HEALTH

CLEVELAND — Reese Pharmaceutical on Thursday announced the development of its Old School brand, which will feature products that have been used for generations. The first offering in the new line will be Reese’s Old School Charcoal Capsules, a dietary supplement for the relief of intestinal gas and flatulence.  

The main ingredient, activated charcoal, is a highly recognized, proven remedy that adsorbs the toxins that cause flatus and gas, reducing after-meal discomfort. 

MILWAUKIE, Ore. — The American Association of Homeopathic Pharmacists on Wednesday honored Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, with an award of appreciation for introducing and supporting legislation that safeguards Americans' right to choose complementary health care. Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Harkin has been a longtime supporter of patient access to homeopathic medicines, AAHP noted. 

SYDNEY, Australia — Soho Flordis International recently launched Calorease, formulated with a patented fat binder called FBCx, into the U.S. market. 

The dietary fiber used by Calorease, binds up to nine times its weight in fat from food, safely removing it from the body before it can be absorbed. Taken with each meal, Calorease can reduce dietary fat by up to 15,000 calories per month without the restrictions of a low fat diet. 

WASHINGTON — According to the new report “An In-Depth Look at Keeping Young Children Safe Around Medicines,” released last week by Safe Kids Worldwide, 7-of-10 emergency department visits for medicine poisonings are due to curious young children getting into their grandparent’s or mother’s medicine that was left within reach.

NEW YORK — The American Diabetes Association, partnering with Walgreens and Duane Reade, on Tuesday kicked off its 25th Annual American Diabetes Association Alert Day, a one-day "wake-up call" asking the American public to take the Diabetes Risk Test to find out if they are at risk for developing Type 2 diabetes.   

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., and Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., last week introduced the Family Health Care Flexibility Act, repealing restrictions placed on health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts in the President’s healthcare law. A provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, already in effect today, prohibits HSA and FSA participants from using their account dollars to purchase over the counter medicines without a prescription.  

It’s often the case that those in the midst of revolutionary times don’t really see how fundamentally the world around them is changing until long after the changes have occurred. So let’s start by declaring that the revolution has begun: Genomic research will dramatically transform both the practice of pharmacy and the way patients are treated with medications for many diseases.

PITTSBURGH — GNC on Tuesday extended its Preventive Nutrition brand to help supplement a number of conditions, including eye health, liver health and digestive health.