk of heart attack reduced by 45%.

A program in which high-risk individuals were offered HIV testing and follow-up support at community pharmacies produced high rates of participation and satisfaction.

A new report finds that those who used prescription painkillers recreationally were 19 times as likely to begin using heroin as those who did not.

Children and young adults who used antipsychotics were 3 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those taking other psychotropic medications, according to the results of a recent study.

A substantial portion of children treated with antibiotics for urinary tract infections are not given a urine test first, according to the results of a new study.

Children who often drink from water bottles with push and pull caps may be more likely to experience recurring ear infections, according to a recent study.

A review of 53 studies finds that hypertension patients with health insurance were more likely to be adherent to antihypertensive medication and to have their hypertension under control than were those without insurance.

A pair of recent studies finds that those with a history of cancer have up to a 51% reduced risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

The agency issued a warning associating acetaminophen with 3 rare skin diseases based on a review of adverse event reports and cases published in medical literature.