TORONTO -- About 1,400 Ontario cancer patients are getting easier
access to four new drugs.

Health Minister George Smitherman announced today that the government
will fund the cancer-fighting drugs.

The government will spend $8.2 million this year and $15 million next
year for coverage.

It also estimates that the number of people who will eventually
benefit from the new funding will rise to about 2,600.

The treatments that will be covered are for lung cancer, breast cancer
and blood cancer.

The drugs that will be covered are: Velcade, Taxotere, Tomudex and Tarceva.

Cancer Care Ontario chief executive officer Terry Sullivan says the
announcement is good news for cancer patients.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 7:31 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

DOCTORS are approving powerful prescription drugs over the internet
for weight loss, impotence and baldness without seeing or actually
speaking to their patients.
An investigation by The Sunday Times has found three British companies
providing potentially dangerous medications including Viagra, the
sexual performance drug, Xenical and Reductil, the slimming drugs, and
Propecia, for baldness.

The British Medical Association, the doctors' professional body, said
a system in which registered doctors were paid to give online
consultations was open to abuse and misdiagnosis. Paul Cundy, its
spokesman on computers and general practice, said: "Doctors are
operating blind. It's not possible to have an online 'consultation',
because you can't see, speak to or enter into a proper dialogue with a
patient. It is very dangerous."

Online consultations are legal because of a loophole in the Medicines
Act 1968. The act says many drugs can be dispensed only after a
patient has had a consultation with a doctor, but it does not lay down
that this should be face-to-face.

A report by Envision, a web analysis company, estimates there are
nearly 2,300 sites selling prescription-only drugs direct to the
consumer.

In the space of a week a reporter obtained £400 of prescription drugs
after falsely claiming to be overweight, balding and suffering from
impotence in "free" online consultations. These amounted to little
more than a medical checklist in which the patient agreed to waive
medical responsibility.

One company, Online Clinic (UK), supplied four 50mg Viagra tablets and
a month's stock of Xenical. Viagra has been linked to cardiac problems
while Xenical has possible side effects that include severe breathing
difficulties, nausea and vomiting.

In the past two years the company has dealt with more than 20,000
consultations. Robert MacKay, its director, said he acted responsibly
and provided a "vital service" for people too embarrassed to see their
GP.

But Steve Bloomfield, a spokesman for the Eating Disorders
Association, warned that online consultations enabled people with
bulimia and anorexia to obtain slimming drugs.

The prescriptions for the drugs obtained from Online Clinic (UK) were
made by Dr Julian Eden, who runs an online prescription company called
e-med. Eden also approved a prescription for Viagra placed with
another website called MyOnline Doctor. In a statement he insisted his
company followed guidelines set by the General Medical Council (GMC)
and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Jane O'Brien, head of standards and ethics at the GMC, said it was a
"grey area". She said the council would investigate any evidence of a
doctor prescribing irresponsibly but stopped short of supporting a ban
on online consultations.

The GMC has taken action against four doctors since 2002 for
prescribing drugs over the internet without a proper consultation.

A Sunday Times reporter also obtained nearly £200 of drugs from a site
run by Menscare (UK). It is half-owned by Mark Groombridge, who was
jailed for 12 months for providing Viagra without prescription in
2002.

After an online consultation the company provided a month's supply of
Reductil, which suppresses appetite, for £120. The drug requires
regular monitoring by a doctor, and possible side effects include
liver and kidney damage and pulmonary hypertension. The company also
charged £70 for four tablets of Cialis, an anti-impotence drug that
can be effective for 36 hours. It can cause back pain and headaches.

Menscare repeatedly refused to tell the undercover reporter the name
of the doctor who approved the prescriptions, in contravention of GMC
guidelines, advising him instead to return the drugs to the pharmacy
if there were concerns.

But a spokesman said: "We do not offer addictive drugs or drugs of
abuse (sic) and so there is no reason for patients to be deceitful to
obtain the drugs we supply through a registered pharmacy. All doctors,
however, are vulnerable to lying patients and will tell you it happens
every day in face-to-face consultations in surgeries."

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 7:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Wisconsin's popular SeniorCare prescription drug program is due to end
in the summer of 2007 under an agreement with federal authorities.
However, Wisconsin seniors and political leaders are asking for it to
continue as a alternative to the federal Medicare Part D prescription
plan.

On Thursday state Assemblywoman Sheryl Albers, R-Reedsburg, was among
a bipartisan group of legislators signing a letter in support of the
Wisconsin SeniorCare prescription drug program, according to a
statement from her office. They are asking U.S. Health and Human
Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt to allow the program to continue
beyond the June 30, 2007, deadline set under an agreement between the
state and federal governments.

SeniorCare is a good, low-cost way for seniors of modest means such as
themselves to get help paying for their prescription drugs, said
retirees Ed and Lorna Brecka of Baraboo.

When they considered joining Medicare Part D they were confronted with
a long list of drug insurance programs to chose from, said Ed. Each
charged its own monthly fees and separate charges for different
prescriptions.

