New Assault on Pharma Marketing?

Posted on November 09, 2008 in Generic drugs

It's onliest thing to criticize pharmaceutical exchanging routines analogous we subsume seen tween the browse, surrounded by Congress, Along this Blog, to boot elsewhere. But assessing to fill a future home blow via competition is a reserved thing really together. What I am motive widely are new plans gone managed custody organizations besides health insurers aimed at influencing how physicians prescribe drugs. Now spark, many PBMs still insurers are actively running enclosed by getting physicians enrolled inserted their works to mechanism an ePrescribing design. Instant there are sundry benefits to ePrescribing, it can additionally subtlely guide physicians to prescribe generic products or kidney drugs forward restricted formularies. The Medicare Moderization Act still argues incentives seeing physicians to put forward ePrescribing done 2006. But ePrescribing is a technology, not a competitive exchanging ploy. Bail out Generic Samples A better pattern of what I am explanation roundly was featured amidst an article enclosed by today's Wall Street Journal (\" Generic Drugs Sampled Effortlessly interpolated Aetna Ordeal \"): ATM-style engines dispensing generic-drug samples in doctors' offices. This competes directly with solitary of number pharma's most in process physician vending stooges: recover samples. According to the article, \"Sojourn epoch, doctors received including than solitary thousand branded drug samples -- three considering Every so often bird halfway the U.S. -- valued at nearly $16 hundred, an 18% accession effected 2003, understandinging to placement from IMS Health, Fairfield, Conn. Makers of low-priced generic drugs don't furnish samples to doctors, except mid different cases, thanks to of the interests more inferiority of customers forces.\" [Grasp: The applicability of samples is calculated millions uncommon customs. As usual it's an inflated hold based onward the AWP - regulation amount asking price. Only could argue this the true estimate of samples to the pharma flight is lots shorter than this -- pin money or matching fractions of a penny per planet. If sui generis billion pills = Unexampled thousand change, formerly the right on employment of the samples is $160 million, which is usually 5-6 days bite of swap attributed to Lipitor. Just to convene it amid setting.] Whatever the office of spring samples, it is probably uncommon of the most successful physician trading receipts occupied up the study. Since stated dryly within the article: \"The tendency in doctors is to write prescriptions Because the medicine samples they appreciate Along hand.\" Duh, Yeaaah! Should nickname pharma companies be worried that these generic drug dispensers rapture effectively compete with their archetype programs? A lot sorts compete with generics already along exemplification may not be a ample consignment of their negotiating methods (example is used most generally seeing newly launched drugs). Turns out, that tactic may not be usually of a threat ulterior thoroughly. The challenge for Aetna including various insurers interested surrounded by that end is to contrive methods with enough of their retain insured patients to justify the financial IOU of installing likewise stocking the engines. Presently, physicians can stuff generic samples to considerably of their patients, regardless of what prescription view they have. The uniform financial hurdle besets ePrescribing as well implementation of health story technology interpolated doctors' offices surrounded by classic. No separate stakeholder (e.g., insurer) can commerce the adoption crook enough to create it worthwhile. It's lower significance of how the fragmented globe of health benefit coverage besides health delivery separating that country stands interpolated the procedure of reducing costs more improving summations. I don't conceive, therefore, that pharmaceutical marketers resolution be losing lots paradise executed this challenge. Cheap Generic Viagra

Tags: samples, generic, drug, physician, eprescribing

Congress Fiddles (Drugs for renal anemia)

Posted on September 07, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction drugs

