ppp 05-05-08

Quote of the day: The world is full of women blindsided by the unceasing demands of motherhood,

still flabbergasted by how a job can be terrific and torturous.

Anna Quindlen (1953 - ), O Magazine, May 2003

Next Sunday is Mother’s day. A day for flowers and cards… calls and calories. We call, write or visit the ones who brought us into the world or were the working partner in bring our children to the light of day. We often think of Mother’s and babies but most women will still refer to their grown children as “their babies.” Mothers do go through a lot once the birthing process is complete. (Most would consider THAT the easy part… just not out loud in front of men). The endless days and nights of isolation, the palpable fatigue, 300 “boo boos” to kiss, homework, piano lessons, and seemingly endless ball games all take their toll.

The kids came up with the words for which MOM stands: Mean Old Mom! This name was usually used when one of the children was refused something or an activity. When M.O.M set a curfew she was being mean. When permission was not granted for a “cute little tattoo” M.O,M had to endure a freeze out. When we held one of our children to an agreement to study all summer for SAT/ACT exams by completing an online course, Mean Old Mom and Double Awful Dad were not on the top of the popularity poll. Children may rebel against limits but desperately need them to remain feeling “safe”. They know that someone cares enough about them to protect them from themselves and from getting completely out of control.

The FDA is a little like a mother. Sometimes we would like to call the agency, M.O.F.D.A. It does provide a safe environment for all of us by setting limits which we all might not like but live better due to. I'm thinking flower this year.

So years later how does the story end? The retest of the SAT showed over a 200 point improvement… enough for a college scholarship. The tattoo had to wait until an 18^th birthday. The children all can now joke about Mean Old Mom and the limits that were placed. All have discipline and earned self respect. They have grown in wisdom and maturity and understand just how hard it was for their mother to say “no” but how much love she was bestowing on them. All of the children will call, write or hug on mother’s day but all of the them honor, respect, and love their mother all the year long… just as it should be.

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "I am doing as well as can be expected" (my youngest brother over the weekend)

Appears that hormone replacement therapy increases the risk of strokes (on top of the previously uncovered health risks). Researches followed “only” 121,700 women over about a 34 year period. With these numbers I’d be inclined to believe the results. Hang in there mom.

The ideo-bloggers are having a field day with this one. Most do not understand the profession of pharmacy or basic biology. Read for yourself. It is nice to know that there may be at least one state in which I could practice retail pharmacy… if I wanted to…

All lots of Digitek have been recalled because of the potential that some tablets contain double the labeled amount of a very potent heart drug.

FDA is evaluating a new form of OxyContin that can’t be crushed. Crushing turns it into “goo” that can’t be injected. making it, theoretically, less abusable. I suspect that the FDA will allow reformulation and that the manufacturer will then have extended their lock on sustained release oxycodone. Just a guess… I could be wrong.

Amitiza (lubiprostone) approved for the constipation dominant form of IBS in women. Now you know what to get the women who has everything, including IBS, for Mother’s day.

Look at the percentages of people sharing anything from OxyContin and antibiotics to Allergra and oral contraceptives!

I am getting the impression that people are incensed at this practice, paying for treatment. Like prepaying at the pump to avoid “drive offs” (people stealing gasoline) hospitals who are being cheated out of millions on dollars worth of chemotherapy drugs are asking for people to pay for the treatment they receive. I know that cancer is an emotional subject but the cheaters seem to want to hide behind the smoke screen. (Think about what your mother would want you to do!) In case you think hospital bad debt is small potatoes… last year it was over $31 BILLION. Hospitals are businesses and if they looses this kind on money then you may not have one as close to home as you would like. Maybe if all of us had to prepay for all of our good and services then bankruptcies would be reduced as well as the growing amount of personal debt.

Disclaimer: "Pepin's Pharmaceutical Prattle" (AKA "The Prattle") is the property of PHARMWORKS, LLC and Steven M. Pepin, Pharm. D. 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 1998-2008 PHARMWORKS, LLC all rights reserved.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------