The Department of Health and Human Services has announced a new incentive program to help spur the advancement of electronic prescribing practices.

Researchers are questioning the effectiveness of bone-building drugs used to fight osteoporosis, saying they might weaken bones in a subset of patients.

Seniors who take four or more prescription medications have two to three times the risk of falling as seniors who take fewer meds, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina. Some of those drugs, the researchers say, may actually contribute to the risk of falling.

Palliative care workers are allowed to sedate some patients with intractable pain at the end of life--but only as a last-resort measure, according to a new ethical guideline approved by the American Medical Association at its most recent annual meeting.

The Food and Drug Administration disapproved 96% of applications for generic drug approval in 2006, according to a report recently released from the Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.

The American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) this week announced the launch of ASCP Ventures, Inc., a for-profit subsidiary of ASCP.

Drugs used to potentially treat Alzheimer's disease may lead to advancements in the treatment of other afflictions, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Two reports from the Office of Inspector General found problems with respect to the Medicare Part D program and nursing homes. One pertained to continuing payment obstacles while the other said that nursing homes may be improperly steering residents to drug plans.

More appropriate use of osteoporosis medication is needed in the treatment of nursing home residents with a high risk of bone fractures, according to a recent report.

The risk of serious health problems, including death, are three times higher in seniors with dementia taking antipsychotic drugs, compared with those who don't, Canadian researchers say.