Overprescribed

In Episode #8 host, Mika Pollack, talks about clinicaltrials.gov; a website managed by the federal government that lists both completed and uncompleted clinical trials. The site is well intentioned and is meant to be very helpful for anyone to access, but is it really...and what's happening with the clinical trial results that should be reported on the site per mandated federal law requirements?? Show note links: To visit the ClinicalTrials.gov website, click here. Check out a timeline of history, policies and laws related to ClinicalTrials.gov. From this page you'll also be able to read more on the Food and Drug Administration Modernization Act of 1997, the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2007 and the 2016 Final Rule for Clinical Trials Registration and Results Information Submission. Curious to know who is sharing their clinical trials results? Check out the FDAAA Trials Tracker website ran by the Evidence Based Medicine DataLab at the University of Oxford. They're tracking who's non-compliant with the

On Episode #7 we talk about digital pills and some of the associated ethical concerns with this new product that's already on the U.S. market. Show note links and additional reading on digital pills: NY Times article "First Digital Pill Approved to Worries About Biomedical Big Brother" by Pam Belluk Wikipedia blurb about Otsuka Pharmaceutical, makers of Abilify Press release from Proteus Digital Health's website that announced the FDA approval on the digital pill Abilify MyCite, a collaborative effort between Proteus and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Healthcare Analytics News article by Ryan Black "Can the Digital Pill Quiet Pharma's R&D Nightmares?" Forbes article by the Forbes Technology Council "The Potential Consequences of the New FDA-approved Digital Pill" In the News (a brand new segment debuting on the show today!): Check out what Worcester Polytechnic Institute (aka WPI) students and their professor are doing by Using Data Science to Help Predict Adverse Drug Reactions by Thomas Coakley Roseanne Barr bla

Dr. Christy Huff is a cardiologist who has her own personal story, as a patient, with a class of drugs called benzodiazepines that is both eye opening, shocking and candid. Listen to what she has to say and find out what she's doing to help millions in order to prevent further injury and devastation from these drugs that are being taken as prescribed by people all around the world, not just the United States. Show note links: To learn more about the Benzodiazepine Information Coalition (BIC), visit www.benzoinfo.com To contribute a tax-deductible donation to BIC which will help them to do the work to raise awareness, initiate research and ultimately lower benzo injury and harm, click here. Are you taking a benzodiazepine and looking for a healthcare provider that will help you with safe tapering? Access a list of supportive benzo doctors from BIC's website who are willing to work with patients on a slow taper (list is organized by state). If you are a doctor/healthcare provider or know one that should be on t

The FDA keeps approving drugs that have been tested on groups of patients that are not really diverse and this is a problem. Listen in and find out why.    Show note links: Drug Trials Snapshots page from the FDA's website where you can learn about what these snapshots are about, how to use them, snapshot limitations and sort the table of snapshots to find the newest drugs that made the list in 2018 (so far) 2017 Drug Trials Snapshots Summary Report  2018 new drug FDA approvals mentioned in this episode: Akynzeo Crysvita Tavalisse Ilumya Trogarzo Erleada Symdeko Biktarvy Lutathera   *****BONUS links: USA Today article on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study 45 Years Later The FDA's press announcement (released March 2018) on the new drug approval for Trogarzo which was approved based on clinical data results of 40 patients via Fast Track, Priority Review, Breakthrough Therapy designation and Orphan Drug status Join our private Facebook group - Consumers Unite!

Have you ever wondered what sort of side effects or adverse drug reactions are being reported to the FDA and how experts may interpret that data?  Well, then this is the episode for you.  Here we take a report that is probably more accessed by people who work in healthcare vs. the general public (even though it is a publicly accessible report) and dissect it in order to pull out some of the juiciest parts that may not be known by American consumers. The report is an annual report that was written last year by a non-profit called the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) as part of their QuarterWatch report releases. Show note links: Drug Safety Labeling Changes - visit this page on the FDA's website to find out which medications have newly released black boxed warnings or other labeling updates of importance! Here's the link to the QuarterWatch Annual Report Issue that we focus on during this episode. It's 25 pages long. So grab your glasses, coffee, your highlighter and be prepared to take in a bunc

In this episode, we touch on the fascinating science of pharmacogenomics & pharmacogenetics for the first time (but not the last) by talking about what each means and how pharmacogenetics testing has the potential to change how you decide which drugs to take and which drugs you probably want think twice about before ever consuming . We also talk about why pharmacogenetics lab testing is important and the barriers to why while you can get a pharmacogenetics test today,  it's not being implemented into "standard of care" across every corner of the U.S. Show note links: PharmGKB - a U.S. federally funded pharmacogenomic knowledge resource on specific content related to pharmacogenetics and pharmacogenomics. Curious about interesting differences in how individuals react to medicines? Then check out this article. Wanting to read more on pharmacogenomics? Then read this Wikipedia perspective on the science ( includes more on the history, nice facts on specific drug-metabolizing enzymes, and some case studies to

In Episode 2, we talk about drug labels and the 7 things we think every consumer should know, at a minimum, about their drug labels.  Our goal? To inform you, while making you feel more comfortable and empowered to read every drug label you receive from this day forward. Show note links from overprescribedpodcast.com: "Drugs@FDA" - to access Medication Guides/drug labeling information, just enter the medication you're looking for in the search field to start finding the information on a drug that you may need FDA Guidance to Industry on what should go on a drug label regarding adverse drug reactions or side effects Report your side effects or adverse drug reactions right on the FDA website (side effect/adverse drug reaction = any undesired effect you're experiencing while taking a medication) -- Click "Consumer/Patient" link if you're not a healthcare professional and are reporting for yourself or on behalf of someone like a family member To view drug safety label changes for a specific drug on the FDA websit

In this episode join host, Mika Pollack, as she introduces the show, gives listeners an idea of what to expect and talks about what inspired the podcast.