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1) For those of you who just
awoke from a week long coma….
Vioxx was pulled from
the world wide market. Results of studies revealed more deaths
than those taking placebo. The drug was used for pain so
patients will seek alternatives : ibuprofen, naproxen, Celebrex
and other NSAIDs .The morning the news broke I performed a
Google search for news and had to made through all of the lawyer
sites which offered to help me sue the drug company. Maybe this
is one reason I am for tort reform….
Members can receive
reimbursement for unused pills but only what they paid.
See the FDA
announcement at:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01122.html
and
more at:
http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/vioxx/default.htm
2) Intestinal
hormone may curb appetite when snorted.
Yes, another weight
loss miracle drug on the far horizon,. People who received the
drug intravenously ate about 1/3 less that those who did not
receive the drug. It is still far enough away from market that
it is still knows by letters and numbers and not by name.
Concerns over side effects, whether it will work through the
nasal spray route, and if the effects will last still need to be
addresses. The real question is not how many years it will take
to become approved but how much fatter will those who wait for
it be if they don't use diet and exercise until then. (Note that
the little company that "found" this have partner with the same
great people who brought you Vioxx) Maybe you shouldn't dump
that Merck stock…)
http://www.nastech.com/nastech/pyy or
http://www.pharmalive.com/news/index.cfm?articleID=174308&categoryid=9&newsletter=1
3) Dirty Dozen.... warning
not to buy these 12 drugs over the Internet.
Interesting list of
drugs for those of you who feel like gambling with their health.
(Some are flat out too dangerous without extremely careful
physician monitoring… even if you do get the real drug.)
http://www.fda.gov/oc/buyonline/consumeralert120902.html
4)
Safer with or without a pharmacist looking at your anticoagulant
therapy?
Survey says: SAFER and
less expensively. Congress is mulling over whether or not to pay
pharmacists for consultative service…. a little more ammo
couldn't hurt. (Long and scientific but many of you will get the
most out of the short abstract)
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/489309?src=mp
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