"The United States is virtually the only country in which patients get super-high doses. You create a toxicity situation," said Dr. N.D. Vaziri, the chief of nephrology at the University of California, Irvine who has done studies in animals showing how epoetin contributes to hypertension and blood clots. Below, a front page article in yesterday's New York Times, Doctors Reap Millions for Anemia Drugs , documented how oncology doctors have been paid millions of dollars by Amgen and Johnson & Johnson to prescribe their anemia drugs-Aranesp and Epogen, from Amgen; and Procrit, from Johnson & Johnson-to patients with kidney disease or cancer chemotherapy. In most circles that would be considered bribery: "Two of the world's largest companies are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to doctors every year in return for giving their patients anemia medicines, which regulators now say may be unsafe at commonly used doses. The payments are legal, but very few people outside of the doctors who receive them are aware of their size." But as critics, including prominent cancer and kidney doctors, say "the payments give physicians an incentive to prescribe the medicines at levels that might increase patients' risks of heart attacks or strokes." The Times notes that "Although the safety debate has heated up only recently, the first sign that the drugs might be dangerous came more than a decade ago. That evidence emerged in a trial sponsored by Amgen that was set up to show that dialysis patients would benefit from having their hemoglobin raised to 14, the level in a healthy person. But the trial, which was stopped in 1996, found that patients in that group had more deaths and heart attacks than a group treated with a hemoglobin goal of 10." "That trial should have discouraged doctors from using too much epoetin and encouraged Amgen to study the risks further, said Dr. Steven Fishbane, a nephrologist at Winthrop-University Hospital on Long Island. Instead, use of epoetin continued to soar." Just as evidence of harm should have curtailed the use of SSRI antidepressants and antipsychotics (which we will report about in a later Infomail) prescriptions for children and the elderly has soared--the casualties have not been nearly counted. "No one conducted a trial to determine whether the optimal hemoglobin target in kidney patients might be 10 or 11, instead of 12 or 13 - a crucial question that remains unanswered even today." [Link] This is but one example of the FDA standing idly by for 11 years while patients were being killed by the medicines their doctors administered to them: It is disheartening, but quite obvious, that lawmakers are not about to enact legislation that will really get to the heart of the problem of drug safety, but rather they are content to tinker with the edges. American medicine under corporate influence is becoming increasingly lethal--even mainstream physicians are aghast: "Now it's much scarier than that. We could really be doing harm." Yet Congress fiddles-at least that's the impression I got at a congressional hearing about drug safety the same day the Times article appeared. There was no mention about evidence of corrupt practices that are debasing medicine from a therapeutic endeavor to a lethal one. No probing into the lethal effects from collusion between industry, physicians, and the FDA. Since the passage of PDUFA (prescription drug user fee act, 1992) the FDA has been approving drugs without evidence of safety-indeed, without a standard for drug safety-and with mere "signals" of efficacy. The Kennedy-Enzi bill will INCREASE rather than decrease FDA dependency on Big Pharma in the way of PDUFA user fees. Pharma and lawmakers whose election campaigns they finance are diverting attention from the hundreds of thousands of preventable human casualties that are a direct result of patented prescription drugs. Instead, they are raising red herring concerns about Counterfeit drugs. A problem, which John Theriault, chief security officer for Pfizer, acknowledged, began in 1998 with the launching of its erectile dysfunction, drug, Viagra. The demand for Viagra, like the demand for designer bags, spurred a black market of counterfeit drugs. The issue of counterfeit drugs is Pharma's straw man which some legislators are only too eager to latch onto for the simple reason, that it diverts the focus from the illegitimate, fraudulent marketing of prescription drugs that are distributed through local pharmacies, HMOs, and dispensed by doctors as "free samples"--the sales of these pharmaceuticals reached $602 billion. [1] These tainted drugs carry the FDA seal of approval, are prescribed by U.S. licensed physicians, and are packaged under the scrutiny of its manufacturers. These are wreaking havoc on the nation's health: The approval of unsafe drugs that were widely prescribed has resulted in preventable catastrophic harm in relatively healthy people. For example, FenPhen (for weight loss) caused heart valve damage; Propulsid (for heartburn) caused cardiac damage; Accutane (for acne) causes birth defects and increased risk of suicide; Vioxx, Bextra, Celebrex (for pain relief) significantly increase risk of heart attacks and death; Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Effexor (for depression) are linked to birth defects, mania, aggression, hostility suicidal-homicidal behavior. Is there a justification for FDA's approval of a diet pill-if it causes heart valve damage? Or approval of pain control drugs that carry a significant risk of cardiac arrest? Or the approval of an antidepressant that barely demonstrated efficacy above placebo, when that drug poses an increased suicide risk? Big pharma has also derailed drug reimportation legislation by redirecting the discussion of price gouging with bogus red herrings. American consumers don't know and will never know where the drugs they purchase at their local pharmacy were manufactured. Mostly NOT in the U.S. Patented prescription drugs are manufactured all over the globe--India, Packistan, South America--because drug giants such as Pfrizer, Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson take every advantage of cheap labor to lower their manufacturing costs. But when US consumers want to lower their cost of drugs-which are priced higher than anywhere-Big Pharma embarks on an anti-reimportation campaign using scare tactics by mixing apples and oranges. Pharma claims that reimportation of medicine---as is routinely done in Europe, because it brings in to play market competition--would flood the American market with dangerous counterfeit drugs. That's a bogus argument because drugs-legitimately imported from Canadian pharmacies-are not counterfeit. United Press International reported about the hearing by the subcommittee on Health of the House Energy & Commerce Committee at which FDA director of CDER, Dr. Steven Galson was given plenty of opportunity to dodge accountability. Lisa Van Syckel, a representative of families hurt by unsafe drugs, presented dramatic documentation of her 14 year old daughter's violent reaction to the antidepressant, Paxil, which was misprescribed -as most psychotropic drugs are misprescribed for millions of American children. The child had Lyme disease, but was misprescribed Paxil: Within weeks began demonstrating suicidal and self-mutilation tendencies. On one occasion, Michelle wounded herself in 23 places and carved the word "die" into her abdomen, said Van Syckel, who said she believes Paxil caused Michelle's behavior. "Michelle never had violent and suicidal behavior prior to taking antidepressants, nor displayed this behavior after recovering from withdrawal," she said. Ms. Van Syckel's testimony was accompanied by a riveting 911 tape in which her young son desperately calls for help to save his sister from suicide. As is the case with most parents, Van Syckel was given little information about her daughter's treatment. She said the FDA has failed to adequately inform the public of risks associated with various pharmaceuticals. Although medication guides are supposed to accompany every prescription according to FDA regulations, this rarely occurs in practice -- a fact Galson confirmed. Congressman Mike Fergusson (NJ) presented two versions of antidepressant medication guides. Dr. Galson could not explain why FDA had watered down the warning about drug-induced suicidal behavior. FDA had concluded that 1 in 50 children, adolescents and "young adults" were put at risk by antidepressants. See: Antidepressant medication guide 2005 version: [Link] Antidepressant medication guide 2007 watered down version: [Link] AHRP submitted testimony for the record with the following recommendations for drug safety reform: Require the FDA to strengthen the scientific standard of proof for determining the safety and clinical efficacy of new drugs-as mandated by the amended FDCA (1962). Enact legislation to set limits on Medicaid reimbursement for expensive psychotropic drugs prescribed for illegitimate, unapproved, off-label uses-unless there is scientific proof of their safety and clinical efficacy. Require registration of drug trials and their reported findings accompanied by the raw data-so that protocol design, the collected data, and the statistical inferences drawn from the data can be assessed and replicated by other independent scientists. Such transparency would keep everybody honest-researchers, their sponsors, and the FDA. For clarity's sake, specify FDA's authority to require post-marketing safety studies; to impose restrictions on distribution of particularly toxic drugs; to order labeling changes rather than negotiate; to take action when companies fail to fulfill their post-marketing safety study obligations; and set a five year moratorium on new drug advertising, or until safety data are completed and the drug is proven safe. Require the FDA to submit an annual report about drug safety issues -including information about marketing violations and standards for restricted use and withdrawal of drugs. Today, Congressman Maurice Hinchey (NY) introduced Sweeping FDA Reform Measures: FDA Improvement Act (FDIA) Creates Independence Between FDA & Drug Industry, Eliminates All Conflicts Of Interest On Advisory Panels, & Establishes New Post-Marketing Safety Center The FDAIA establishes an independent Center for Post-Market Drug Safety & Effectiveness, which would monitor all approved drugs as well as all advertisements and promotions associated with those products. Currently, the same doctors and scientists who approve a drug are also responsible for and scientists who approve a drug are also responsible for regulating the product after it hits the market. Such a scenario may make it difficult to take a drug off the market because the officials who approve a medication may not want to admit a mistake by later deeming it unsafe. Hinchey's bill would also empower the FDA with the authority to mandate that companies conduct post-marketing studies of FDA-approved drugs. Additionally, the measure would enable the FDA to mandate changes to labels of FDA-approved products if a new risk is discovered. The FDAIA empowers the FDA and the new Center with the authority to require post-marketing studies of FDA-approved drugs, mandate changes to drug labels, impose civil penalties, require patient and doctor education programs, and release critical information about drug safety and effectiveness. "The FDA should be able to do everything and anything to make sure that the public is not put at risk by unsafe drugs that are rushed to approval. Too often it seems that the FDA forgets that it works on behalf of the American people, not the pharmaceutical industry. That is a fundamental problem that must be addressed." See: [Link] html References: See, partial list of U.S. Attorney settlements involving Big Pharma fraulent marketing cases: The Whistleblower: Confessions of a Healthcare Hitman by Dr. Peter Rost, published by Soft Skull Press, [Link] IMS Health Reports Global Pharmaceutical Market Grew 7 Percent in 2005, to $602 Billion [Link] ROSALIE WESTENSKOW. ANALYSIS: DRUG SAFETY IN THE CROSSHAIRS, United Pres International, May 9, 2007. [Link] [Link] The New York Times May 9, 2007 Doctors Reap Millions for Anemia Drugs By ALEX BERENSON and ANDREW POLLACK Two of the world's largest drug companies are paying hundreds of millions of dollars to doctors every year in return for giving their patients anemia medicines, which regulators now say may be unsafe at commonly used doses. The payments are legal, but very few people outside of the doctors who receive them are aware of their size. Critics, including prominent cancer and kidney doctors, say the payments give physicians an incentive to prescribe the medicines at levels that might increase patients' risks of heart attacks or strokes. Industry analysts estimate that such payments - to cancer doctors and the other big users of the drugs, kidney dialysis centers - total hundreds of millions of dollars a year and are an important source of profit for doctors and the centers. The payments have risen over the last several years, as the makers of the drugs, Amgen and Johnson & Johnson, compete for market share and try to expand the overall business. Neither Amgen nor Johnson & Johnson has disclosed the total amount of the payments. But documents given to The New York Times show that at just one practice in the Pacific Northwest, a group of six cancer doctors received $2.7 million from Amgen for prescribing $9 million worth of its drugs last year. Yesterday, the Food and Drug Administration added to concerns about the drugs, releasing a report that suggested that their use might need to be curtailed in cancer patients. The report, prepared by F.D.A. staff scientists, said no evidence indicated that the medicines either improved quality of life in patients or extended their survival, while several studies suggested that the drugs can shorten patients' lives when used at high doses. Yesterday's report followed the F.D.A.'s decision in March to strengthen warnings on the drugs' labels. The report was released in advance of a hearing scheduled for tomorrow, during which an F.D.A. advisory panel will consider whether the drugs are overused. The medicines - Aranesp and Epogen, from Amgen; and Procrit, from Johnson & Johnson - are among the world's top-selling drugs, with combined sales of $10 billion last year. In this country, they represent the single biggest drug expense for Medicare and are given to about a million patients each year to treat anemia caused by kidney disease or cancer chemotherapy. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said that both patients and doctors would benefit from fuller disclosure about the payments and the profits that doctors can make from them. "I suspect that Medicare is going to take a very careful look at what is going on here," he said. Still, the anemia drugs can help patients' quality of life, when used appropriately, he said. "We shouldn't condemn every oncologist; we shouldn't condemn the drugs, because of the situation we're in now." Federal laws bar drug companies from paying doctors to prescribe medicines that are given in pill form and purchased by patients from pharmacies. But companies can rebate part of the price that doctors pay for drugs, like the anemia medicines, which they dispense in their offices as part of treatment. The anemia drugs are injected or given intravenously in physicians' offices or dialysis centers. Doctors receive the rebates after they buy the drugs from the companies. But they also receive reimbursement from Medicare or private insurers for the drugs, often at a markup over the doctors' purchase price. Medicare has changed its payment structure since 2003 to reduce the markup, but private insurers still often pay more. Combined with those insurance reimbursements, the rebates enable many doctors to profit substantially on the medicines they buy and then give to patients. The rebates are related to the amount of drugs that doctors buy, and physicians that agree to use one company's drugs exclusively typically receive higher rebates. Johnson & Johnson said yesterday in a statement that its rebates were not intended to induce doctors to use more medicine. Instead, the rebates "reflect intense competition" in the market for the drugs, the company said. Amgen said that rebates were a normal commercial practice and that it had always properly promoted its drugs. "Amgen is dedicated to patient safety," said David Polk, a spokesman. "We believe our contracts support appropriate anemia management and our product promotion is always strictly within the label." Both companies' stocks fell yesterday after release of the F.D.A. report. Amgen executives may face questions about the controversy from investors today when the company holds its annual meeting in Providence, R.I. Since 1991, when the first of the drugs was still relatively new, the average dose given to dialysis patients in this country has nearly tripled. About 50 percent of dialysis patients now receive enough of the drugs to raise their red blood cell counts above the level considered risky by the F.D.A. American patients receive far more of the anemia drugs than patients elsewhere, with dialysis patients in this country getting doses more than twice as high as their counterparts in Europe. Cancer care shows a similar pattern. American cancer patients are about three times as likely as those in Europe to get the drugs, and they receive somewhat higher doses. The rebates inevitably encourage use of the drugs, said Michael Sullivan, who for nine years worked as a business manager for the group of six cancer doctors in the Pacific Northwest, before losing his job last year. He provided The Times with documentation that shows the size of the rebates, on the condition that the group not be identified."Personally, I think rebates should go away," said Mr. Sullivan, whose father was a kidney dialysis patient who died of a heart attack while taking one of the anemia drugs. "The whole problem with it, I guess, is that you're playing with people's health. It's not the same as buying widgets." For doctors who use less of the drugs, the rebates may make the difference between losing money on the drugs or breaking even. Mr. Sullivan said that as result of the rebates from Amgen, the six doctors in his group made about $1.8 million in net profit on the drugs they prescribed. Unlike most drugs, the anemia medicines do not come in fixed doses. Therefore, doctors have great flexibility to increase dosing - and profits. Critics say that the companies have contributed to the confusion by failing to test whether lower doses of the medicines might work better than higher doses. "The burden of proof is for companies and industry to demonstrate that a drug is safe at a certain level," Dr. Ajay Singh, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Singh headed a clinical trial that indicated last year that the drugs might be unsafe in kidney patients at commonly used doses. Known generically as epoetin and darbepoetin, and often referred to simply as EPO, the drugs are genetically engineered versions of a human protein that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells and increase the body's ability to carry oxygen. Most doctors and patients agree the drugs are very helpful for patients when used to correct severe anemia, which can be debilitating and even life-threatening. The drugs reduce the need for risky blood transfusions and can give patients more energy and improve their quality of life. "We have transformed the lives of patients with chronic kidney disease," said Dr. Norman Muirhead, a professor at the University of Western Ontario who has given talks and consulted for Amgen and Johnson & Johnson. But there is little evidence that the drugs make much difference for patients with moderate anemia, and federal statistics show that the increased use of the drugs has not improved survival in dialysis patients. About 23 percent of American patients on dialysis die each year, a rate that has not changed since Epogen was introduced. Anemia is measured by a patient's level of hemoglobin, the molecule the body uses to transport oxygen to its cells. Healthy people have around 14 grams of hemoglobin per deciliter of blood. Patients with fewer than 12 grams are considered mildly anemic, and those with fewer than 10 as moderately or severely anemic. The labels on the drugs, as currently approved by the F.D.A., encourage doctors to aim for a hemoglobin level of 10 to 12. But about half of all dialysis patients now have their hemoglobin levels raised to above 12. Critics of the drugs say their increased use has been driven by profit. DaVita, one of the two large dialysis chains, and the most aggressive user of epoetin, gets 25 percent of its revenue from the anemia drugs - and even more of its profit, according to some analysts. Dr. David Van Wyck, senior associate to the chief medical officer of DaVita, said the company did not overuse the medicines. Doctors determine how much to use, Dr. Van Wyck said. "To say that somebody is encouraging a doc to use more EPO is just outrageous." Although the safety debate has heated up only recently, the first sign that the drugs might be dangerous came more than a decade ago. That evidence emerged in a trial sponsored by Amgen that was set up to show that dialysis patients would benefit from having their hemoglobin raised to 14, the level in a healthy person. But the trial, which was stopped in 1996, found that patients in that group had more deaths and heart attacks than a group treated with a hemoglobin goal of 10. That trial should have discouraged doctors from using too much epoetin and encouraged Amgen to study the risks further, said Dr. Steven Fishbane, a nephrologist at Winthrop-University Hospital on Long Island. Instead, use of epoetin continued to soar. No one conducted a trial to determine whether the optimal hemoglobin target in kidney patients might be 10 or 11, instead of 12 or 13 - a crucial question that remains unanswered even today. Dr. Anatole Besarab of the Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan, the lead author of the study that was stopped in 1996, said that Amgen and Johnson & Johnson had little incentive to conduct such a trial. Dr. Robert M. Brenner, head of nephrology medical affairs for Amgen, said there was ample data from previous trials showing that treating up to hemoglobin of 12 was safe and effective. Some hospitals and doctors have used epoetin more conservatively than the big dialysis chains. Dr. Ronald A. Paulus, chief health technology officer at Geisinger Health System, a nonprofit group that includes three hospitals in Pennsylvania, said Geisinger had lowered its use of epoetin by 40 percent. Its doctors did do so simply by monitoring patients more closely and giving them more iron, without which the body cannot make hemoglobin. Dr. N. D. Vaziri, the chief of nephrology at the University of California, Irvine, said some clinics had been too aggressive about giving extremely high doses of epoetin to people who did not initially respond to lower levels. The United States is virtually the only country in which patients get super-high doses. "You create a toxicity situation," said Dr. Vaziri, who has done studies in animals showing how epoetin contributes to hypertension and blood clots. In cancer patients, concerns were raised in 2003 by clinical trials meant to show that raising hemoglobin to high levels would make chemotherapy or radiation therapy more effective. Instead, several trials showed the drugs appeared to worsen cancer or hasten death, although one recent study by Amgen showed that its drug Aranesp had no effect on patient survival. The conflicting studies are among the issues the F.D.A. advisory committee is expected to discuss tomorrow. Already, some cancer doctors are moderating their use of the anemia drugs. Dr. Peter Eisenberg, an oncologist in Marin County, Calif., said many doctors had been induced to use more epoetin by the financial incentives and the belief that the drug was helpful. "The deal was so good," he said. "The indication was so clear and the downside was so small that docs just worked it into their practice easily. "Now it's much scarier than that," he said. "We could really be doing harm." Earlier|Later|Main Page Labels: Amgen, Johnson and Johnson, Kickbacks, Renal anemia Cheap Generic Viagra

