ppp 09-25-06

Quote of the day: Nurture your mind with great thoughts;

to believe in the heroic makes heroes.

Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)

Who is the greatest super hero of all time? Storm (controls the elements but who would notice this time of year)? Wolverine (titanium skeleton and self healing but badly in need of a shave and better attitude)? Hulk (big and strong but relies on his rage)? Spiderman (strong nimble and great web shooters but how would he cross Nebraska?), Who wouldn't pick Superman with his strength, x-ray vision, flight, and thick skin? … but then there is that Kryptonite thing! Underdog? (P.l.eeee.a.s.e spare me!). I would vote for Batman because he has no super-powers…. he relies on this intelligence, natural strength, and technology purchased with his unlimited wealth… I just hope he always buys Energizer batteries or a techno failure might occur that would mean his demise.

What do the above superheroes all have in common besides an Achilles heel or character flaw?… none of them are real! These characters were created out of the imagination, most frequently modeled after one or more of the Greek or Roman gods. Those ancient people created their gods after themselves, including major character flaws. Looking to real people we find a similar pattern; Martin Luther King, JFK, Ronald Regan, Teddy Roosevelt, Lincoln, or George Washington may have been great men but not without faults. Helen Keller is the closest thing to a real superhero that I can conjure. Without the gift of hearing she became and eloquent orator. Without the gift of sight she could see a better world and worked to improve it. Are there other less famous superheroes? I'd say there are millions of them and we call them parents. The African mother who gives what little food she has to her starving child, those working two jobs to put their children through school, or the couple who adopt a handicapped child are all heroes. Do they have faults? Yes… but then again even those superheroes with superpowers that spring from our imaginations have faults. The trick is to know your faults and work on improving yourself to provide a good example for the next generation. After you finish that task you can always fight for truth, justice, and the American way!

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Super!" (Inspired me to write this week's editorial)

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

More warning added to Ortho Evra contraceptive patch. Women using the patch had twice the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs than did women on the oral form of the hormones. Clots have been reported as a potential risk of all hormonal contraceptives. I expect stroke and heart attacks would follow the clots. http://money.cnn.com/2006/09/19/news/companies/celebrex/index.htm?source=yahoo_quote

Celebrex is being studied for the prevention of colon cancer. Less inflammation, fewer polyps. Fewer polyps, fewer tumors. (Story out of London) Can only help the bottom line (pun intended).

Since all of the COX-2's suffered blows two years ago (fatal to Vioxx) Celebrex is now climbing to profitability from being seriously wounded (I'd call $2 Billion healthy, wouldn't you?).

Some employers are giving away generic drugs to participants as a way to promote there use. The cost avoidance of the employer portion of a brand name drug is greater than the full cost of the generics. Employers know that people who take the drugs that they need are healthier and more productive employees. (not altruistic… but practical)

Everyone is seeking a way around the rising cost of biotech drugs. These high priced items like Cerezyme, Enbrel, and Tysarabi are breaking the backs of employers and government. Some PBMs are recommending percentage copays or grossly higher copays for the people who receive the drugs. Some want to legislate lower prices for the drugs or early generic encroachment on patents which would, in my opinion, undermine the development of new drugs. On a macro scale what makes more sense is to raise the cost of the insurance to spread these costs out over a broader population. On a micro level the best thing to do is make sure that the drugs are being used appropriately. This may go beyond simple prior authorization but true therapeutic monitoring of those who do get the drug. Resources are too scarce to waste any but people who need these drugs can't always afford them. Could you?

7) No longer will senior have to use Nightcrawler (X-Men) to transport drugs to the US from Canada.

New proposed legislation would make it ok to carry Canadian drugs across the border for personal use. Feds haven't been busting grandma and gramps on this form of importation in the past but this legislation sets bad expectations.

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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