Do you have expired, unused, or unwanted medicines sitting in your medicine cabinet? If so, take advantage of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, April 28th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at locations around the country. Although a trip to the pharmacy or local police station may seem inconvenient, consider that improper drug disposal is one of the reasons why trace amounts of antibiotics, anticonvulsants, hormones, and others drugs are found in drinking water.

Men planning to take the drug finasteride—the active ingredient in both Propecia, the medication to combat hair loss and Proscar, the medication to shrink enlarged prostates—may want to carefully consider the risk of sexual side effects. Those drugs have been associated with a decreased libido, problems with orgasm, and other issues that can continue for some time after men stop taking them, according to the drugs' labels that were recently updated by the Food and Drug Administration.

When I use an over-the-counter decongestant nasal spray, like Afrin, can I also take decongestant pills? What should I watch out for?

The U.S. Justice Department hit the drug-maker Merck with a $322 million penalty for illegally promoting the pain reliever rofecoxib (Vioxx) to treat rheumatoid arthritis before it received approval by the Food and Drug Administration for that condition.

Many women with incontinence are likely better off trying lifestyle changes first--such as cutting back on caffeinated beverages, along with bladder-training exercises--before turning to a drug, according to an analysis in the Annals of Internal Medicine released today.

The Food and Drug Administration this week approved three generic formulations of the osteoporosis drug, Boniva (ibandronate). Although these generic versions will eventually be less expensive than the brand-name medication, we recommend caution with this class of drugs, known as bisphosphonates. They offer only modest benefits at best, and come with a risk of serious side effects.

The FDA approved today the first generic version of the antidepressant escitalopram (Lexapro). But don't expect its price to nosedive just yet, say our experts at Best Buy Drugs. Since just two generic manufacturers are currently allowed to make the drug until mid-September, prices are likely to stay put at $137 or so for a month's supply.

Cholesterol-lowering medications called statins, including atorvastatin (Lipitor and generic), lovastatin (Mevacor and generic) and simvastatin (Zocor and generic), can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and might cause rare cases of memory loss, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Earlier this week, the agency said these new side effects would be added to the labeling of these drugs. Such risks underscore our advice to first try to reduce high cholesterol through lifestyle changes, such as a healthy diet and exercise before turning to a statin.

If you have stable heart disease the initial treatment should usually be lifestyle changes plus drugs, not angioplasty, according to a study out today in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Yet, as we’ve previously reported, that’s not the way doctors treat most people with heart disease.

Glenmark Generics has recalled seven lots of its generic birth control pills Norgestimate and Ethinyl Estradiol, because in some blister packs the weekly tablet orientation is reversed, putting the pills in the wrong order.

A committee of experts voted 20 to 2 Wednesday that the Food and Drug Administration should approve the weight loss drug Qnexa despite concerns about its safety. We think that even if the FDA ultimately approves the drug, you should probably skip it.

A recall of RegenArouse, a "natural female intimacy enhancement" supplement, is being conducted by its maker, Regeneca, Inc., said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration today. The herbal pills actually contain, tadalafil, the drug found in Cialis and other pills used to treat erectile dysfunction in males.

Medications called proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) might increase the risk of a type of chronic diarrhea that can lead to severe intestinal problems and, in rare cases, death, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday. These drugs—which include Nexium, Prevacid, and Prilosec—are used to treat heartburn and gastroesophogeal reflux disease (GERD).

The McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of Johnson & Johnson has asked retailers to remove approximately 12 million bottles of its Motrin painkillers from retail shelves. Company testing of samples of the drug revealed that the coated caplets may not dissolve as quickly as intended.

Well-known birth control pills such as Yaz and Yasmin need stronger warnings about the risk of blood clots, an FDA advisory committee reportedly recommended last week. This comes on the heels of the agency’s recently released analysis showing the drugs pose a greater risk of clots compared to older birth control pills. The FDA acknowledged that other studies have not found such an increase. With all the controversy, where does this leave women who take Yaz and related oral contraceptives?