Q: I've been refilling the same generic drug prescription at my pharmacy for months without incident, but this month, I was given pills that are a different shape and color. The pharmacist says are the same medication. Isn't this confusing? Why does it happen?

The rates of both cesarean sections and childhood obesity have risen steadily in the U.S. over the last couple of decades. Now, a surprising new study suggests the two trends may be linked.

Don't forget the sunscreen as you head out for some fun this Memorial Day weekend. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has declared today "Don't Fry Day." The sun-safety awareness campaign hopes to educate you on how best to protect your skin from dangerous ultraviolet rays.

Those looking to save on the new generic Plavix (clopidogrel) are in luck. We phoned 30 pharmacies around the U.S. and found the price for a month's supply of the 75 milligram (mg) dose varied from less than $15 at several Costco pharmacies to $175 or more at the CVS, Target, and Walgreens stores we contacted. Walmart consistently quoted us less than $50, as did several independent pharmacies. The online drugstore Healthwarehouse.com lists a 30-day supply for $35. Bottom line? It pays to shop around.

Many treatments can help prevent migraine headaches, but few people who could benefit from them are actually taking advantage of them. That's according to information from the American Academy of Neurology released in April 2012.

It's official: The PSA blood test to screen for prostate cancer has been downgraded to the lowest possible rating of "D" from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, an influential independent advisory board that basically decides what types of preventive care are worth the bother. That's "D" as in "discourage," which is what the task force says doctors should do when their patients ask about this test.

As the Senate prepares to vote on a bill this week to reauthorize the statute governing medical device oversight, Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports called attention to a loophole that puts patients at risk.

We've told you before to stay away from so-called toning shoes because of apparent safety risks. Yesterday's settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and Skechers over the company's deceptive and unsupported claims gives you another reason to consider other fitness footwear.

Any bike helmet is better than riding with no helmet. But when you're paying $50 or $60 for one, you'd like to think that it's going to protect your head if you crash into a curb, a rock, or the ground, right?

Catch a summer cold and you know you're in for about a week of feeling congested and crummy. But what if you could get rid of that cold a little sooner? A new study published online May 7 in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests adults who take zinc supplements within a few days of the onset of symptoms may shorten a cold by nearly two days. However, the study also showed that zinc might cause unpleasant symptoms, including nausea and bad taste.

If your child takes medications such as Ritalin or Adderall to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), you should reconsider after two years or so whether the medications are still helping, according to a new CR Best Buy Drugs report. We found that while those drugs help most children and teens with the condition at first, it's unclear how long the benefits last.

Coming soon to a store near you: sunscreens with labels that are easier to understand. The Food and Drug Administration plans to give manufacturers until mid-December to make all the changes, but many products already have the new labeling. Here are some of the biggest changes, which will also apply to moisturizers and cosmetic products that contain a sun-protection factor (SPF):

Q.When I took some medication this morning, I thought I'd accidentally swallowed the freshness packet in the vial instead of my pill. Luckily, I didn't, but what if I had? Is that dangerous?

Q. I thought I had completed my family, and was confident of never getting pregnant again because I had an IUD. So we bought an individual family plan from Blue Shield of California that excludes pregnancy. But I got pregnant anyway. I asked to be moved to a plan that covers pregnancy, and was denied because of my "pre-existing condition." Is this legit?

Following the U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement last week of a new case of mad cow disease in California, Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, today called on the USDA and the Food and Drug Administration to take new measures to detect and prevent mad cow disease in U.S. beef and dairy cows.