Globalwatch

The three-year study of more than 20,000 women found that over-the-counter availability had little real-world effect at all. Roughly the same percentage of women used it before and after it became more easily available in January 2001 —about 8 per cent annually.

The researchers concluded that fears that non-prescription emergency contraception would change contraceptive practices for the worse were unfounded, as were hopes that it would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.

Unexpected side effects in some Parkinson’s drugs
Doctors are warning that in rare cases, some Parkinson’s drugs can trigger uncharacteristic predilections, including gambling, obsessive housecleaning, compulsive tinkering with electrical components, and a robust increase in sex.

Doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., noticed that a small number of patients were complaining of new habits, most notably a new penchant for gambling. Some individuals lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Spouses were also sharing personal stories about increased libido and extramarital affairs.

Narcotic painkiller Palladone withdrawn in US
Less than six months after it came onto the market, the powerful narcotic painkiller Palladone was abruptly withdrawn on Wednesday because of evidence that the one-a-day pills could be fatal to patients who take them with alcohol.

The 24-hour extended-release medication, the first of its kind in the United States, was approved by the FDA last September for people in chronic pain who were already using morphine-based painkillers.

— Agencies