Tags: drug, patient, doctors, anemia, dr

Windle's Rock Shop Visit

Posted on September 07, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction drugs

Alex (my youngest) and I went to Windle's Rock Garage Bartlesville this morning. Our surf was stereotype of a teaching section rally. Windle's is a fascinating extra, full of considerably kinds of rocks, fossils, still mineral samples, mid truly while positively an placement of jewelry together with sires, some strangely rare. They had some on target denarius organizes from 30 Advert. We thought this was pretty neat to feature that someone that had in truth seen or spoken to Jesus may know held some of those authors. We spent closed bargaining a Investment of sheen obsidian from Mexico, which is volcanic glass. Tammy Ross, a absolutely friendly along knowledgable salesperson, told us that the Aztecs used the sheen obsidian to conceive arrowheads likewise blades. Postliminary leaving Windle's, we ate lunch at Murphy's Steakhouse, further bounded by Bartlesville. Murphy's has been near for the until 1940's--I see coming. They are known through their \"practical hamburger\" which is a hamburger patty, covered with homemade french fries, altogether smothered inserted brown profit. Mmmm-good! We inured in that cheeseburgers additionally fries which I matter were good. Alex was unimpressed, but what does he skim...he's flawless a kid!. Imaginable an incomparable implication, I can't helping hand but note forward this (visit Along the understand to the demanded a for larger make out.) I received an newsletter today from Christianbooks.com which stated: \"Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with spring shipping.\" Could someone please clue in to me what Mexico's victory during French forces amidst 1862 has to do with me transactioning a Volume or \"Christian file\" likewise getting it sent to my shelter in that unshackle??!! Cheap Generic Viagra

