Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 06-16-2003
	Quote of the day: The free expression of the hopes and aspirations of a people is the greatest and only safety in a sane society. Emma Goldman (1869 - 1940), Living My Life, 1931

Good morning and happy Flag day! (June 14th) Officially established in 1916 after some 30 years of celebration it is a day to fly the Flag. It is the anniversary of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as the US flag. Flying the flag should not be a political statement but one of patriotism. We have all been through some trying times these last few years… and not always in agreement as to the best course of action. This is a good chance to rally around the flag and let the world know that, whatever our differences, we are proud to be Americans first. see the origins of Flag Day at …Click here. http://www.usflag.org/flag.day.html -_____...also Happy Father's Day too!(and you know who YOU are!)

1) Workers pay more for drugs….
	A very engaging article about co-pays, life-enhancing drugs, formularies, step therapies and PA. If you only read one article about drugs this week…this is it! …Click here for the full text. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/12/business/12CARE.html

2) Doctor and Pharmacist sued over Oxycontin prescribing by felons who sold the drug to others
	This is a little like the story about a fast food chain being sued for making someone fat. The courts should throw this one out…but stranger things have happened! …Click here for full text of story. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32137-2003Jun8.html

3) Monkey Pox from prairie dogs

Monkey Pox sounds like a joke but not a laughing matter. Just so you know….Bubonic Plague (AKA Black Death) is alive and well in the Prairie Dog population in Utah. Turtles are not sold in pet stores anymore due to the Salmonella that they carry. Maybe Prairie Dogs are next species to be excluded from the pet store window. …Click here for full text of story. http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/10/national/10DOGS.html?th (After I wrote this 6/10/03, but before I published on PHARMWORKS.com, the little critters were banned from pet stores.) see also the HHS site …Click here for connection to CDC site.

4) Hard to get a good night's sleep when you aren't breathing…

New study shows drug effects in sleep apnea. It is very hard to get a good nights sleep when you wake up every 90 seconds to take a breath. The drug is an antidepressant, mirtazapine (AKA Remeron). You'll never guess who funded the study….that's right… those same great people who manufacture Remeron. I believe the results in spite of the sponsor's involvement because it was done at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This is not yet an FDA approved use but I see it catching on because not much else works for sleep apnea. This would fall outside of any STEP THERAPY program for antidepressants but I think that the real patients would be willing to pay for a good night's rest. …Click here for full text of story. http://www.ptcommunity.com/Daily/DailyDetail.cfm?chosen=15033

5) How many reps must a doc talk down before they see it’s a scam?

Not exactly 60's poetry but it will have to do. Present count is 89,723, or about 1 pharmaceutical rep for each 10 physicians. (Only about 54% increase over the number a four years ago). If each rep must have 10 contacts a day to remain a rep then each doctor is seen at least once a day. And you thought direct to consumer advertising was rampant! Story talks about future increases… …Click here for full text of story. http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-4/1054534999301390.xml

6) Statins for diabetics who don't have high cholesterol.
	Can't argue with the science. This study shows a significant benefit. If you are diabetic you should also take Vitamin E 400 IU per day and 500mg of Vitamin C. While you are at it, one aspirin a day couldn't hurt. …Click here for full text of story. http://biz.yahoo.com/rc/030612/health_diabetes_1.html

7) Too bad the Pope refuses medication for his Parkinson's disease

New drug approved for Parkinson's disease on 6/13/03. A combination drug appears to avoid the "ON/OFF" phenomenon seen with other such drugs. It is little know that Pope John Paul II refuses to take medication for his Parkinson's disease because he fears that it would make him less mentally alert. While his mobility and ability to speak are impaired he is still mentally sharp. My son was in Rome for the signing of his latest Encyclical and saw first hand how engaging the man is….we both admire him and the courage it took to make his decision. …Click here for Novartis press release http://dominoext.novartis.com/NC/NCPRRE01.nsf/44aff02a639be034c1256b4b007b5f4d/6e7ba08c06357e87c1256d4400206671?OpenDocument

8) Licorice for SARS?
	Glycyrrhizin is an antiviral that has been used to treat patients with HIV and hepatitis C. It's not candy but an interesting bit of Prattle. …Click here for the full text. http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/66/79800.htm

Have a GREAT week and remember to fly that flag! Steve Disclaimer: "Pepin's Pharmaceutical Prattle" (AKA "The Prattle") is the property of PHARMWORKS, LLC and Steven M. Pepin, Pharm. D, BCPS. The opinions expressed are those of the bald-headed author. To start or stop any drug without the advice a supervision of you physician would be stupid. So don't do anything based upon what you read here without professional advice. To be added to or removed from the distribution list please e-mail your request to pharmworks@pharmworks.com . All insightful comments from readers are thoughtfully considered (the rest are callously discarded). Copyright 2003 PHARMWORKS,LLC all rights reserved.