Q: I know you don't believe in the drugs prescribed to treat acid reflux. But my husband started taking an acid blocker several years ago and it has saved him a great deal of suffering ever since. So what's so bad about these medications?

What's perfectly safe but still needs a warning label?

No, it's not a riddle. It's just the latest brilliant decision from the FDA.

That's right—the FDA has made a final ruling on dental fillings that contain mercury, and it seems we can all breathe a sigh of relief.

Dear Pharmacist,

I attended an American Idol concert and I got so excited to see my favorite, Adam Lambert, that I developed cardiac arrhythmias.  I went to the ER, the doctor called it “A-fib” and I was sent home with medications.  What do you suggest so that this scary thing doesn’t happen again?

--J.S. Ocala, Florida

The latest brick in the tomb of statins — those cholesterol-regulating meds — comes from a new study confirming that the drugs cause structural damage to muscles. Even worse, the study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that muscle damage can continue to progress even after patients stop taking the drugs.

Trial data has yet to prove the safety and effectiveness of H1N1 (swine flu) vaccines. In fact, only one of the five companies seeking approval has even STARTED human trials.

But—surprise, surprise—that's probably not going to stop the FDA from approving them.

When the safety of U.S. citizens is in jeopardy, FDA officials ride in like fresh cavalry troops to save the day.

Unfortunately they ride sleepy, lumbering hippos.

That’s bureaucrats for you. Especially bureaucrats that really HATE to ever break the bad news that a best selling drug might do considerable harm.

I've told you before the many reasons I don't like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder drugs for kids.

It's not just the side effects, which can be nasty, but the fact that they don't really do anything to solve the underlying issue, often a nutritional problem impacting the healthy development of the child's brain.

And now, there's another reason to give these drugs a pass: A new study has linked them to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death in children.

Without ceremony, another best selling, but very dangerous drug was finally taken off the market last month.

Roche executives finally pulled Accutane, their notorious acne drug.

According to Bloomberg News, juries have awarded more than $33 million in damages against the drug, and thousands of additional lawsuits are in the works. Roche has already pulled Accutane from the market in France, Germany, Spain and more than half-a-dozen other countries.

It's sad that it has taken the death of Michael Jackson to put a spotlight -- albeit a temporary one -- on the incredibly serious and deadly problem of prescription drug addiction in this country. Of course, this was just a blip in the story of Jackson's death. And it's a shame, too, because it would've been a more lasting legacy for the man than thousands of people learning to "moonwalk."

Dear Pharmacist,

I am stressed out that I may not be able to get my pain medication, Vicodin.  I’ve taken it for years, following a work accident. I’m not addicted. I really have pain but the pharmacist told me that it’s going off the market. Please tell me he’s wrong.  I can’t live without it.

--P.T.  Belleview, Florida