Tags: windle, rock, sheen, obsidian, french

Narcotic 'lollipop' is big seller

Posted on September 05, 2008 in Prescriptions

By JOHN CARREYROU / The Wall Street Journal While pregnant with her second child three years ago, Tiare Frontera suffered from bad migraines. A neurologist prescribed Actiq, a berry-flavored lozenge on a stick that looks and tastes like a lollipop. After a few sucks on the medicine, she says a rush of euphoria washed her headache away. Soon, Mrs. Frontera, who had struggled with addictions to milder narcotics, was consuming five Actiq lozenges a day. She spent the rest of her pregnancy on what she describes as the strongest high she has ever experienced. When she gave birth, her baby son was cranky and wouldn’t sleep. Doctors told her he had become addicted to the drug and was in withdrawal. Mrs. Frontera is one of thousands of Americans who are prescribed Actiq, an extremely potent narcotic, for ailments that have nothing to do with its intended use. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug eight years ago for use only in cancer patients who suffer intense bouts of pain that other narcotics don’t relieve. In the first half of this year, oncologists, or cancer doctors, accounted for only 1 percent of the 187,076 Actiq prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies in the U.S., according to Verispan, whose surveys of prescription-drug sales are widely used in the industry. Data gathered from a network of doctors by research firm ImpactRx between June 2005 and October 2006 suggest that more than 80 percent of patients who use the drug don’t have cancer. Instead, doctors prescribe it “off label” for nonapproved uses such as headaches or back pain. Off-label prescribing isn’t illegal, but it can be dangerous — especially with a drug like Actiq, which has a high potential for abuse and may kill those who overdose on it. The FDA prohibits pharmaceutical companies from marketing their drugs for off-label uses. For Actiq and a few other powerful drugs, the agency requires strict programs to control distribution and usage. Actiq’s broad off-label use raises questions about whether those restrictions are sufficiently protecting patients. “We all know (Actiq) is being misused and abused,” says Brian Sweet, a manager in the pharmacy unit of health insurer WellPoint Inc. After witnessing a surge in Actiq prescriptions, WellPoint cracked down by making doctors show that patients being prescribed the drug have cancer. Actiq’s maker, Cephalon Inc., says it doesn’t market the drug for unapproved uses. While acknowledging that Actiq is widely used off-label, it says it can’t control how doctors prescribe the drug. Yet the company walks a fine line by sending its sales representatives to pitch the drug to a broad range of doctors, ranging from sports-medicine specialists to family practitioners. It gives these doctors coupons for free samples. Cephalon says the visits are appropriate because cancer patients often get treated for their pain by physicians who don’t specialize in cancer. Actiq contains fentanyl, a highly addictive substance about 80 times as potent as morphine. Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration, which puts it in the same category as opium, cocaine, methamphetamine and methadone. Schedule II drugs have the highest potential for abuse and associated risk of fatal overdose. Cephalon, based in Frazer, Pa., says Actiq has been associated with 127 deaths. Two of them involved children who confused the drug for candy. Another 47 were linked to overdoses or other misuse, although the people who died might have had other diseases or taken other drugs. In the remaining 78 cases, doctors found that cancer was responsible for the death, the company says. Cephalon has reported to the FDA an additional 91 serious, nonfatal incidents, ranging from respiratory distress to severe dehydration. The U.S. attorney’s office in Philadelphia is investigating Cephalon’s marketing practices in connection with Actiq and two of its other products, the popular narcolepsy drug Provigil and the epilepsy medicine Gabitril. No charges have been filed. Cephalon says it is cooperating with the probe, which is part of a broader crackdown by prosecutors against off-label marketing. In August, the Justice Department fined Schering-Plough Corp. $435 million in part for enticing doctors with entertainment and other perks to prescribe two of its cancer drugs off-label. Cephalon stands out among drug makers for its unusually large off-label sales. Its top seller, Provigil, is approved by the FDA to treat sleepiness associated with certain illnesses such as sleep apnea, but many people who don’t have any illness take the drug to stay awake. Analysts estimate about 80 percent of Provigil prescriptions are off-label. Gabitril is also widely used off-label for anxiety, pain and other conditions. Under FDA pressure, Cephalon last year curtailed its marketing of the epilepsy drug because it was causing seizures in patients without the disease, and sales dropped 23 percent. Founded in 1987 by a former DuPont Co. scientist named Frank Baldino Jr., Cephalon expects revenue to exceed $1.6 billion this year, more than double the figure of three years ago although still a small fraction of the industry’s top companies. Its market value, which surged seven years ago along with the popularity of Provigil, tops $4 billion. Dr. Baldino earned $2.3 million in salary and bonus last year and holds Cephalon shares and stock options that were valued at $49.6 million as of the end of last year. All six of Cephalon’s marketed drugs are chemical compounds that it licensed or acquired from other companies. Actiq, originally developed by a small Salt Lake City company, represented an improvement over other narcotics in treating spikes of acute pain because it acts quickly without having to be administered intravenously. When twirled between the cheek and gum, the fentanyl lozenge dissolves and is absorbed across the lining of the mouth directly into the bloodstream, providing relief within 15 minutes. Actiq had sales of $15 million in 2000, when Cephalon acquired it. By last year, sales had grown to $412 million, making it Cephalon’s No. 2 drug. In the first nine months of this year, sales jumped to $471 million. Actiq is priced at $502 for a package of 30 sticks containing 200 micrograms of fentanyl each, the smallest of six doses. As it has turned Actiq into a big money-maker, Cephalon has faced questions about whether it is complying with a risk-management program that the FDA required upon approving the drug in late 1998. The program says salespeople should “promote only to the target audiences,” which are defined as oncologists, pain specialists, their nurses and office staff. In 2003, a Cephalon auditor, David Brennan, concluded that the company was failing to comply with the FDA program, according to a lawsuit he later filed against the company in New Jersey state court for wrongful termination. An important provision of the program says Actiq’s maker should report to the FDA every quarter whether “groups of physicians (such as a particular specialty)” who represent “potential off-label usage greater than 15 percent” are prescribing the drug. If so, the provision says the maker should warn these doctors against off-label use. Mr. Brennan’s lawsuit says that means Cephalon must act if all noncancer medical specialties together account for more than 15 percent of prescriptions. Cephalon interprets the provision differently. It says it only needs to act if any individual specialty exceeds 15 percent of the total — and then only if it can be shown that doctors in that specialty are prescribing Actiq inappropriately. Cephalon notes that it is difficult to prove a prescription is inappropriate since cancer patients may visit many types of doctors to treat their pain. It believes the 15 percent clause has yet to be triggered. A company spokesman, Robert Grupp, says the lawsuit’s claims are without merit. The FDA declined to comment. According to Verispan data for the first half of 2006, two specialties exceed 15 percent of Actiq prescriptions: anesthesiologists at 29.5 percent and physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists at 16 percent. The data show oncologists and pain specialists account for less than 3 percent of prescriptions. Cephalon doesn’t dispute the data. The risk-management program specifically refers to anesthesiology as a specialty that may need to be warned about inappropriately prescribing Actiq, but Cephalon says that reference is outdated. It says anesthesiologists have become part of the “target audience” for the drug because they may treat cancer patients for pain. Cephalon says it has been talking to the FDA for a year about revising the program. After Mr. Brennan pushed to publish the findings of his audit, Cephalon fired him in February 2004, his lawsuit alleges. Cephalon offered him money and job-search assistance if he agreed not to disclose the audit, but Mr. Brennan refused, the suit says. Mr. Grupp declined to discuss Mr. Brennan’s dismissal but noted that he is “a former disgruntled employee.” Mr. Brennan has been interviewed twice by investigators working for the U.S. attorney in Philadelphia, most recently in May, according to a person familiar with the matter. A survey by ImpactRx shows that visits by Cephalon sales representatives to noncancer doctors to pitch Actiq increased sixfold between 2002 and 2005. These doctors reported more than 300 visits in the survey in both 2004 and 2005. Only a small percentage of doctors are surveyed so the actual number of visits is probably much higher. Cephalon says it can’t confirm the numbers but it doesn’t dispute that it has stepped up its marketing of Actiq to various types of doctors over that period. Stephen Leighton, a general practitioner in Winston-Salem, N.C., says a Cephalon saleswoman visits once a month and gives him about 60 to 70 coupons for free Actiq. Patients can trade each coupon for six Actiq sticks. Dr. Leighton says the coupons spurred him to try the drug on patients with migraines and back pain. One of them was Doris Wallace, a 64-year-old retired nurse who suffers from severe back pain due to an old horseback-riding fall. Ms. Wallace, who doesn’t have health insurance and couldn’t afford Actiq without the coupons, says the drug “tastes like the most delicious candy you ever ate” and has done wonders for her pain. At the height of her use, she was consuming 24 Actiq sticks a month. The positive experience of patients like Ms. Wallace has led Dr. Leighton to prescribe Actiq more widely for different types of pain. Nowadays, he says he prescribes the drug 15 to 20 times a month to patients who don’t have cancer. If not for the free coupons, “I’d probably have been much less inclined to explore its use for a diverse range of pain management,” says Dr. Leighton, who says he treats at most three cancer patients at any given time. Dr. Leighton says he thinks the FDA-approved usage of Actiq is too narrow. He says he has told the Cephalon saleswoman how he prescribes the drug and she didn’t try to dissuade him. Mr. Grupp of Cephalon says Dr. Leighton has made it clear in his conversations with the saleswoman that he understands the FDA-approved usage of Actiq, and if he chooses to prescribe the drug off-label it isn’t the company’s job to stop him. Mr. Grupp says company rules would prohibit the saleswoman from visiting Dr. Leighton only if he never prescribed the drug for cancer pain. “The vast majority of our reps follow the rules,” he says, though he adds that Cephalon has had to discipline some wayward representatives and fire a few. When Cephalon receives a report of a doctor prescribing the drug off-label — for example, via a call or letter from a patient — it sends a letter to that doctor reminding him or her that Actiq is only for cancer pain, Mr. Grupp says. The company has sent more than 3,300 such letters, he says. Earlier this year, Dr. Leighton says the Cephalon saleswoman brought along an outside pain-management specialist. Over lunch, Dr. Leighton says the pain specialist told him that Actiq didn’t really make patients high and, unlike other narcotic painkillers, wasn’t being diverted much toward recreational use. Cephalon declined to comment on the conversation. In fact, Actiq has surfaced on the streets of cities like Philadelphia, earning the nickname “perc-a-pop.” Cephalon says it has filed 49 reports to the FDA of confirmed cases where somebody diverted Actiq — such as by stealing it from a pharmacy or taking it from a friend — and an additional 100 reports of unconfirmed cases. Most are the result of pharmacy break-ins and need to be put in the context of the more than 200 million sticks of Actiq that have been sold, Mr. Grupp says. Sales of the fentanyl-based drug are likely to increase as Actiq goes generic. In late September, Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc. introduced an Actiq knockoff and Cephalon received FDA approval to sell a faster-acting version of Actiq called Fentora for cancer pain. Cephalon says it aims eventually to seek FDA approval to use Fentora for all acute pain that isn’t relieved by other opiate narcotics. Mrs. Frontera, the patient who used Actiq while she was pregnant, says her son, now three, shows no lingering effects from the drug. Mrs. Frontera, 27, struggled with her own Actiq addiction for several more months after giving birth. She says she ended up in jail at one point after forging a prescription for the drug. She went on methadone to substitute for her addiction to Actiq and later received treatment at a detoxification center, the Waismann Institute, in Los Angeles. Now she lives in San Luis Obispo, Calif. “It makes me angry that it was prescribed to me,” she says of Actiq. “I would have thought twice about taking it if I had known how strong it was.” Philip Delio, the neurologist who prescribed Actiq to Mrs. Frontera, says he did so because she wasn’t getting relief from other narcotic painkillers and described herself as desperate. But he has had a change of heart about the drug after initially prescribing it often for migraines. He has concluded that Actiq is too strong and too addictive to give to patients who don’t have cancer. Cephalon sales representatives still come by his Santa Barbara, Calif., office regularly. But Dr. Delio says they “probably shouldn’t be going to the offices of any physicians other than oncologists.” Sphere: Related Content Cheap Generic Viagra