With SeniorCare, they each pay a $30 annual fee and a co-payment of $5
or $10 when they pick up their medications, he said. [Blocked Ads]

"SeniorCare is much cheaper," Lorna said. "We're retired people, we
have to watch every penny we spend."

SeniorCare serves more than 110,000 Wisconsin residents and thousands
of seniors selected the Wisconsin program over the federal one in the
last year, according to the legislators' letter.

Assemblyman J.A. "Doc" Hines, R-Oxford, is on vacation and has not yet
signed the legislators' appeal to Leavitt, said Doug Parrott, a
legislative aide. He said Hines strongly supports the SeniorCare
program because it works well.

He supports the Wisconsin prescription program despite the fact
Medicare Part D is being promoted by President Bush and Republicans in
Congress, Parrott said.

"SeniorCare has been an extremely popular program and an extremely
successful program for Wisconsin seniors," he said. "You can't argue
with the success of the program.

"The number of seniors (who) have chosen to use it speaks for itself,"
Parrott said. "Medicare Part D had some problems. There were some
stumbling blocks for people."

Health and Human Services officials are reviewing the request by
Wisconsin's government to continue SeniorCare, said Bob Herskovitz, a
spokesman based in Chicago. It will take some time before federal
officials decide what to do about the program.

"It's too early until we look at everything and see all the pieces and
do the final analysis," he said. "Realistically, we will work very
closely with the state of Wisconsin to come to an understanding of
their program."

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 5:40 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Gov. Jon Corzine warned Wednesday that $5 million in weekly
prescription drug assistance for 190,000 seniors and the disabled
could be cut off due to the state budget showdown.

According to the Treasury Department, the state issued the final $4
million and $5 million in reimbursement payouts to pharmacies on
Wednesday. That leaves retailers in the position of essentially
accepting IOUs in exchange for providing subsidized pharmaceuticals.

"It is not that we will cut it off. Without an appropriations act
passed by the Legislature the state of New Jersey cannot spend money,"
said Anthony Coley, Corzine's spokesman. "The government is forced to
shut down because the Legislature has failed to pass a budget bill."

The development comes as a 5-day-old state shutdown widened on
Wednesday to include Atlantic City casinos, state parks and most state
offices.

Corzine shuttered all nonessential state services Saturday, when the
Legislature passed the constitutional deadline to approve his $31
billion budget.

In the Garden State, senior drug assistance comes in two main programs:

( The Pharmaceutical Assistance for the Aged and Disabled, or PAAD,
which covers those over 65 or disabled who meet federal guidelines.
The PAAD program has an income threshold of $21,850 for single seniors
and $26,791 for married couples;

( The second is the less generous Senior Gold program.

Both programs require enrollees to pay $5 co-pays. Drug providers then
seek reimbursement with the state.

Last year, the PAAD program cost the state $304 million; this year
Corzine budgeted $270 million.

"The program, of course, is very important. We have worked hard to
make sure these benefits are maintained from year to year. We have
every expectation there will be no disruption to the PAAD or Senior
Gold programs," said Jane Margesson, spokeswoman for the 1
million-member New Jersey chapter of the American Association of
Retired Persons.

"We don't expect any immediate impact."

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 6:07 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Probably, although more studies are needed.

In the first human study of its kind, Dr. David Kass, a cardiologist
at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, reported last fall
in the journal Circulation that Viagra can suppress the effects of
stress hormones on the heart, a potential boon to many people with
heart disease.

In the study, 35 healthy male and female volunteers were given a drug
called dobutamine, which stimulates the heart much as the natural
hormone, adrenalin, does.

Their hearts responded just as expected - pumping harder and
increasing cardiac output. The point of this was to show that their
hearts responded to this chemical stress.

About 30 minutes later, Kass divided the group in two. Half got
Viagra, the other half, placebo. Neither the doctors nor the subjects
knew who got which drug.

About half an hour later, all subjects got another dose of dobutamine.
The hearts of people who had gotten Viagra showed less increase in
contraction than those of people who got placebo, suggesting, said
Kass, that Viagra, also known as sildenafil, "acts like a brake on the
heart."

In the penis, Viagra works through a chain of chemical reactions to
dilate blood vessels - the key to getting and maintaining an erection.
In the heart, Viagra works through the same chemical pathway but the
result, instead of vasodilation, is a decrease in the heart's response
to stress.

In another study, Kass's team has found this decrease in
susceptibility to stress can reduce the thickening of the heart muscle
that often follows long-term high blood pressure, a problem called
cardiac hypertrophy.

Dr. Michael Mendelsohn, director of the Molecular Cardiology Research
Institute at Tufts-New England Medical Center, said that the new
evidence of Viagra's effect on the heart means that "it is time to
start studying the possibility of using Viagra as a heart drug."

Viagra and similar drugs such as Cialis and Levitra, said Kass, could
be taken once a day by people who have thickened heart walls, a
problem for about 2.5 million Americans with congestive heart failure.

A new study using Cialis, which is longer acting than Viagra, is
expected to begin this month. So far, though, doctors don't recommend
taking Viagra for heart problems.

