FDA Consumer July-August 1995 Table of Contents

VOL. 29 No. 6

JULY-AUGUST 1995

Features

FDA's Forensic Center: Speedy, Sophisticated Sleuthing
Thirty chemists and three biologists in Cincinnati spearhead FDA's efforts to unravel the scientific mysteries of tamperings and other criminal activities. Their careful observations have high-tech help.

Thwarting Skin Cancer with Sun Sense
Skin cancer is now about as common as all other cancers combined. Fortunately, early diagnosis is easy, and most types are highly curable. But prevention is also easy and more desirable.

Not a Cure-All: Eye Surgery Helps Some See Better
Growing numbers of people are having eye surgery to correct nearsightedness. How effective are these procedures? What are the risks? And will refractive surgery by laser rather than knife offer any extra benefits?

Conditions Men Get, Too
Breast cancer, osteoporosis, and eating disorders are three maladies often thought of as "women's diseases." This stereotype often prevents men who contract them from getting the help they need.

Making It Easier to Read Prescriptions
What looks like gobbledygook to most laypersons and has been Latin shorthand to many medical professionals is now being replaced by clearer ways to write prescriptions to avoid medication errors.

Departments

Updates: The latest information on FDA-related issues, gathered from FDA Press Releases, Talk Papers, and other sources.
Notebook: A potpourri of items of interest gathered from the Federal Register and other sources.
Investigators' Reports: Selected cases illustrating regulatory and administrative actions--such as inspections, recalls, seizures, and court proceedings--by FDA's regional and district offices across the country
Summaries of Court Actions: Cases involving seizure, criminal and injunction proceedings.