Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 05-30-2005

 Good morning !

Alternatives to Evidence Based Medicine

I found the list on the Web. My interpretation follows each dash.

1. Eminence based medicine- Doc as diety
2. Vehemence based medicine- certainty replaces cerbration
3. Eloquence based medicine- talk fast and wield a big pen
4. Providence based medicine- "I'd rather be lucky than smart"
5. Diffidence based medicine- Cave in and move on to the next patient
6. Nervousness based medicine- "but the drug rep said I'd be sued if the patient got an ulcer"
7. Confidence based medicine- "Take these and everything will be just fine!"
8. Opulence based medicine- "I only prescribe by brand name" (said with a fake British accent).
9. Annoyance based medicine- "OK… I'll give you more Percocet…quit calling"
10. Arrogance based medicine- "I AM THE DOCTOR!"
11. Propaganda based medicine- "but the ads say it works almost all of the time"
12. Webidence based medicine- Here a click…there a click… everywhere a click click.
13. Surrogate marker based medicine- "Most bald people do well on this drug."
14. Pharmaceutical Rep based medicine- no explanation needed

http://trustmemedblog.blogspot.com/2004_06_01_trustmemedblog_archive.html (Source of the list)

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ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Fantastic...and getting better!"  

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1) Attention please!

How many of you are under the impression that giving your kids candy will make them hyperactive? Lax parenting may contribute to bad behavior but does it "make kids hyperactive?" The myths are explored in this article….. http://articles.health.msn.com/id/100054906

 2) …but I didn't inhale!

The no smoking area begins WHERE? Infants whose mothers smoke have lung damage before they are born. That's right… before they take a whiff of air the babies have lung damage. Only one in 5 pregnant women who smoker quit during pregnancy. Maybe this will be more encouragement.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4576075.stm

3) The answer to counterfeiting…

CVS will no longer buy from small wholesalers (or the back of a truck). This is just one step to make sure that the US drug supply stays safe.

http://yahoo.reuters.com/........_2005-05-24_16-56-04_n24308781_newsml

4) Lifestyle Languishes; Limp Long-lived livid

Lifestyle drugs (Viagra, etc) to be pulled from Medicare Part D benefit if legislator is successful. Weight control drugs did not make the first cut.

http://www.pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=243089&categoryid=9&newsletter=1#

5) And you think YOU have bills!

 Feeling under the gun Binky? How about over 600 bills staring you in the face! Legislation is running wild while politicians play the game of "make somebody ELSE pay for the drugs I want". No wonder that drugs cost so much…. SOMEBODY has to pay for the lawyers and lobbyists! And this tally does not count the lawsuits filed by a certain east coast civil servant/gubernatorial candidate.

http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/drugdisc05.htm

 6) Is there a drug shortage?

Methotrexate and Marplan are just two…. you may be interested to see the other active shortages. Just in case you wonder if a drug is in short supply…I noticed (on my way to look up something else) that Stelazine and Elavil have been discontinued…. the generics are available but no longer available as brands.

 From the FDA site: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/shortages/default.htm#Current

 From ASHP site: resource center/drug shortages http://www.ashp.org/

http://www.ashp.org/shortage/index.cfm?cfid=19237164&CFToken=22166296

7) "The Pharmacy of last resort!"

Free drugs for the needy from samples and donations hopes to open in Cincinatti in 2006. The sponsor does great work across the country providing for the needs of…you guessed it…the needy!

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