Giving Away Candy in Prescription Vials? What Were You THINKING?

A Sam's Club in Salisbury, Maryland had a great idea to bolster its pharmacy business. Why not hand out real prescritption vials stuffed with Tootsie Rolls and Dots? Well, I could give you about fifty reasons why not to do it, but some jarhead in the front office apparently has never heard that there is an epidemic of drug abuse among young people, nor has he ever dealt with a distraught parent whose kid OD'd on his grandmothers medicine, thinking it was candy.

Check out the full story in the parentdish website:

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/06/30/sams-club-gives-kids-candy-in-pill-bottles/

Two Executed in China Over Tainted Milk

Yes, that's what the headlines of this CNN news story shouted. It seems that in China there is little tolerance for people who jeopardize the health of its people.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/11/24/china.milk.execution/index.html?eref=igoogle_cnn

As though this seems like a harsh penalty, in July, 2007, the Head of China's "FDA" was executed for corruption. The government proclaimed that "Zheng's dereliction of duty has undermined the efficiency of China's drug monitoring and supervision, endangered public life and health and has had a very negative social impact."

http://www.drugresearcher.com/Research-management/China-carries-out-execution-on-corrupt-drug-official


Washington, are you listening?

Don't Even THINK About Releasing That Thanksgiving Mylar Balloon

TALLAHASSEE, FL -- A warning to those who may want to release balloons outdoors: not only is it against the law, but it can harm wildlife.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is reminding residents that a little-known law prohibits releasing more than nine lighter-than-air balloons in a day.
Wildlife, especially sea turtles, mistake balloons for food. Plus, strings attached to balloons can entangle birds and other animals.
It's a $250 fine for a violation. There are some exceptions, including scientific or meteorological balloons released by a governmental agency or under a governmental contract.

I've Heard About Beating a Dead Horse, But Beating a Dead Human?? C'mon, Now!!

I often host visiting pharmacy students from other countries. I quickly learned how idiomatic the English language can be. For example, after making the same point several times, I said "I feel like I am beating a dead horse." Imagine the looks I got when the group took me literally.

Well, here is a story where the horse wasn't a horse, but instead a human. And it was not just a silly slang expression.

It seems that in Uganda, people have died from drinking illegally manufacturered gin. As though the loss of life wasn't indigent enough, the government suggests that the bodies be beaten with a stick. Why? To find out, read the full Associated Press story here:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091114/ap_on_re_af/af_uganda_caning

Note the unusual ending paragraph: "In Uganda, the bodies of those who commit suicide are also caned as a form of dishonor and to warn against such behavior for the living."

I thought they were going to assert that the caning is a deterrent for the deceased to think twice before they kill themselves in the next life."

Prof. Doering Squares Off On Medical Marijuana Debate on Live TV: You Tell me: Which One of Us is NORML?

You Heard It Right: Your own Professor Doering was called to appear live on a MSNBC show about health matters hosted by Dr. Nancy Snyderman. With little to no time to prepare, I probably had that same "Deer in the Headlights" look so familiar to the PTX students.

Incidently, I was sitting in a very small studio hidden in the bowels of the West stands of The Swamp. I appeared by satellite link.

If I were grading myelf I would count points off for unpressional dress!! When I got up yesterday morning who would have known that I would be asked to appear. At least I was clean shaven!!

These are the AP Writers Speaking, Not Me!

Ah, the wisdom of Homer Simpson. We are often the listeners who must accept published literature to be done correctly and reported honestly. I am not going to editorialize, but rather refer you to the original article. If these allegations are true, the medical literature has been dealt a massive blow.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33867108/ns/health-more_health_news/

Drink Responsibly-- What Does That Really Mean?

Advertisements for alcohol products invariably manage to sneak in the disclaimer, "Drink Responsibly." Recently, I lectured to a group of high schoolers and we began to analyze exactly what that means. Bless their pointed little heads, one of them said, "It means that if you get drunk and hurt someone, you are responsible."

Irresponsible drinking is nothing new. I suppose Bacchus himself found a way to do wine keg stands or shotgun a cheap Chianti. The electronic age, however, has taken this to a new level. All you have to do is search YouTube and you will find all kinds of irresponsible ways to use alcohol, including vodka enemas, snorting vodka, drinking flaming shots, etc.

This video I found very interesting. It is well made and particularly clear with its step-by-step approach to shotgunning beer. It is interesting that they give their own disclaimers:

1. Drinking beer quickly can get you intoxicated faster. Drink Responsibly

2. Drinking beer this way can be extremely dangerous. The beer will be forced into the throat under pressure. If the beer isn't swallowed fast enough it will be aspirated into the lungs resulting in extreme choking or possibly death due to what is known as a dry drowning.

3. Be careful when putting your mouth on the opening you cut in the can. It can be very sharp and cut you if you're not careful.

Kinda makes me want to run right out and buy a six-pack of diet coke and give it a try!

Remeber, don't try this at home, kids. You could get hurt!

Placebo- (L) verb- I Shall Please

Placebo. A word we hear all the time in pharmacy. I saw a jogger the other day, running alone and wearing a T-Shirt with an arrow pointing to his running partner, and the inscription on his shirt read: "I'm With Placebo."
A second look confirmed that he appeared to be runnning alone. For a microsecond I didn't get it, but as my car passed him, I began to howl with laughter.

While placebo is generally considered a research tool--"this drug performed significantly better than placebo"-- many believe that the effects of certain popular marketed drugs work soley through a placebo effect.

