ppp 01-01-07

Quote of the day: If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play at it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf.

Bob Hope (1903 - 2003)

As the children grew I ended up coaching t-ball, baseball, basketball, and soccer. I each case it was "my team" or my rules. As a coach, the team members were told when to practice and also put through drills (most of them fun) of my design or whim, Players played their assigned positions or not at all based upon my assessment of their skills and cooperation. I have been a "den mother", cub master, and assistant scout master. I have taught or mentored undergrad pharmacy students, graduate students, Pharm D residents and fellows as well as nurses and physicians. In each case the relationship was similar to the coach/player model.

As a father of small children I had the rules or the answers and ran a pretty tight (but loving) ship. My oldest son is now about to take a wife. To add to the holiday activities he decided to purchase a "fixer- upper" home so that he has a threshold over which to carry his new bride next week. I have undertaken (and I chose the word on purpose) many home improvement projects over the years. As he begins work on his shack, I now face a new role in life… no longer a coach but a caddy. A caddy is not the one who strokes the golf ball but knows the course. The caddy has seen the traps and hazards on many occasions and the best approach. His new home is just that…HIS home. I can suggest a "club" and an approach but the choice of "club" and the swing will be his. I'm sure he will fall into his share of traps and see a lot of water but I'll be there to support him. This will be even more fun than when My dad was helping me with my projects…. now I can be the one to go home and leave the mess behind.

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "I feel greatl" a designated driver.

pps. Occasionally, some of the links require FREE registration.... I'm sure you can handle THAT slight inconvenience.

Six more drug companies cleared as generic competition to Zocor. The simvastatin ring appears to be getting full. (I wondered why the wholesale price of simvastatin dropped last week…)

Same thing goes for the drug most commonly used against nausea and vomiting from surgery, cancer drugs, or radiation. Generic ondansetron will take market share from Zofran and will likely cut into the other brand drugs in the class such as Aloxi(palanosetron).

Patients who took Nexium, Prilosec, and other proton pump inhibitors for heartburn or ulcers were more likely to suffer a fractured hip. Researchers think that the change in stomach acidity causes less calcium to be absorbed. Tums are a form of calcium and would not be expected to cause such a problem. It will be interesting to see if the study can be reproduced on our side of the pond.

Diabetes, obesity and heart disease are target of potential blockbuster drugs submitted for FDA decision in 2007. How many are actually approved will be interesting.

Sudoku, crossword puzzles, or even reading a prescription bottle are enough mental exercise to slow mental deterioration. Maybe even reading the Prattle and trying to figure out what I am trying to say may help.

Very interesting approach to obesity…. change your bacteria. If this really works out to be true then it may be fairly easy. (On a trip to Mexico, tourists often change their gut flora fairly quickly). This is very much like the physician who was figuratively booed off of the stage after suggesting the h pylori was responsible for gastric ulcers.

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 1998-2007 PHARMWORKS, LLC all rights reserved.

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