Bizarre Police Report

Undercover cops arrest undercover cop
Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Marijuana: the police would like to sell you some

In a triumph of covert police work, undercover officers in North Carolina arrested another undercover officer from a different force after buying drugs off him.

The entirely drug dealer-free drug deal occurred when undercover officers from the Statesville Police Department met a man interested in selling them some marijuana. The man was an undercover deputy from Iredell County Sheriff's Office.

The Statesville officers apparently became suspicious that the drug-dealer was, in fact, an undercover deputy - so they rang the narcotics unit of the sheriff's office to check. They were told that the dealer was definitely not an undercover deputy.

They promptly arrested the man, before officers from the sheriff's office arrived and confirmed that the man was, in fact, and undercover deputy. He was then released.

Everyone has a bad day now and then...

What’s REALLY in those Dietary Supplements your Patients are Taking?

Every wonder what's REALLY in the dietary supplements people so eagerly consume? Maybe there's more in them than they had bargained for! Maybe they are actually getting more for their money! Here's an item that the FDA posted recently:

Steam Dietary Supplement

[Posted 07/29/2009] Nutracoastal Trading LLC and FDA notified healthcare professionals and consumers of a nationwide recall of the company's dietary supplement product sold under the name Steam. Lab analysis by FDA found that the product contains sulfoaildenafil, an analog of sildenafil. Sildenafil is an active ingredient of an FDA-approved drug for erectile dysfunction (ED), making Steam an unapproved drug. The undeclared ingredient may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs such as nitroglycerin and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Additionally, the product may cause side effects, such as headaches and flushing.

The recalled product was distributed in white plastic bottles to retail stores nationwide. Customers who have this product in their possession should stop using it immediately and contact their physician if they have experienced any problems that may be related to taking this product.

[7/28/2009 - Press Release - Nutracoastal Trading LLC]

What is the purpose of this blog?

Throughout the semester there will be a lot going on that will shape your future as a pharmacist. In fact, right this very minute the federal government is trying to reshape the face of health care in America. What role will pharmacists have in this new reality? Is the voice of pharmacy being heard in Washington? Or more pertinent to you as a future pharmacist, will I have a job when I graduate.

From the time I was a pharamcy student here at the COP I have always regretted that I was too busy with classwork to pay attention to the world around me. My sole focus was on my course work and trying to survive the avalanche of details the professors expected me to memorize.

I found after grauation that there had been so much going on to shape MY future as a pharamcist, yet I felt like I missed out on all the action.

I will use this space to post things that might be of interest to you from a variety of viewpoints. Some will be just plain weird, wild, or wacky. (like the nurse that got busted for stealing the Drugesic patches from dead nursing home patients). Some may be thought provoking, and some may anger or frustrate you.

I hope you enjoy this feature. This blog will replace a section I set up previously called "I'll Get Back to You."

I welcome your comments.