Pepin’s Pharmaceutical Prattle for 12-23-2002 Quote of the day: One must be poor to know the luxury of giving. George Eliot (1819 - 1880)

Happy Christmas Eve-eve! I hope your giving is going well. Finding the "perfect" gift has given way to the new giving...the gift card. This is the 2002 equivalent of the FRUIT CAKE. In years past, if you did not know what someone wanted (or just didn't care) you could ALWAYS give a fruit cake. Now you no longer have to spend hours combing the store for something you think your loved ones (or editors) might like….many just opt for the "pay my dues" approach and buy a gift card. We rationalize this as saving time, avoiding having to have the gift returned, and saving thought. Don't whimp out! Spend the time and thought to pick SOMETHING out! The gift will let the person you are giving to know that you care enough to consider what they MIGHT like. You may be WRONG but at least you invested the time to TRY to please.

Are there no poor houses? Are there no jails? Bah…humbug! While you are in the giving mood, don’t forget the charities (they take CASH or CHECKS and do not feel offended). Here, again, the fruitcake is not a good idea. Year-end tax considerations may make philanthropists out of the frugal. (Hey, it worked for Scrooge but then again he was worried about his eternal soul and not his 1040!)

Gift?
	Please accept the Prattle as my year-long gift to you. (No, you can not return it!) You may not always like what you get but I always TRY to give you SOMETHING I think you might need or enjoy. Look on the bright side…at least it is NOT FRUITCAKE!

1) Just in time for Christmas, for the person who has everything (including allergies)----Alavert.

Contains a nice PIE CHART of antihistamine use. Think of it as your "Christmas Pie". The FDA approved Alavert on 12/20/02. This is the equivalent to Claritin OTC. At 57 cents per dose vs about $1/dose for Claritin the drug should garner market-share. This site allows you to print a $4 coupon if you like.(I didn't know what else to get you) …Click here for full text of ALAVERT story. http://www.alavert.com/

2) Makin' a list…checkin' it twice (in court)

Preferred drug lists upheld in Michigan court. The Michigan Department of Community Health won a ruling that allows them to use a preferred drug list to try to control drug spend. Saving $850,000 per week seems like it was worth the effort….especially when they spend $1 billion on drugs each year! …Click here for full text of story. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021216/ap_on_he_me/medicaid_prescriptions_3

3)…not in your hand.

Drugs that melt in your mouth? Why would this be "the next big thing?" (The candy thing has already been done!). With the aging of Americans (all except you and I that is) comes the inevitable problem swallowing pills. More troublesome in nursing home patients but still a problem. If you have ever tried to get a child to swallow a pill then you can also appreciate the pediatric applications. Several new drugs, like Remeron, have come out in dissolving tablet form. These dosage forms work well for both the first and second childhood. Expect to pay a premium over regular tablets. …Click here for full text of story. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55870-2002Dec14.html

4) Watch your holiday cheer! (Use no pre-emptive strike against hangover!)

The number one cause of liver failure is now Tylenol (acetaminophen) overdosage. Taking more than 4 grams a day is dangerous…that is eight 500mg tablets for the sociology majors. Where people make a large mistake is when they are taking combination products containing acetaminophen and a narcotic and supplement with regular acetaminophen. One thing could make the drug MORE hepatotoxic is taking it with alcohol in your system. So do not take some Tylenol while "under the influence" in hopes of avoiding a hangover….liver failure is much worse. …Click here for full text of story. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=571&ncid=751&e=4&u=/nm/20021216/hl_nm/liver_acetaminophen_dc

5) The Wise Men from the EAST and a few Wise Women too!
	'Pharmaceutical Think Tank' makes its report (they must have lost my phone number and were unable to reach me). Some futuristic thinking about drugs, devices, and biologic agents. Pharmaceuticals still a good place to invest? You'll have to read it. (No, I am NOT pouting!) …Click here for full text of story. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20021215/bs_nm/bizhealth_2010_dc_1

6) Why only TWELVE days of Christmas? Triskaidekaphobia!

Triskaidekaphobia may kill you if you are a woman. Triskaidekaphobia, fear of the number thirteen, is also used to describe the fear of Friday the thirteenth. Scientific study shows that if you fear that something may "get" you on that day, it just might. This seems to apply to women only. So put aside your superstitions and enjoy the belief in Eternal Goodness and Light. (after all…'tis the season). It will be healthier on two counts! The first and only Friday the thirteenth of 2003 will be in June. You have 6 months to lose the superstition. …Click here for full text of the 13 story. http://12.42.224.152/HealthNews/reuters/NewsStory1213200216.htm

7) All I want for Christmas is my Schedule II's
	…but officer, little Johnny had Oxycontin on his list! A man dressed as Old St. Nicholas held up a pharmacy recently. All he wanted was Oxycontin. (Talk about NAUGHTY!). In the story the police say they suspect that this was NOT the real Santa. …Click here for full text of story. http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20021216/ap_on_fe_st/santa_claus_robbery_2

All of us here at PHARMWORKS wish each and every one of you a SUPER-FANTASTIC CHRISTMAS. Maria, Larry, Greg, Dan and Steve

Disclaimer: "Pepin's Pharmaceutical Prattle" (AKA "The Prattle") is the property of PHARWORKS, 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 a supervision of you 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 ppp@pharmworks.com . All insightful comments from readers are thoughtfully considered (the rest are callously discarded).

(I'll let you in on a deep dark secret, I actually LIKE fruit cake!)