A recent Associated Press article blared the following headline:

Experts: Placebo power behind many natural cures
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g2gbCpUe6MuJCcaBJ_YDq138cjHwD9BSQS200

While I don't discount their findings, it does raise one question: so what if it is by placebo effect that people feel better? At least they feel better. Problem is, research estimates that only 1 in 3 persons will experience a placebo effect. What about the other 2 people?

A really cool study was done whereby they pitted one placebo against another. They called the second one "nocebo." The results are fascinating. Read it at: http://ehp.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/29/4/394

So next time you get a 'script for Obecalp, remember all that is is Placebo spelled backwards!

It's enough to give you a headache. I think I'll go take a placebo!

An Alternative Use for Your Lab Coats

In Brazil, a student was expelled for wearing her mini-skit too short. Here are the opening lines of an article on the subject:

A Brazilian university has expelled a woman who was heckled by hundreds of fellow students for wearing a short, pink dress to class – publicly accusing her Sunday of immorality.
The private Bandeirante University in Sao Bernardo do Campo, outside Sao Paulo, said 20-year-old Geisy Arruda disrespected "ethical principles, academic dignity and morality."

More important, after a conference with university officials, she was escorted off the campuys in a haute couture lab coat quite similar to the ones you all wear. Let's hope we don't need to use them for this dubious purpose.

The following clip in is Portuguese. I think it is rated PG, but I don't (necessarily) take blame for any objectionable language:

Sleep Apnea: Not Worth Losing Sleep Over (Or Your Life For That Matter)

In Main Case #5 one of the possible diagnoses for Neal Beal was sleep apnea. We atlked a little bit about it in class, and I encouraged Dr. Anderson to pursue some line of questioning around this subject. Why, you ask? Because I HAVE it!.

Some of you toyed with the idea of prescribing CPAP for Neal. This is a good idea on a chronic basis. I am not if it fits in to the current treatment plan.

In case you have never seen the apparatus, I asked my wife to shoot this photo of me sound asleep. I know it is not a pretty sight.

If you have any questions about this "space age" look I would be happy to answer them. At least I know I won't be falling asleep at my desk by 2 PM like I used to.

In the Spirit of Quality Improvement: The Correct Way To Gouge Eyes

Much has been said about an alleged incident involving a Florida Gator football player trying to gouge out the eyes of an opposing player. In the EBP course, we are embarking on a new discussion: Quality Improvement in Health care.

You may not know that these principles are not restricted to the Health Care Industry. Yes, that's right: in our everyday world we can applytechniques shown to improve health care outcomes to, let's just say, eye gouging.

One of the first steps in the QA process is to do a thorough review of the literature. We must try to find others who have faced the same problem and have made progress towards its solution. Follow this link to see some pointers on how this should be done:

Saudia Arabian Court Orders Eye to Be Gouged Out

http://www.hrw.org/en/news/2005/12/08/saudi-arabia-court-orders-eye-be-gouged-out

Please note that this punishment was ordered for a migrant worker for his part in a brawl. Do you see the parallel: Football? Brawl? Check it out.

Speaking of Supplements: Score One for the FDA

How timely!! No sooner did I post the Mel Gibson bit than I got a message from the FDA announcing that, as part of its ongoing cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration ("FDA"), Bodybuilding.com, LLC announced today that it is conducting a voluntary nationwide and international recall of all lots and expiration dates of 65 dietary supplement products described in a list, that were sold through the Company's website, http://bodybuilding.com

It appears to me that the FDA is serious about cleaning up the Sports Supplement Industry. Check out the rest of the article at:

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm188929.htm

DSHEA: Should We Thank or Blame Mel Gibson?

Some of you have heard me proclaim over the years that in my opinion, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 was the most ill advised piece of federal legislation since the Stamp Act. Support was garnered for passage of this legislation by some very scary commercials portraying what the world would be like if DSHEA was not passed. Sit back an watch as one of your favorite actors "shills" for the Supplement Lobby.

Officer, Somebody Stole My Weed!!

Gainesville Sun Headlines: Gainesville man reports robbers took his marijuana

Here's the body of the article from The Sun on Tuesday, November 3, 2009:

A Gainesville man called several neighbors and friends before calling 911 to report that someone had stolen a few grams of his personal marijuana stash.

Von Powell, 22, told Alachua County deputies that the robbery happened at 2:45 a.m. while he was home alone in his apartment in the 7000 block of Southwest 44th Avenue. According to sheriff's spokesman Art Forgey, Powell claimed he was sitting on his coach, listening to music, drinking a beer and smoking a blunt [a marijuana cigarette] when two men kicked in the front door of the apartment.

"He told us that one of the men hit him on the head with a chrome firearm and that they took cash from his pocket and three to four grams of his personal smoking weed," Forgey said.
Powell said he ran out of the apartment and so did his attackers. He said he saw them get into a dark-colored vehicle and drive away.

"Then he waited 45 minutes to call 911," Forgey said. Powell spent the time calling his neighbors and a few friends to tell them what had happened to him.

No arrests had been made in the case by Tuesday.

Anybody Seen My Alligator?

I've heard of people losing their keys or misplacing their glasses. I've heard of people losing thier a** in Las Vegas. But this one takes the cake. Read the Associated Press artcile that appeared a few days ago:

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Officials believe they have located an alligator that escaped after a Florida Fish and Wildlife officer brought the animal to his daughter’s school for show and tell. FWC spokesman Stan Kirkland says officials think the 5-foot alligator is in a Panhandle pond. Authorities weren’t able to capture the critter Friday. Searchers scoured a wooded area surrounding the school Friday afternoon after the alligator jumped out of the man’s vehicle with it’s mouth taped shut. Kirkland says he heard the schoolchildren were “impressed” with the demonstration.