Safety and efficiency of a new generic package labelling: a before and after study in a simulated setting.

Background: Medication errors are frequent and may cause harm to patients and increase healthcare expenses.

Aim: To explore whether a new labelling influences time and errors when preparing medications in accordance with medication charts in an experimental setting.

Method: We carried out an uncontrolled before and after study with 3 months inbetween experiments.

Package Design Affects Accuracy Recognition for Medications.

Objective: Our aim was to test if highlighting and placement of substance name on medication package have the potential to reduce patient errors.

Background: An unintentional overdose of medication is a large health issue that might be linked to medication package design. In two experiments, placement, background color, and the active ingredient of generic medication packages were manipulated according to best human factors guidelines to reduce causes of labeling-related patient errors.

Risk of fetal death after pandemic influenza virus infection or vaccination.

Background: During the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic, pregnant women were at risk for severe influenza illness. This concern was complicated by questions about vaccine safety in pregnant women that were raised by anecdotal reports of fetal deaths after vaccination.

Methods: We explored the safety of influenza vaccination of pregnant women by linking Norwegian national registries and medical consultation data to determine influenza diagnosis, vaccination status, birth outcomes, and background information for pregnant women before, during, and after the pandemic.

Comparative effectiveness of antihypertensive medication for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and multiple treatments meta-analysis.

Background: We conducted a systematic review of evidence from randomized controlled trials to answer the following research question: What are the relative effects of different classes of antihypertensive drugs in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease outcomes for healthy people at risk of cardiovascular disease?

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED (up to February 2011) and CENTRAL (up to May 2009), and reference lists in recent systematic reviews. Titles and abstracts were assessed for relevance and those potentially fulfilling our inclusion criteria were then assessed in full text. Two reviewers made independent assessments at each step.

[Phytoestrogens and menopausal symptoms].

Phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) have become popular alternatives to conventional oestrogen products, and various preparations are marketed as effective in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. A number of clinical trials have been conducted, but it is still difficult to assess the effectiveness of plant oestrogen treatment. If treatment is started, the same precautions should be taken as with conventional oestrogen treatment.