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Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 05-29-2006
Quote of the day: What's money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do. Bob Dylan
Medicare Part-Dylan? Bob Dylan (born Bob Zimmerman in Duluth Minnesota) turned 65 last week. He came down from "da iron range" and went to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He worked on the staff of the campus paper, the Minnesota Daily. Here is a list of 10 songs written (and/or performed) by Dylan as originally titled and as I imagine he would re-write them as he joins the geriatric jet-set on this historic birthday.
1 House of the Rising Sun (House of the Setting Sun) 2 I Forgot More Than You'll Ever Know (I Forgot More Than I Ever Knew) 3 Knockin' on Heaven's Door (Reprise) 4 Like a Rollin’ Stone (Like a Kidney Stone) 5 Bye and Bye (Bye Bye) 6 Positively 4th Street. (I think I Live on 4th Street) 7 Blowin' In the Wind (Breakin' Wind) 8 I'll Remember You (What's your Name Again?) 9 Orange Juice Blues (Prune Juice Blues) 10 You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go (I'm Gonna Make you Lonesome When I go)
Happy Birthday Bob. Don't burn the house down when you light the cake! What's that? Laxative: Isle 5; Pain killers: Isle 3; Vitamins: endcap of Isle 4....
psst... Don't tell Letterman about this list.... unless he wants to pay royalties. =================================================== ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Alive and Doin' fine" pps. Occasionally, some of the links require FREE registration.... I'm sure you can handle THAT slight inconvenience. ------------
1) Hydrophobia and breast cancer Not rabies (old term was hydrophobia- fear of water)! First the good new… statins do not increase the risk of breast cancer. Now the better news…some statins are associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer. Drug can be hydrophilic (lover of water) or hydrophobic (it’s a solubility thing). The hydrophobic statins (simvastatin, lovastatin, and fluvastatin) were associated with an 18% lower breast cancer incidence than hydrophilic statins (HR =0.82, 95% CI = 0.70 to 0.97, P = .02 ---for you data nerds). http://jncicancerspectrum.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/jnci;98/10/700.pdf
2) A pox off you! New anti-shingles vaccine approved. Can be given to patient who have previously had chickenpox and want to avoid getting shingles. Both are caused by the same virus. It is very common for grandparents who have had chickenpox in their youth to have a flair of the virus that can cause excruciating pain and even blindness. http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060526/shingles_vaccine.html?.v=2
3) Would you vaccinate your pre-teen against an STD? Dallas Morning News reports on a drug company effort to woo those who might boycott their not-yet-approved vaccine against HPV (human papaloma virus) which causes the majority of cervical cancers. They want to make sure that the vaccine is not associated with irresponsible teen sex or the use of condoms. Would I want to protect my children, grand children, great grand children, etc from the past indiscretions of their future spouses?…. yes! http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/h
4) No no to logo CMS to restrict the pharmacy logo on Medicare Part-D cards issued to seniors. By co-branding with big chains and the prominence of the pharmacy logo, seniors think that they must use that pharmacy chain. Most cards can be used in most pharmacies and the little pharmacies made their combined voices heard. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060524/ap_on_he_me/pharmacists_medicare
5) Brits to get OTC Triptan At $7.50 per tablets in packs of two they might not be abused. In the colonies, where citizens pay a small co-pay for a bunch, we have seen subjects attempt to take daily triptans. Triptans do not work prophylacticaly and expose the peasants to all of the side effects and none of the benefits. Look for a stronger push to make them OTC here as the Fed picks up the tab on PRESCRIPTION drugs. http://yahoo.reuters.com/stocks/QuoteCompany
6) Splitting hairs This is a nice piece (pun intended) about tablet splitting. Gives the who, what, when, and where of it all. (and a few DON'Ts). http://www.ismp.org/newsletters/acutecare/articles/20060518.asp
7) Daily brew-ski good-ski for men-ski (even if you don't ski) While the rates of heart attack is reduced by about 41% in men who take a daily drink of alcohol, imbibing in too much can lead to liver disease, car accidents, and cancer. The key is moderation. Women also experienced a reduction but they may only need one drink per week (lucky them….. six days a week away from drinking men.)
Have a SUPER-FANTASTIC week. Steve ps Thanks, Dad, for your sacrifice! 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 1998-2006 PHARMWORKS, LLC all rights reserved. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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