A report released Thursday found that prescription painkillers prices have gone up as much as 15% since Merck & Co. announced it would no longer sell its popular arthritis drug, Vioxx; was prohibited after heart problems were associated with its prolonged use.

Since the September withdrawal, the price for prescription-strength Motrin rose from $30 to $34; while prescriptions for Mobic doubled from 314,000 to 742,000

A report released today by The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that as many as 98,000 Americans die each year because of medical errors.

The study found that the death rate has not changed much since 2000, when the Institute of Medicine released an initial report stating that thousands die each year due to medical mistakes

Medicare covers 43 million elderly and disabled Americans.

The White House projects the total cost of covering prescription drugs over the next decade at $724 billion, of which $2 billion will be used for impotency drugs

The Food and Drug Administration annouced its approval of a new drug derived from the saliva of a poisonous lizard called the Gila monster.

Byetta, chemically called exenatide, is the newest option for Type 2 diabetics. The drug is the first of its kind, requires injections twice a day, and presently must be taken along with older diabetes treaments

The morning after pill gets approved for over-the-counter sales in Canada. The drug levonorgestrel, sold under the brand name Plan B, has been approved for sale directly from pharmacies, Health Canada confirmed earlier this week. Plan B will be kept behind the counter and available without a doctor's prescription. The pill is considered 95 percent effective at preventing unintended pregnancy if taken within 24 hours of unprotected sex, but has no effect on an established pregnancy. It prevents pregnancy by preventing embryos from attaching to the wall of the uterus. Health Canada's move follows British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Quebec, where women can already access the contraceptive without a prescription. Last month, researchers in B.C. found use of the emergency contraception had doubled in the province since the pill became over-the-counter. Under new federal rules, pharmacists will have to offer counseling about side effects such as nausea and vomiting, sexually transmitted diseases, and contraception to women requesting the drug. It is up to the provinces and territories to decide if they wish to move further and remove all restrictions on the drug, allowing women to access it without the help of the pharmacist