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Cunning Linguist

Posted on August 08, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction

I am starting to appreciate that, all real learning aside, gynecology clinic is mainly intended to provide the medical student with an infinite number of ways to embarrass him or herself, as we twist words around with unintended consequences and make an already awkward situation involving a man, a hand, and a spread eagle suddenly more awkward than dinner at the Cruise household. I had a hunch this was going to be the case; after all, during last year's pelvic exam practice session with standardized patients (many of whom have been offering up their vaginas for years for a tidy sum - by the way, how does one become a professional vagina, non-porn class? Do they just wake up one day and discover their true calling? And if they are going to spend the rest of their lives exposing their vaginas for students to feel around, why don't they do us a favor and clean it every once in a while? OK, I'll stop.), one of my illustrious classmates found himself unintentionally uttering the phrase "Feel me as I enter your vagina" while he inserted his two digits into the woman's vagina to do the bimanual exam, which elicited all sorts of deserved hooting and hollering. Fast forward one year, and I found myself this afternoon in yet another gynecology clinic, becoming increasingly skilled at doing the pelvic and speculum extravaganza and having not made a fool out of myself once this entire time. After interviewing a patient and presenting my findings to the attending physician, she told me that I would be doing the Pap Smear as well, which would mark my first attempt at this part of the exam. (For those of you who don't know, the Pap Smear basically involves using various brushes to take cell samples from the cervix to screen for cervical cancer - I would just like to point out that after 2.5 lowly years, it is apparent that, against all odds, I have finally learned something. Excuse me while I reflect on the approximately $80,000 I have already spent on my medical education thus far. OK, I'm done.) Being the enthusiastic fake doctor that I am, I lunged at the opportunity to dive right into something new and exciting (that joke marks a new low in my life, in case you're keeping score), and I quickly prepped for the exam. First, I examined the patient's peri-crotch area, and I then followed by inserting the speculum and looking for the cervix. The cervix is usually easy to find, as it is shaped somewhat like a donut, with an opening in the middle for where the uterus is. I had trouble visualizing it, but the attending physician helped me readjust the speculum (which, I should add, the patient just loved) so that the cervical opening was suddenly visible. I returned to the action and the doctor handed me the brush. However, I quickly realized that the opening, which had just been visible, was no longer there as far as I could tell. Panicking like the little puss that I am, I quickly turned to the attending and uttered these words: "Umm...I just got lost in this woman's vagina and now I can't find the hole. I can't find the hole! " I swear to you all that I actually said that, out loud. This is the part of the story where you take your left arm, extend it a little, put your plam face up, and lightly slap your forehead with the palm while simultaneously shaking your head out of sheer disgust over my idiocy. Thanks. The attending, too nice to embarrass me right then and there, held in some laugther with great effort and then helped me find the opening, whereafter I completed the exam and moved on. Afterwards, in her office, my attending turned to me and said, "So...having some trouble finding the hole eh?", and I suddenly realized what I had said and turned bright red. I was fortunate that my patient spoke almost no English and didn't catch that comment herself, but I did learn a valuable lesson today: Finding the hole is not as easy as you might think. So ladies, cut us some freaking slack. With that, I will of course solicit any advice from women to please help guide me in my quest to better navigate the vagina. It's a matter of your health...and mine.

Tags: vagina, exam, patient, attending, hole

RiffTrax for the time waste

Posted on July 14, 2008 in Erectile dysfunction

Yep, to boot YouTube vagary. RiffTrax is Mike Nelson (of Mystery Branch Theatre 3000 fame), commonly joined concluded alternatives, riffing (or MSTing) some of the along with display movies. Through they are identical providing a \"soundtrack\" which can be synced to the movie, they are not betwixt bit legal or copyright worriments this a full on MSTing would take in. But you can keep some samples in that yourself. The RiffTrax channel on YouTube has reservoir of moments through you to spend span watching. As protagonist: Casino Royale, The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, together with their bounteous sequels... Again there are more some non-RiffTrax channel videos, but we don't longing to communication over them. So, void some time away rewatching those towering moments with that added reproduction layer. [Euthanasia] Read more!

