By Deborah Kotz, Globe Staff Much attention has been paid to the overdiagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and the over-prescription of drugs such as ritalin, but a study published this week in the journal Pediatrics indicates that certain kids -- those in the youngest third of their class -- are 50 percent more likely than their older peers to be prescribed ADHD drugs. Theyre also more likely to under-perform on math and English standardized tests administered in fourth grade, one of the factors teachers and pediatricians use to help make a diagnosis of ADHD. Age should be considered when evaluating children for an ADHD diagnosis and a prescription of a stimulant such as ritalin, said study co-author Sonia Hernndez-Diaz, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health. Previous research has found the same correlation between age and ADHD diagnoses: A March study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal examined medical records from nearly one million 6- to 12-year-olds in British Columbia, where incoming kindergarten students need to turn five by Dec. 31. They study found that boys born in December were 30 percent more likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than boys … Continue reading →

Global health authorities are making only fitful progress toward eliminating fake or substandard drugs that cause widespread suffering and death in the developing world. Delegates from 76 member countries of the World Health Organization met this week in Buenos Aires to lay the groundwork for more forceful action. No one knows precisely how much fraudulent or substandard medicine is sold around the world, but the fragmentary data are alarming. In poor countries, half of the medicines used to treat some deadly diseases have been found to be fakes that had little or no active ingredient; worse yet, some contained toxic substances. One estimate by experts is that at least 100,000 people die every year from substandard and fake medicines for cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and other ailments. Fake malaria drugs pose a real risk of hampering the international effort to curb the disease. In wealthy nations, substandard or fraudulent drugs have caused thousands of adverse reactions and some deaths. The United States, despite having a strong regulatory agency, is hardly immune to this problem. In recent years, fake doses of Avastin sold to physician groups for cancer treatment lacked the active ingredient; a weight-loss medicine contained undeclared ingredients that … Continue reading →

RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Nov 22, 2012) - To simplify your gifting choices London Drugs presents the top 2012 holiday tech gift ideas for home, life and play. FOR HOME - Bring families closer together with a gift that everyone can use with the enhanced line of LED backlit LCD televisions available this season. A Panasonic Viera 47-inch 1080p 120Hz LED Backlit LCD TV provides full HD viewing with vivid colour creation and Energy Star 5.3 efficiency rating. For families looking for Plasma quality, the Panasonic 50-inch 1080p Plasma TV provides a rapid refresh rate equivalent to 600 Hz and crystal-clear image detail with full HD 1080p picture quality. It''s the highest in-home resolution available. With a USB input anyone can view media instantly. Families wanting more connectivity with their televisions can focus their attention on the Samsung 55-inch 120Hz Smart LED Backlit LCD TV. Samsung''s ES6100 Series has a slender design and features advanced SMART TV capabilities bringing the internet to your favourite seat in the house. - Bring the gift of sound and transform your television and receiver sound to the next level with the Harman / Kardon Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer. This theatre audio solution offers the … Continue reading →

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI (Reuters) - India approved a new drug pricing policy designed to increase the number of drugs deemed essential that are subject to price caps, two ministers told reporters. The move will curtail prices of costly brands sold by domestic and international drugmakers in a market that already has rock-bottom medicine prices, meaning analysts and industry officials are sceptical about the benefits of the policy. The prices of 348 drugs deemed essential will now be regulated, compared with 74 previously. Valued nearly $13 billion, India's domestic drug market is the fourth-largest in the world by volume. U.S.-based Abbott Laboratories (NYS:ABT - News) has the largest market share followed by India's Cipla (NSI:CIPLA.NS - News) and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries (NSI:SUNPHARMA.NS - News). The new policy is expected to cover up to 30 percent of the total drugs sold in the country, according to industry reports. "Generics in India are available at the cheapest prices in the whole world. So by doing this, the government is not going to achieve much more," said Ameet Hariani, managing partner at Hariani & Co, a Mumbai-based law firm that advises key drugmakers and large companies. Price regulation makes sense in case of drugs where … Continue reading →