ppp 05-01-06

Quote of the day: No race can prosper till it learns that there is as much dignity

in tilling a field as in writing a poem. Booker T. Washington (1856 - 1915)

May first is an ancient holiday and many have attempted to highjack it. Now it is celebrated as the international day of the worker. So if you have a job, this is your day. Celebrate the dignity of work. Your job provides a wage used to tend to your needs (and those of your family). You provide SOMETHING of use to society.

Cinco de mayo (the 5^th of May) is just around the corner and provides another reason to celebrate. It is like our 4^th of July but celebrates Mexican independence. With the way the immigration debate is going we may have to start celebrating June 5^th…. halfway between the two dates.

Other personal celebrations such as graduations, weddings, and anniversaries are coming soon. For those of us in the temperate zones, Spring in any form is something to celebrate.

ps. Best answer this week to the question "How are you?" was "Fantastic!" (someone who hadn't yet heard of the "Super" part).

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

Shortage of asthma inhalers threaten the health of asthmatics. The propellants used in the “old” inhalers could damage the ozone layer so a change was mandated. There is a shortage of the ‘new’ inhalers in the USA because Europe banned the old one first.

Generic Pravacol (pravastatin) approved by the FDA, Soon you will have your choice of generic Zocor, Mevacor or Pravacol. Most pharmacy plans will have all three….. which should hurt Lipitor and Crestor.

I can’t count the gallons of this stuff (Phenergan is the brand name) that I have dispensed. Also pertains to the suppository form of the drug. Seven deaths in children under the age of 2 triggered this FDA warning. Kids over the age of 2 aren’t necessary out of the woods.

The FDA rule (circa 2004) that requires that all Rx and some OTCs used in hospitals carry bar coding. This will be helpful for the hospital dispensing/nurse administration systems with bar code reader attachments. This is all in the name of patient safety.

Bills have been introduced in the House and Senate that would require PROMT payment (10 to 14 days) of Medicare Part D claims submitted by pharmacies. (What a concept!)

Nanotechnology is getting to be a bigger force in pharmaceuticals. Applications revolve around delivery systems and making sure that the drug is delivered to the active site (thus avoiding most systemic adverse effects).

Too late for me but this list of drugs that can cause hair loss may be useful to some of you.

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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