Esketamine, a drug that has been used as a “recreational party drug,” is being marketed as Spravato by Janssen Pharmaceuticals who claim it is effective for “treatment-resistant depression.” European drug regulators, NICE, recently announced it does not recommend Janssen’s product citing “concerns over the effect of stopping esketamine treatment, whether symptom improvements will continue and if these can improve someone’s quality of life.”

Read the full story here.

The International Committe of Medical Journal Editors is recommending new changes to better ensure readers have accurate info regarding authors possible conflicts of interests, reports the New England Journal of Medicine.

“Many stakeholders — editors, peer reviewers, clinicians, educators, policymakers, patients, and the public — rely on the disclosure of authors’ relationships and activities to inform their assessments. Trust in the transparency, consistency, and completeness of these disclosures is essential.”

Read the full article here.

The Lown Institute’s new report, “Eliminate Medication Overload,” can help Americans reduce the risks of adverse drug effects. Lown states, “each additional drug a person takes increases the risk of suffering serious, sometimes even deadly, harm and every day, 750 Americans age 65 and older are hospitalized due to a serious side effect associated with taking multiple medications.”

It is recommended that patients and prescribers regularly review medications and discuss ways to reduce or discontinue those that may be harmful or no longer needed.

Read the prescription check-up report here.

Thank you to James Moore, MIA radio host, for inviting Wendy Dolin on his show today. James and Wendy discuss several topics including efforts to increase akathisia awareness, drug trial transparency and accurate pharmaceutical labeling to help reduce iatrogenic harms.

Listen to the show here.

Caroline Downing, who lost her twelve-year-old sister, Candace, to prescription-drug-induced death in 2004, discusses her family’s experiences and her own efforts to raise awareness of adverse drug effects.

Listen to Akathisia Stories, podcast 6 here.

The sixteen-year-old girl who died in a “train accident” became agitated and had shared that Zoloft made her feel ‘funny.'” Read the full story here.

A gifted young footballer who jumped in front of a train was prescribed depression pills prior to his death. Parents say had never talked about suicide before but had mentioned feeling “hopelessness.”  Read the full story here.

“The FDA has increasingly accepted less data and more surrogate measures and has shortened its review times.” Consumers considering taking a new prescription should “scour a drug’s patient-package insert and the FDA website for information on the benefits and risks of the medication.”

Get the full story here.

US veteran and drug safety advocate, Angela Peacock, is one of many who share their factual experiences in the new documentary, “Medicating Normal” which is premiering at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival today and tomorrow. MISSD founder, Wendy Dolin, was pleased to see this film earlier and hopes it will help more people better understand the possible risks posed by various pharmaceuticals prior to prescription.

Listen to the podcast here.

The new Miss America ran on a platform of drug safety focused on children. MISSD appreciates her efforts and hopes she will help save lives by highlighting life-threatening adverse drug effects posed by various pharmaceutical products.

Listen to the full story here.