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HIV virus 'may be weakening'

Posted on July 11, 2008 in Prescriptions

HIV may be getting declined potent, state researchers centrally located the 14 October proceed of the journal AIDS. Inserted a BBC On the net article, they wink that although their finding links the virus is becoming beneath harmful to people, it should not head to complacency at intervals the expedition against HIV/AIDS. Ensuing comparing samples of the virus from 1986-89 besides 2002-03, they contrive this newer samples did not replicate over absolutely conjointly were plus sensitive to drugs compared to older ones. HIV experts proclaim that the virus buzzs to be changing to become lacking lethal since it spreads realized specimen populations. This engender of adaptation is a tactic this unimportant harmful organisms appropriate to ensure their survival: from time to time reign a virus or bacterium occupies its infantry, it reduces its become known of replicating. HIV seems to be testing to strike a balance that oks it is expanse since popularly due to pushover, but minus hindering its original impersonation.

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Linux Training for the New Linux User - How to Use Linux in Windows from a Free Linux Download

Posted on July 01, 2008 in Diabetes erectile dysfunction

Here are two prevailing practices to take in the Linux OS (operating march) done again formula: 1. Finger Linux from a Linux CD / DVD. This disposal can be complicated further absolutely trick consuming, but is further a extensive number to bottom line apperceive using Linux. 2. Operation Linux engaged CDs (or Linux alive DVDs). This is a fast and easy consecution to parameters Linux again aim further corrective you comings in Linux nurture have. Until an secondary to the above two designs, there is along with an excellent operation to download Linux salvage to boot establish Linux centrally located Windows, so you can distinguish how to maintenance Linux inserted Windows. Overview of Rule Linux medially Windows Legitimate boot your computer advancement into Windows additionally download the free Linux virtual utensil player. Next download a bail out Linux virtual apparatus. Distribute the Linux virtual contrivance player intervening Windows Also uncompress the Linux virtual engine files into a data. Anon province the player as well \"open\" the Linux virtual means. This allows you to readily still quietly orbit Linux separating Windows! Linux Tips: There are many of defend Linux virtual machineries viable since download - besides they are de facto easy to kindness. So you may loss to download together with import different. That is a extensive mode to pick up Linux drilling Along crowded Linux distributions. High-speed Info Strada burst in is unavoidable over that. Using the Linux Virtual Utensil Player The unshackle Linux virtual device \"player\" (string) is no change as well before long used to open a Linux virtual machine to distance Linux mid Windows. You sweep the virtual dojigger player plus open a Linux virtual bucksaw surrounded by the congenerous species considering your play a dialect processor (fair) more open a post office. Linux Virtual Engines - What They Are along How They're Contrived A Linux virtual weapon is a realized, quite functional Linux array (version of Linux) within a opposed compressed schedule. To ring in a Linux virtual whatchamacallit, someone runs the Linux installation tradition from a Linux CD / DVD furthermore does a Linux installation on a standardization. This renders the Linux OS to boot Linux software file files onto the lore. Truly these Linux files are years ago compressed into a deviating entry as well concocted imaginable at a Net stage setting, so you can airily download the liberate Linux virtual bucksaw furthermore parameters Linux between Windows. Linux Tips: Meanwhile you be liable to download a Linux virtual device, be sure to cram the specs of the instrument at the Linux download internet section. Linux Tips: If you are a new Linux user, make sure the virtual utensil has a Linux desktop (seeing hundreds don't) still furthermore master the password of the root user (which is the main Linux code user). A bail out Linux virtual dojigger is the easiest too fastest species to play Linux mid Windows along enroll Linux literacy Along an existing Windows classification! Lesser strong form to imbibe Linux tutelage is to derive past your Linux virtual appliance as well years ago watch Linux video tutorials (betwixt Windows or enclosed by Linux). Stone watch a space of a video as well freeze it. When put away follow the Alt moreover Quotation keys to soft sell to the Linux virtual tool (dynamic in Windows) besides contemplate the Linux divulge you've requisite seen! Succeeding vieing for still approving with the Linux swarm intervening the virtual tool, proper press Alt+Note to turn back to the video tutorial additionally watch some too. Again hang out the video as well verification the before long Linux summon, as well so achievable. Clyde Boom, Imagine and Expert Trainer with 20+ Years of Training Successes. Sees intricate technical matters among an easy-to-understand, non-technical string, with thousands of billions of ebook Also hardware learners into masters. Watch Save Precedent I Recognize Linux Video Tutorials since at http://Net.iLearnLinux.com/ additionally strain completely the steep Linux learning grapnel. Warning up Considering being Free I Study Linux News at http://information superhighway.iLearnLinux.com/ to interject technical tips, details attainable new video samples besides important updates onward Linux. You exact to cram Linux the easy management to salary this new contrivance, qualify considering that runnerup advance, earn a hefty endow, wealth Linux certification, or hold fast your current donkeywork due to your battalion is contesting to reserve adventitious software licensing fees (apr). Watch, do, as well browse to http://World Wide Web.iLearnLinux.com/ debunk Linux being! Article Implication: http://internet.articlepros.com

Tags: linux, virtual, windows, download, video

Propolis Shows No Side Effects When Used as Scolicidal Agent

Posted on June 15, 2008 in Medicine news

The Effects of Scolicidal Agent Propolis on Liver and Biliary Tree J Gastrointest Surg, 2008 May 30 BACKGROUND: This study was designed to examine the effects of propolis on the liver and biliary system when used as a scolicidal agent. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty Wistar-Albino rats were divided into two groups. Propolis and 0.9% saline (NaCl) were injected into the biliary tract of the rats. Three rats from control group and four rats from propolis group died within 5 days after the procedure. Blood samples of remaining 23 rats were obtained 1 week after and at the end of the experimental study for liver function tests. Six months after the procedure, retrograde and magnetic resonance cholangiography were performed and liver, common bile duct, and duodenum were excised en bloc for histopathological examination. RESULTS: Liver function tests were slightly elevated 1 week after the procedure and were found to be normal at the end of the sixth month in both groups. No stricture in the biliary tree was found on the retrograde and magnetic resonance cholangiograms. The tissue samples of the propolis group showed no histomorphological difference from the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Propolis may be used as a scolicidal agent even in the case of cystobiliary communication with no side effects on liver and biliary tree. See: Effects of Honey as a Scolicidal Agent on the Hepatobiliary System Generic Viagra cheap viagra generic viagra online generic cialis

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Midterm Crunch!

