They must be joking.

That’s the only possible explanation for this one, friends. Either that, or maybe the folks in Washington just don’t read the newspapers.

The FDA has just approved the antidepressant Lexapro for use in kids. Just weeks before that, federal prosecutors accused its maker, Forest Laboratories, of illegally marketing that same drug, along with one other antidepressant, to kids.

You've heard me talk plenty about how NSAID painkillers can cause stomach bleeding… a big problem for anyone, but potentially a very serious issue for older patients. Well, it turns out that if you're also taking an antidepressant, your risk of GI bleeding shoots through the roof. Here's what you need to know.

Why would naturopaths want to prescribe those evil Big Pharma drugs?  It is a question posed by Respectful Insolence today in light of British Columbia's decision to allow naturopaths to prescribe drugs including hormones, vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

The rather incendiary post can be read here.  Give a visit and drop a comment with your opinion about the new regulations.

Q: Are there any alternatives to taking antidepressants?  I keep hearing bad news about the effects of antidepressants. Do you know of anything else that can help battle depression?

The FDA, reports the New York Times, is getting tougher about food safety, and about time too.  Within the last few days, the FDA has issued guidance to industry about how to deal with pistachios, warned food companies that they must follow Good Manufacturing Practices, explained to companies how recalls are supposed to be done, warned consumers not to eat pistachios unless their source is known, and continued to update the list of recalled products.

Just because these drugs haven't been pulled off the market yet doesn't make them safe. After all, there are plenty of drugs out there that have quietly "gone away" after years of wreaking havoc on unsuspecting people. And while major drugs being pulled from the market are worthy of lead stories on the 11 o'clock news, too often the stories about "minor" drugs that get pulled are tucked away in places where they're easy to miss.

Welcome, Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg. Looks like you’re going to be the next FDA commissioner. Congratulations!

Quick question: Any prior experience handling venomous snakes? No? Ever declawed a full-grown grizzly bear? No? Nothing along those lines?

Well, in that case, you might want to pay close attention to today’s e-Alert. Because today’s topic is not the tip of an iceberg – it’s more like the tip of an entire continent of corruption and high stakes corporate power, buried just below the awareness level of the average citizen.

Can’t anyone in the mainstream get it right anymore?

Today it’s soy, fortified with vitamin D – a combination just given the OK by the FDA. But soy comes in different forms, as does vitamin D, and BOTH of the forms in this instance are the wrong forms.

Responsible reporting should carry information about the risks of the HPV vaccine called Gardasil.