How do you completely botch the approval of a cancer drug and put thousands of desperate patients at increased risk of death while wasting their money?

If you're over 65 and prone to depression, here's a bit of good news: You may be able to control your symptoms without resorting to drugs. In fact, a new study links a highly-versatile vitamin to a decreased risk of depression among seniors.

Dear Pharmacist,

My question is about the FDA and freedom of speech. The reason I ask is that I am reading your Drug Muggers book, and you make a lot of nutrient recommendations. When I called a big online store to ask a question about a supplement they sell, they wouldn’t answer me because they said the FDA had threatened them with fines or jail. I find this very frightening.

Love your eyes? Then look away from antidepressants-- because a new study finds yet another awful side effect to add to the list: cataracts in seniors.

Most doctors rely on a handful of medical journals as a main source for information.

But drug companies are influencing what these journals publish.

And more importantly, what they don’t publish.

At what point do you start labeling something as a poison?

How about if it increases stroke risk by 27 percent?

Or increases heart failure risk by 25 percent?

Remember how "well-tolerated" those cholesterol drugs were supposed to be?

Turns out, not so much.

Dear Pharmacist,

I moved some furniture last weekend and my muscles are still sore. This happens every time I exert myself, even from walking around the block. My muscles aren’t as resilient as in years past. What can I do or take?

A recent article on hormones for menopause caught my attention. I was puzzled by the fact that the author, Staness Jonekos, has no medical credentials, training or even a rudimentary knowledge of biological science. Rather, she is an actress with a theater arts degree from UCLA. She chronicled her menopause experience with a book and blog entitled “Menopause Makeover.”

I'm ignoring the bathing suit in the bottom drawer of my dresser.