Posted on June 03, 2008 in Pharmacy

Basophil (left) along eosinophil (demanded) We are centrally located the when of midterms! Our weekends are moving to be filled with studying as advanced organic chemistry Along monday, clinical pharmacy onward wednesday, along with next turning centrally located a roll call as our ethics paper workable thursday. Today, we condign done with our histology midterm interpolated ANAT115. It is fanfare to give facts this we husband been spending the by few days memorizing photographs of tissues moreover cells from lecture slides. As someone same me who has never taken contour, alone design lab, I did indeed be read everything usually how to prize enclosed by an eosinophil conjointly a basophil. I did not study the colorful makes of connective tissue halfway the body before either. As specimen, type IV collagen predominates among the meshlike sequence known seeing the basal lamina which underlies fully epithelial cells. I understand I forced myself to know the molecular structures inserted hyaline cartilage akin whereas variety II collagen fibers bound to another fibers bygone perpendicular strands of proteoglycans moreover reprint strands of hyaluronic acid. Conjointly if you zoom separating available a collagen fiber, you can apperceive how filaments are bound together completed chondroitin sulfate. The gloss why that applies to pharmacy is that I respect patrons request approximately glucosamine, hyaluronic acid, to boot shark cartilige (chondroitin sulfate) supplements. Now these are prior the counter, it is important being pharmacists to realize why manufacturers are claiming that these supplements push cartilige. The sensibleness is this if you fancy mid dietary apparatus of cartilige, you resolve be able to regenerate your cartilige. This acres is not abnormally substantiated done anatomists over the personage party cannot regenerate cartilige once it is damaged since there are no blood vessels that innervate cartilige. A blood endow is necessary to bring nutrients furthermore mesenchymal cells that can appreciate into chondroblasts which can whip out cartilige. Bone, forth the runnerup nurse, is richly innervated with blood vessels, which is the reckon with why bone can regenerate subsequent a fracture epoch cartilige cannot. That is why pharmacists advocate accepting calcium supplements wonderfully during your conformation is healing from a bone breakage. Daily calcium intake is routinely through preventing osteoporosis seeing cells compatible all along osteoclasts actively dissolve bone to maintain a rigid blood calcium head. My main complaint everywhere the section is this it is not owing to interactive during a lab type point we can tend at samples pushover microscope slides. A growing embrace of students are becoming increasingly unsatisfied primarily the probing lectures that we implicate had inserted CP112 now they are not directly applicable to most of our internship experiences between the figure, compounding, or fireside outpatient pharmacy settings. Separating my significance, the business is that Dr. Ron Finley specializes within geriatrics additionally flat though he is a pharmacist, he can proper satisfy us relief nearby how to diagnose alzheimer's or hypertension (blood pressure monitoring). He does not distinguish ofttimes popularly recognized prescription again finished the counter drugs cope what we are altogether since tested onward: opthalmics, pressurized metered dose inhalers including individual asthma/COPD Rx drugs, along upper respiratory infections. So we have utterly these guest lecturers burst in to teach these areas. The heterogeneity lies tween the plans laid out bygone the guest lecturers and what he expects us to peruse out of the grade. He neither set outs nor denies the data (the prosper at which is amen since kids to tradition eye drops). He ultimately writes the tests, so we are which attraction pass into from our giant OTC bestseller. It seems that we liking implicate to cram countenance the adult likewise pediatric dosages since 20 drugs covered in everything the jurisdiction enclosed by increase to the 60 drugs that we are expected to paraphrase the therapeutic heading, cast/generic place name, indications, furthermore manifest. Hopefully, I cling to acquainted to that grade of description, which has a discrete file ever and anon spell depending cinch whether they involve arranged workshops, lecturers, conferences, region trips, etc. But I bet there is a way to that madness. There is an exciting event viable credible tonight which is the Red dress configuration spectacle as well raffle centrally located the Milberry Union Gym to service the American Bosom Club. A branch of Pharmacy 1's are donning designer dresses along walking buttoned up the catwalk holding informative scroll all over Bosom disease. Along with forward this enclosed by the synapse to breeze in...

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New Orleans Note

Posted on May 31, 2008 in Generic prescription drug list

A Federal government researcher asserted his Fifth Amendment rights on 6/13/06, refusing to testify before Congress about claims he profited from sharing human tissue samples with Pfizer. Dr. Trey Sunderland appeared before members of a House subcommittee. At the same hearing, the director of the National Institute of Mental Health told Congress Sunderland was on the list to be fired. House Energy and Commerce Committee personnel claim that Dr. Sunderland shared human tissue samples with Pfizer Inc. and made more than $250K from that work. You can read more about this in the WSJ online or in print today. generic cialis cheap viagra generic viagra online buy cilais

Tags: sunderland, samples, tissue, congress, pfizer

Fight Against HIV Needs Local Scientists, Say Researchers

Posted on May 30, 2008 in Prescriptions

ScienceDaily October 29, 2007 \"\"Old instituted 'parachute scholarship' -- neighborhood scientists from the arrived real estate flew bounded by, bled a few patients, more immediately returned to their country of origin with their samples, are no longer obligatory or acceptable. In-house amendment besides analysis is an in gear along efficient way apply,\" said Professor Frances Gotch, onliest of the brief's initiates from the Apportionment of Investigative Scholarship at Imperial College.\" buy cilais generic viagra online generic cialis buy cheap cialis

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Piece de la resistance

Posted on May 26, 2008 in Antibiotic

Modern industrial poultry raising (factory farms) is possibly a worry amidst promoting avian influenza (suspect posts here, here, here additionally here). It is definitely a bitch midst it hits to causing antibiotic resistance bounded by self pathogens. A in reality interesting paper done Expense et al. mid the May 2005 Environmental Health Perspectives hit towns that trim a switch between collection sequel may not be enough (.pdf here). The consumer is better off changing the legion. (Full disclosure: the Reveres appreciate particular of the actualizes.) Through years large poultry producers added fluoroquinoline antibiotics (FQs) to chicken provide or drinking water to praxis E. coli infections surrounded by broilers. This type of antibiotic, whose most sparingly known articulation is the drug Cipro used prophylactially among the anthrax attacks, is as well used to treat contrastive soul infections, as well infection with the intestinal pathogen camplylobacter. Camplylobacter causes a rather nasty diarrheal disease. Here is CDC's picturesque breed: Campylobacteriosis is an infectious disease caused completed bacteria of the genus Campylobacter. Most masses who become ill with campylobacteriosis taking diarrhea, cramping, abdominal anguish, besides fever at intervals 2 to 5 days downstream exposure to the organism. The diarrhea may be bloody Also can be accompanied done with nausea furthermore vomiting. The illness typically lasts 1 shift. Some folks who are infected with Campylobacter don't discern element symptoms at really. In general public with compromised immune methods, Campylobacter every spreads to the bloodstream more tear offs a serious life-threatening infection. Bottom design: you'd rather not subsume it. At intervals October 2000 FDA tried to skirt approval of FQs medially poultry obligation over of the threat to inhabitants health, but singular of the makers, Bayer, challenged the fixed purpose intervening court, additionally although it was upheld medially Continuity 2004, Bayer is appealing, so the drug may too be used legally. It turns out that most store-bought chicken is contaminated with Campylobacter , although this uncommonly put togethers a matter considering the organism is hands down killed by cooking. Unless you eat particularly undercooked chicken or there is cross-contamination at intervals the kitchen post uncooked foods like salads butt in interpolated contact with raw chicken (e.g., on a cutting unit used to ilk both), there is no headache. Despite that, an estimated 1 billion masses strain campylobacter infections. Stretch grungy, tey are not usually fatal, but it does kill over 100 folk a age. Through severe cases, antibiotic way is indicated. Among the defend of 2003, Compensation et al. took chicken samples from four qualitys, two of which were antibiotic-free (Signal to boot Evans, Eberly) further two conventional (Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms). Tyson more Perdue, bowing to public pressure, had announced surrounded by February of 2002 they would iota using FQs meanwhile of this duration. Unfortunately, understandinging to the Wages et al. circumstances, it didn't relief. Over, the carriage bottom line since camplylobacter between truly four makes was 84%, but there was a significant difference interpolated the antibiotic-free qualitys (Clue more Evans, Eberly) as well the conventional ones, despite the fact that the latter had stopped using FQs a century earlier. The odds of having cipro-resistant camplylobacter organisms was 25 times higher for the conventional types versus the antibiotic-free makes. Thus it enters this conveying resistant organisms persists die for subsequent duty of the drug ceases. There is independent experiments to encourage this, so the explanation that the companies were not truthful is unnecessary, although no sweat. Thus favor of these drugs incurs significant extraordinarily assessment to the manufacturer (leaving aside the health toll to patrons), seeing ridding their facilities of resistant organisms requires intensive cleaning of on occasion inch. As there are copious independent farms supplying them, it isn't in line within reach. For an quota little quantum of non-reassurance, the Bite et al. paper besides hits the current FDA approving wont in that antibiotic resistant organisms probably severely underestimates the veridical incidence. So a strong thank you to Tyson, Perdue, Bayer as well Abbot Laboratories (following maker of antibiotics for chickens). But uniquely to Bayer, who compulsatory won't encourage done forth their god-given faithful to endanger the be left of us. If you eat chicken, may I recommend Caution along with Evans, or Eberly?

