Consumer access to effective and affordable medicines is an imperative for public health, social equity, and economic development, but this need is not being served adequately by the biopharmaceutical sector, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

The goal of achieving universal health coverage by 2030 — one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals — necessitates that countries strengthen their food and drug regulatory systems as a whole, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Although the immediate side effects of antimalarial drugs are widely recognized, few studies were designed specifically to examine health problems that might occur or persist months or years after people stopped taking them.

Wide receiver Wes Welker #83 of the Denver Broncos tries to avoid the tackle of free safety Earl Thomas #29 of the Seattle Seahawks during Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium in this file photo taken February 2, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Under a new drug policy agreed to by the NFL and the players union, Welker and two other suspended players will be allowed to return to the field.; Credit: Jeff Gross/Getty Images

The NFL said Wednesday that its new performance-enhancing drug policy will allow the Broncos' Wes Welker and two other suspended players to return to the field this week.

The deal with the players association also adds human growth hormone testing, ending several years of wrangling between the league and the union.

Welker, Dallas Cowboys defensive back Orlando Scandrick and St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey had been suspended for four games.

Under the new rules, players who test positive for banned stimulants in the offseason will no longer be suspended. Instead, they will be referred to the substance abuse program.

The league and union are also nearing an agreement on changes to the substance abuse policy. That could reduce Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon's season-long ban.

Testing for HGH was originally agreed upon in 2011, but the players had balked at the science in the testing and the appeals process for positive tests. Under the new deal, appeals of positive tests in the PED program will be heard by third-party arbitrators jointly selected by the NFL and union. Appeals will be processed more expeditiously under altered procedures

Testing should begin by the end of the month.

The new rules also change the length of suspensions. Previously, all first-time violations of the performance-enhancing drug policy resulted in at least a four-game suspension.

Now, use of a diuretic or masking agent will result in a two-game suspension. The punishment for steroids, in-season use of stimulants, HGH or other banned substances is four games. Evidence of an attempt to manipulate a test is a six-game suspension.

A second violation will result in a 10-game ban, up from a minimum of eight games. A third violation is at least a two-year suspension. Before, the ban was at least a year.

A team of researchers from Florida State University, Johns Hopkins University and the National Institutes of Health has found existing drug compounds that can both stop Zika from replicating in the body and from damaging the crucial fetal brain cells that lead to birth defects in newborns.

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This year, the U.S. reported for the first time that a patient had been infected by bacteria resistant to colistin, an antibiotic of last resort. The announcement followed several years of warnings that current antibiotics aren't diverse enough to fight pathogens as drug resistance spreads. The cover story of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, sums up how researchers are trying to stay ahead of the bugs.

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Widespread use of antibiotics to prevent and treat infections in people and animals as well as for promoting growth in livestock is causing environmental contamination. A new study highlights the need for extra measures to reduce environmental pollution from antibiotics. Such pollution can increase the risk of diseases caused by bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics.

Constructed wetlands can effectively remove veterinary drugs from wastewater, preventing contamination of the environment, research suggests. A recent study has demonstrated that laboratory-scale constructed wetlands were able to remove between 94 and 98% of two commonly used antibiotics from pig farm wastewater.

An increasing number of US adults are using marijuana, as fewer people perceive the drug as harmful, according to a survey of over 500000 US adults conducted between 2002 and 2014 published in The Lancet Psychiatry. As marijuana has become increasingly potent over the past decade, the authors say that the findings suggest the need for improved education and prevention messages regarding the risks of marijuana.

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A recent report raises awareness of the impact of pharmaceuticals in the environment. Experts from science, industry and the state sector have drawn up a series of proposals for actions that need to be taken at the European level to increase understanding and improve management of the risks.

Anti-depressant drugs can affect the behaviour of wild animals in ways which may reduce their survival, new research has shown. The researchers fed half a group of starlings fluoxetine (commonly produced as ‘Prozac’) at concentrations they would be likely to encounter in the wild, if they fed on invertebrates contained in the waste water at treatment plants. Those fed the anti-depressant showed reduced feeding rates compared to the rest of the group, possibly putting their survival at risk.

A drug used to treat parasite infections at fish farms can contaminate the surrounding environment and threaten local wildlife, a new study shows. Following a week-long treatment at a Norwegian salmon farm, the authors found concentrations of an anti-sea-lice drug that were high enough to kill some crabs, shrimps and lobsters. However, they suggest the drug is not likely to pose a risk to humans.

Aeration is an effective means of eliminating antidepressants from landfill leachate, a new study finds. The concentrations of five different drugs were reduced by this treatment process, which could be an effective means of tackling the growing problem of pharmaceutical infiltration into aquatic environments.

