Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 11-03-2003
	Quote of the day: Be still when you have nothing to say; when genuine passion moves you, say what you've got to say, and say it hot. D. H. Lawrence (1885 - 1930)

Good Morning! I agree with old D.H. … if it really doesn't matter that much then why make a fuss? If it REALLY matters then raise the roof. You have to have an opinion on just about everything. But a few things can really set us off. For some it is the government for others the Right or the Left. Some hate corporations…others Unions. When it comes down to it, we protect our enlightened self-interest. When seniors see the availability of Lipitor from Canada for 30% savings they leap at the chance without regard to the law….they might not see the big picture and the ramifications of EVERYBODY doing what they are doing. Studies show that 70% of Americans want cheaper drugs from Canada. If all 70% did get their drugs from Canada then the whole dynamics of the drug market change. The FDA is caving in now when they need to enforce existing laws. Allowing the reimportation is a MISTAKE. More will be done with a Medicare bill through Congress than through letting States buy their drugs from Canada. (These, of course, are just my opinions…..you know the rest)....See the ppp Survey results for the "earful" that I got when I asked what you thought!

1) Compounding one problem with another…

A fine line exists between mixing up a single batch of you physician's "special" remedy (usually an ointment) and the mass production of large quantities. Compounded drugs can easily cost $200 when a prescription equivalent would be less than half that amount. Who makes the difference? The pharmacist who takes the time to compound the medicine. Contrast that with the fact that more than 650 pharmacies across the country filling more than 13 million prescriptions for compounded drugs annually an we see this for what it is: local, unregulated manufacturing. Safe and effective…. no one knows. (Read on) …Click here for full text of story. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/10/24/MNGBM2IGVU1.DTL

2) More (or less) from Congres
	On the Medicare Prescription Drug benefit….and I'm sure when all is said and done…more will be said than done. …Click here for full text of story. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5400-2003Oct23.html Even so, the President is pushing hard….…Click here for full text of story. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38255-2003Oct29.html

3) Daily Aspirin linked to cancer.

Pancreatic cancer in women taking it long term. It increased the incidence of a rare cancer by 46%. Study looks legitimate….but I’d still go with the Aspirin… greater chance of cardiovascular disease than pancreatic cancer. The net increase in cardiovascular risk far outweighs the increased chances of getting pancreatic cancer. (Just my opinion… I could be wrong) …Click here for full text of story. http://www.msnbc.com/news/985696.asp

4) Thug drug banned.
	Tetrahydrogestrinone (THG) is used by athletes to improve their performance and does not meet the standards as a dietary supplement. This synthetic "designer" steroid is not allowed and will be detected. …Click here for full text of story. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00967.html

5) USA is the DO IT YOURSELF country and Canada says GO FOR IT

Canada says that the US should enforce it own laws rather that making Canada do something to stop the flow of drugs into the US. If the FDA does not go after enforcement of reimportation bans then we can expect COUNTERFIET DRUGS, DISTRESSED DRUGS, and eventual US PRICE CONTROLS on drugs. …Click here for full text of story. http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2003/10/24/fda_eases_stance_on_importing_medicines/ I wonder how much of the Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and Maine employee's retirement funds are tied up in US DRUG COMPANY STOCKS? When THEY fall then the workers will loose more than the States will ever gain through reimportation. (Why not just have everybody use MAIL ORDER in the US and save at least 15%?) …Click here for full text of story. http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Feed=RTR&Date=20031030&ID=3019971&Symbol=US:LLY

6) US citizens pay less than the rest of the world for drugs?
	Based upon per capita income levels or the number of hours worked per Lipitor capsule the US gets by easy. But when your income stops you suddenly become third world no matter what country you call home. Read on… an interesting perspective. …Click here for full text of story. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20031029/us_nm/health_prices_dc_4

7) 28,000 pills over 2 lifetimes

A physician/artist in England reviewed patient charts and came up with the amount of medicine needed for a couple…cradle to grave. Let's do the math…. 28,000 pills over 158 combines years is 177 pills per year of life…. If we figure even $2 per pill, then the cost of a lifetime of medicine for two people would be less than one year of cable TV! Something doesn't add up! (Maybe they just got tired of glueing the pills to the cloth and quit!) …Click here for full text of story. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=583&ncid=583&e=10&u=/nm/20031030/od_nm/art_dc

Have a SUPER-FANTASTIC week!...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 and supervision of your 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 spepin@pharmworks.com . All insightful comments from readers are thoughtfully considered (the rest are callously discarded). Copyright 1998-2003 PHARMWORKS,LLC all rights reserved.