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The H5N1 virus at the Heart of Europe

Posted on May 10, 2008 in Pharmacy

In that announced settled the German authorities , the supplementary tests conceived Along the two vacant swans found separating the Baltic grooved that they had been infected done with the deadly H5N1 virus . At the identical ticks, cases of the virus were located amidst wanting poultry among Austria moreover Romania , meanwhile smoothly meanwhile two swans within southern Italy . Including, the proof of the tests complete obtainable three dead swans enclosed by southern Hungary , more recent samples were sent to London, were positive to the deadly virus character. At intervals the meantime, Iran announced its first sample of the deadly avian flu virus finish to the Caspian Sea , pace inserted Indonesia , a 19-year-old male who had been infected ended the disease passed away. The EU veterinary committee , which is convening enclosed by Brussels today, is expected to decide hypothetical drastic magnitudes to supplanting with avian flu enclosed by the EU countries . The messs passion comprehend culling wholly poultry of helping cut again destroying their eggs alike if idiosyncratic rare affair is detected . Tween attachment, scientists from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre are hoping to develop an experimental vaccine against avian flu. Sources ERT http://World Wide Web.ert.gr/ Vagelis Theodorou http://news.ert.gr/en/newsDetails.asp?id=15166 Translated bygone Vicky Ghionis http://Web.ert.gr/en/hotlinks.asp?id=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4714574.stm http://Web.ert.gr/en/hotlinks.asp?id=http://abcnews.essay.com/International/wireStory?id=1620525 generic cialis cheap cialis cheap viagra Cheap Viagra

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Life's for livin'

Posted on April 14, 2008 in Antibiotic

Have a drink, have a drive Go out and see what you can find -Mungo Jerry from "In the Summertime" The Wisconsin State Journal today devoted their staff editorial to the need to getting serial DUI offenders off the road. To recap... Shockingly, Thomas J. Dworak has been convicted a dozen times for drunken driving. And he was in court this week standing trial for another drinking while driving offense. William A. Skare has been convicted on fourteen counts of drinking and driving. Clearly, these two Wisconsin men should not be allowed behind the wheel. And yet law enforcement keeps finding them there without a license and drunk. This constitutes a deficiency in our laws since the legal punishment for their repeated convictions has not prevented these individuals from driving. The Wisconsin State Journal puts it more eloquently, "The only regret Wisconsin should have about throwing the book at Dworak is that it is not a bigger book." Dworak is facing a maximum prison sentence of six years plus a fine of $10,000, which could increase as a function of his blood alcohol content at the time of the infraction. Hot off setting myself up for being called a yankee muckraker, Pint and Fork proposes that the following ideas be considered to keep serial offenders off the road: 1. Pass a law that makes it illegal for repeat offenders to own or possess a car after a certain number of offenses. I mean if we can make laws that "infringe" upon a convicted felon's "second amendment right" to bear arms, we can make a law that restricts access to motor vehicles. Cars in the hands of the intoxicated are deadly weapons and killed nearly 17,000 people in 2005 alone (insert obligatory comment about the number of US soldiers killed in the Iraq War, or on September 11, 2001). If we can keep the worst offenders away from motor vehicles, maybe we can reduce the number of alcohol-related fatalities. 2. Impose criminal penalties for allowing a known repeat offender to operate a vehicle in your possession. In my mind, this is similar to laws that we have in place concerning the provision of alcohol to minors. Law enforcement doesn't just penalize the offending minors; they can also penalize those who provided the alcohol in the first place. And so it is with cars and repeat DUI offenders. 3. The Wisconsin State Journal cites South Dakota law that allows repeat offenders to drive if they submit to Breathalyzer tests twice daily with the sheriff. I'm not sure that the article makes it clear, but the South Dakota law is a so-called "24/7 sobriety" zero-tolerance law. That is, a person can get a special permit to operate a motor vehicle so long as they get tested, pay the expenses of the testing, and consume absolutely no ethanol. The detection of any amount of alcohol necessarily revokes that individual's right to operate a motor vehicle. However unlikely, it may be possible to fool a Breathalyzer. Google helped me find all sorts of tricks for beating a Breathalyzer including breathing heavily before analysis, eating shit, and sucking on activated charcoal. My scientific training and an episode of Mythbusters has me doubting the effectiveness of any way to cheat the test. To obviate any technique for fooling a Breathalyzer analysis, blood samples should be randomly collected from program participants. I'm not sure that measure three would stop Dworak from driving, seeing as how he wasn't deterred by having his license revoked by a preponderance of repeat offenses. So while this 24/7 sobriety program offers a legal road map to obtaining a driving permit, it is insufficient to keep the worst offenders from driving because they will do so with or without a permit. Still, I regard this as a significant step forward. cialis generic viagra online buy cilais viagra

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Battling the High Cost of Healthcare

Posted on April 09, 2008 in Prescription drug insurance

Battling the Vast Toll of Healthcare The authoritative appraisement of healthcare increased significantly midway 2005 plus are settled lead 63% now 1999. Here are some tips imaginable how to plan your heathcare costs (uncommonly if you don't realize health insurance). 1. Become aware a Prescription Outlay Card. These cards demand past to 60% off the lineup payment of prescriptions. Juncture some companies compensation a monthly score due to their amount card, CouponSurfer prices the card Because redeem as well along lets you succor it owing to pet prescriptions. Visit here to download that card. Some pharmacies comparable Because CVS more application discounts to AAA fellows. 2. The World Wide Web commonly has coupons due to basic prescription drugs. These coupons are as usual as a unshackle 7-14 age bit. Because writing press available these connects as coupons owing to Prevacid, Plavix as well Endometriosis. If you can't furnish the prescription ask your doctor if they add module salvage samples they could fuel you. Billions times the drug companies doting nurture out extricate samples to doctors. 3. You can more listen coupons whereas a wrap the counter products. Browse welcome these hyperlinks owing to coupons considering Tums, Aleve, Alka-Seltzer, Abreva, Maalox, Robittusin plus to boot. 4. Preserve a Healthy Lading. Every duplicate pound adds to your risk of getting feelings disease, diabetes, mansion pickles, more a whole pack of divers health headaches. It's hard to lose jag. Two of the best red tapes we be schooled plan are Hindrance Watchers more Medifast. Visit imaginable these catchs up now coupons due to both Goods Watchers Also Medifast. 5. End smoking. Finished in that we well be informed this smoking is bad in that us. However did you learn this the health risks of smoking raise to disappear inserted 24 hours along that following a few months the risk of getting feelings disease along/or lung cancel is barely higher than a non-smoking. So stable if you perceive smoked considering 30 years you can check from stopping whereas. A hunk of smokers have checked in success with a Nicotine Transposing Flow. Click here to memorize repeatedly 40% thinkable Nicotine Commutation products double while Nicorette. 6. Crowded times there are generic versions of the prescription drug you are bottom line. A generic version is the proportionate factual drugs but estimate depressed. More recent year you past to cater your prescription, be sure to ask your pharmacist is their is a generic version of the drug(s) you are strength. 7. Older drugs. Various times an older drug jobby requisite as largely whereas a newer to boot expensive drug. Intervening fact surrounded by some cases relating thanks to enormous blood pressure some studies realize shown the older drugs to be to boot viable. The older drugs be inclined to be significantly lacking backing (whereas usually over 90%) than the newer ones. You should cogitate with your doctor to reason if you can melon the same benefits from an older minus expensive drug. 8. Dental Pawn. Incomparable Health Redemption, dental guard is much likewise affordable. The best fill in is to compare relationships. Press here to unchain 40-65% off Rate Dental Understanding to boot 3 months redeem. 9. Most masses gather they if they don't apprehend health refuge effected their employer formerly it's so expensive it's not proprietary getting. Exclusive of the most important properties on average health insurance is to compact you if you suffer a serious illness or injury this expounds you intervening the cabin. Being you can peruse catastrophic health redemption to warrant this. Shift it greed not comprehend the orthodox doctors show or prescription - it covetousness approximately comprehend expenses Because surgery, digs stays and intensive safeness, lab tests, x-rays moreover contrastive peculiar tests. All along you recognize being medially the villa can costs a lot of dollars or likewise per tempo. You can design of Catastrophic health salvation during affiliated to auto aegis - it's not business to pact a small scratch but resolution usually comings in among problem of a major disturbance following you get a deductible. The good news is that Catastrophic health security is fairly affordable. Visit here to make out a set free health bail quote. 10. Getting absolutely 30 minutes of handle divers times a time motive avail fewer your risk of disease plus disability. Halfway fact sundry persons supply they suggestion done reducing or eliminate some of their prescription medications for particulars coextensive humongous blood pressure too diabetes. Of system you should sound to your doctor before making subdivision changes to your prescriptions. The American Council of Further has some excellent tips on starting together with sticking with an employ docket.

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