Intersex fish, in which male reproductive tissues become ‘feminised’, are increasingly being identified. This effect has traditionally been attributed to birth-control medications. This study exposed fish to a widely prescribed anti-diabetic, metformin. Male fish developed female sexual characteristics and reproductive rate decreased, which suggests that metformin may be a non-traditional endocrine-disrupting compound.

Up to 90% of consumed drugs enter the environment. This may have negative effects on wildlife, especially when the drugs take long periods to break down. This study assessed the breakdown of sulphonamides — a class of antibacterials — in samples from two rivers in Poland. The results showed that sulphamethoxazole, a common veterinary antibiotic, was the most persistent and that various factors inhibit degradation, including low temperatures, heavy metal pollution and low pH.

New products like the KnoNap may help keep women and men safe while they are drinking and socializing.

The venom of some cone snails contains insulin, a new study finds, helping the sluggish mollusks snag speedier prey.

Meditation sessions to promote self awareness may have an enduring effect on curbing substance abuse.

From ginger to exercise, natural methods may help beat cramps, bloating and other monthly symptoms.

Brazen raccoon bandits may be trying to trying to send Toronto a message. They have been showing up in all sorts of places.

New research finds that a relativity cheap and safe diabetes medication may help prevent breast cancer.

Metformin, an inexpensive and common diabetes drug, may fight ovarian cancer, according to a new study.

Few children who become obese are able to lose and keep off weight with diet and exercise alone.

A protein complex has been shown to repair DNA damage caused by radiation or old age.

Cancer patients given psilocybin experienced reduced depression and existential distress, even at the end of life.

Epidiolex is the first marijuana-based drug to earn FDA approval.

Scientists in Singapore have concocted a drug cocktail that can extend an animal's lifespan twofold.

Interview with drug policy reform activist Tom Angell, founder of Marijuana Majority.

People should be cautions about using two new weight-loss drugs because it's not clear whether they increase the risk for heart problems.

A study from UC Berkeley reveals that information stimulates our dopamine-producing reward system — just like food and money.

New book about the painkiller industry has already been optioned by Warner Bros.

Pablo Escobar’s legacy of mayhem continues by way of a thriving population of giant African mammals.

Are parents using home drug test kits going too far or are they simply being responsible?

Anxiety Do you often find yourself stressed out because of certain misfortunes of the past or uncertainty of future? How frequently do you feel a pang of an unpleasant emotion in anticipation of some ill- defined calamity? If very often it is time for you to realize that you are suffering from some anxiety disorder that causes innumerable psychological and physical tribulations.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is urging an employee of a drug or medical device company to call them anytime if they can prove their employer is concealing harmful or deadly side effects because this kind of information could be worth millions.

Speaker and author Jack Alan Levine says a 50% reduction in addiction is possible with preventative measures in place

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "We are urging an honest pharmacist to call us anytime if they have proof a pharmacy chain is gouging Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE in anyway. Sometimes these types of people can make millions."

According to the Corporate Whistleblower Center, "If you work for a drug maker that is concealing extremely vital information about severe side effects regarding their product from consumers and the FDA-please call us at 866-714-6466 about rewards."

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "We are appealing to a pharmacist or pharmacy manager to call us anytime at 800-714-0303 if their employer is overcharging Medicare and Medicaid. The rewards for this type of information can be substantial."

The Corporate Whistleblower Center is urging a MD or a healthcare manager to call them anytime if they can prove a drug maker or medical device company is bribing physicians to prescribe or order more drugs-devices-Get Rewarded-Do The Right Thing.

The marijuana presence is still less than alcohol at 0.08 BAC (which is at 27%), however, marijuana presence is up 41% in last 5 years. This is based on the 2017 NHTSA data of 17,326 drivers in fatal crashes with valid drug test performed.

Mandatory testing of fatal crash drivers a national priority. "Probable Cause" used as an excuse for not testing must no longer be allowed. Join our NATIONAL COALITION! madtests.com. Mandatory Alcohol/Drug testing of all fatal crash driver.

Texas DWI/DUI charges can be against those under the influence of either alcohol or another intoxicant, like a drug.

The Corporate Whistleblower Center says, "We are urging an employee at a drug rehab center that is supposed to be helping Medicaid patients with their drug addiction to call us if your employer is billing for services that didn't happen-get rewarded.

ABC Foundations is a drug-free educational remediation center that offers services to children with learning and academic difficulties. Some children struggle with learning and academics due to delay at the brain stem level known as NDD.

Just released data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency (NHTSA) shows 67% of all fatal crash drivers were not drug tested and 59% not tested for DUI, For fatally injured drivers, 46% were not tested for drugs and 38% not tested for DUI.

Book Become International Best Seller

Launches National Commission to Make Recommendations to Congress

A computational study of 4,600 drugs indicates that approved drugs were less effective than non-approved drugs when binding to a COVID-19 protein. In addition, Diosmin, a non-prescription natural supplement bound better than 99% of drugs considered.