ppp 07-05-04

Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 07-05-2004
	Quote of the day: Whenever evil befalls us, we ought to ask ourselves, after the first suffering, how we can turn it into good. So shall we take occasion, from one bitter root, to raise perhaps many flowers. Leigh Hunt (1784 - 1859)

Good morning !

Hope you had a nice 4Th of July. This is more than the anniversary of the first time you were able to get up on one water ski, ate four brats at one sitting or contracted that serious case of poison ivy. Focus on the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (See http://www.law.indiana.edu/uslawdocs/declaration.html for the text and the signers... reading it once a year won't hurt you!). Just a few patriots with popular support and an incredible determination made a difference. Do you have that same kind of "stuff"? I would bet that you do. You need to believe that you can make a difference and make it happen…. do what it takes. You may not be taking on the British Empire but smaller challenges such as smoking, family relationships, crazy work schedules, or just your morning commute. Remember that you may not be able to control "others" or the situations in which you find yourself but you can control the most important piece of the whole picture…. your attitude! If you get caught by the third stoplight in a row you can choose to respond with anger (which will not change the light one second earlier) or accept it and move on when it changes. Other obstacles may actually allow you to change something in addition to your attitude. You may be able to take some planned action to move you closer to your goal. Quitting smoking "cold turkey" may be next to impossible but if you plan for pharmacological backup with support from family and friends you CAN do it. You may need to write your own "declaration of independence". Keep a positive attitude and you can accomplish a lot….. maybe even getting up on one ski again.

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1) Viva Lost Vagus

Man with intractable hiccoughs received a vagus nerve stimulator implant. He had been using huge doses of Stadol, a very potent and addicting narcotic with limited success.

This could replace the "Dill pickle and orange juice" concocted by my daughter 20 years ago. Crazy as it sounds this "home remedy" works for run of the mill hiccoughs. First a bite of dill pickle followed by a swallow of orange juice. Try it next time and let me know how it works for you!

http://scienceblog.com/community/article3116.html

2) Generic drugs are growing like crazy!

$80 Billion dollars worth …. probably will replace $200 billion of proprietary drugs worldwide. The French and Italians appear slow on the uptake… of generics, that is. Will likely change as both consider changes in their health care systems favoring generics.

http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Feed=RTR&Date=20040629&ID=3842053&Symbol=US:MRK

3) Just faking it…

Counterfeit Viagra found in 2 California pharmacies. (Where else?) Very subtle differences exist (see additional link to the Pfizer site) in labeling and appearance. At $10 per pill this could be more profitable

to the bad guys that illegal narcotics. Fortunately, the fake drug doesn't DO anything…. no effects but no side effects either.(If you can't trust the California pharmacists to dispense real American drugs what can you expect when they receive their wholesale supplies from Canada?….The California pharmacists have been strong pushers for reimportation…. especially if they can wholesale import and sell them to patients for the same price). Ok call me a cynic… "Just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you!"

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01083.html

4) Chips… hold the dip!

The counterfeit craze may require a high tech solution. Adding microchips to the pills bottles now…. could be added to the pills themselves if they become cheap enough and digestible. Funny that this is being tested on bottles of Viagra….see story above.

http://www.forbes.com/healthcare/2004/06/30/cx_mh_0630rfid.html

Call the loan officer I use:

Maria (Pepin) Sifuentes at 1-800-322-4025 Extn 724

msifuentes@affinity-mortgage.com

Mention the Prattle and get $100 off your closing costs.(Seriously!)

h www.affinity-mortgage.com h

5) "One small step for Man, one giant leap for …" Electronic prescribing get one more boost from access to PBM data. (and don't forget that RxHub is still out there http://www.rxhub.net/ with a very nicely redesigned website I might add ) http://www.pharmacyonesource.com/members/work/daily_news/article.asp?category_id=19&record_id=111019 6) Leeches, rapid HIV test in spit, and the latest "heart-throb" from InSync Live leeches are now FDA approved for use in skin grafts, while a blood test for HIV may be used with saliva. InSynch (the manufacturer not the boy band) has a new implantable defibrillator.. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/482387 7) Done Dippin' Kicking snuff with a little help from friends…. 4 little phone calls of support made the difference between success and the need for another attempt. Would be nice to see if the same technique works for smoking. http://scienceblog.com/community/article3149.html ----
	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 1998-2004 PHARMWORKS, LLC all rights reserved.

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