Smart Drugs

If the FDA decides that a drug's benefits outweigh its risks, the agency approves the drug for marketing. Approved drugs continue to be evaluated through post marketing surveillance--a system that monitors a drug's safety on an ongoing basis. Post marketing surveillance seeks to identify problems that weren't observed or recognized before approval and any problems that might arise because a product isn't being used as anticipated.

Currently, there are 26 antiretroviral drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat individuals infected with HIV.

Whether depressed patients will respond to an antidepressant depends, in part, on which version of a gene they inherit, a study led by scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has discovered. Having two copies of one version of a gene that codes for a component of the brain's mood-regulating system increased the odds of a favorable response to an antidepressant by up to 18 percent, compared to having two copies of the other, more common version.

Over-the-counter (OTC) products are medicines you can buy without a doctor’s prescription. Many OTC products are advertised to relieve heartburn or acid reflux. These include antacids, bismuth subsalicylate, H2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors and combination medicines.