Is lowering salt consumption important for health?

Many medical organizations say yes, though there's room for disagreement.

Last month, the American Medical Association urged the government to
develop regulations to limit salt - or sodium - in processed and
restaurant foods, noting that excess sodium can increase blood
pressure.

A 2004 report by the Institute of Medicine, a branch of the National
Academy of Sciences, said that healthy adults should keep their salt
consumption under 2,300 milligrams a day. Most Americans consume far
more than that, in part because the food industry laces so many
products with salt.

Lowering salt consumption can reduce blood pressure, said Dr. Lawrence
Appel, a professor of medicine at Hopkins. "Elevated blood pressure is
a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is extremely
modifiable by lifestyle changes including sodium reduction," he said.
"Reducing salt is even easier for most people than losing weight or
making other dietary changes."

While the American Heart Association and the federal government
recommend sodium reduction, a review of the issue by the Cochrane
Collaboration, an international not-for-profit research group, showed
that reducing salt intake is linked to reductions in blood pressure by
only a few points.

Moreover, lowering blood pressure by salt reduction may not translate
to a survival advantage.

A study published in February in the American Journal of Medicine by
Hillel Cohen, an associate professor of epidemiology and population
health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York,
concluded that people who reduced salt actually had a 37 percent
greater risk of death than those who didn't.

Salt reduction studies, he said, present "a very mixed picture."

One of Cohen's co-authors, Dr. Michael H. Alderman, president of the
International Society of Hypertension, has been a consultant, albeit
unpaid, to the Salt Institute, an industry group based in Alexandria,
Va. The Salt Institute did not pay for the study.

Bottom line? Take all advice on salt, including this, with a grain thereof.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 6:07 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Tricia Smith of Sparta never took more pills than prescribed for her
fibromyalgia, but the amount and mixture of drugs from a single doctor
and pharmacy took a toll on her body.

In the summer of 2003, she developed a heart condition and other
problems. A doctor said her new health problems were from the
medications, but that she couldn't simply stop using the drugs.

She'd become addicted but didn't know it. The dependency required a
gradual rollback to avoid more medical strife, or even death, doctors
said.

"I felt about an inch tall," she said. "I was embarrassed, shocked."

Smith, now 48, went through a rugged three-month withdrawal period.
Fortunately, she was not psychologically addicted and had the support
of a close friend and the K.E.E.P. board of directors, where she is
chief executive officer.

Smith's story is just one example of prescription drug dependency in
Sussex County, an issue that defies a one-size-fits-all description.

Unlike Smith, some county residents are prescribed a drug and seek
more pills through illegal means. Some addicts are looking for a new
high, but some, like Smith, were never high to begin with.

Prescription drug abuse has been a persistent problem in Sussex County
for more than five years, according to the Center for Prevention and
Counseling in Newton. Abusers span all ages and socio-economic
classes, from teen party usage to seniors who go "doctor shopping" for
duplicate prescriptions, county officials said.

Many students in the first category will go to school and seek out a
"happy little pill," she said. The most popular are Percocet, Xanax,
Adderall and Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold, known as "Triple C" in user
circles.

"Since they are prescription and over-the-counter, they are not
perceived as harmful," Becky Carlson, coordinator of Sussex County
Coalition for Healthy & Safe Families, said, noting party usage is a
national trend.

"Bowling" is a new trend at parties, where bags of pills are emptied
into a bowl and teens pick random ones out. Pills are often mixed with
alcohol, adding to the danger, Carlson said.

"You're doing a double-whammy to your body," she said.

There are many teens in the county who do not know what pill they are
taking or its effect, said Carlson.

Carlson recalls one local high school girl who, at home one day,
sighed and said, "I'm so tired I could use a Percocet."

The girl's mother was astounded. The statement wasn't even logical,
because Percocet is a painkiller, Carlson said.

"They don't know pharmacology," she said. "It's just what they hear."

Parents may also be astounded to learn teens are knocking back cough
syrup for a high. One elderly couple, living in a Sussex County lake
community, saw empty Robitussin bottles in the street during their
evening walks and thought it was a shame polluters couldn't clean up
after themselves. After the couple saw a local presentation on drugs,
they realized the bottles signified drug use, Carlson said.

"It was just another place where kids got high," Carlson said.

Prescription drug addiction can go further than raiding the medicine
cabinet and using what's there. Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Reed, who
handles most drug cases in Newton, said he has faced defendants who
posed as doctors or altered written prescriptions.

The everyday nature of prescription drugs may cause problems for
defendants who associate jailtime with heroin users or other illicit
drugs.

"They really don't consider themselves to be criminals," Reed said.

In Superior Court on May 30, a Hopatcong woman confessed to forging a
Xanax prescription on forms she stole from a nurse practitioner. On
June 26, a Sparta woman admitted she obtained Vicodin in February by
calling the Sparta Stop 'n' Shop pharmacy and representing herself
being from a doctor's office. She repeated the fraud against the Weis
pharmacy on May 4.

"Some people do stupid things, like change the number of prescribed
pills," Reed said.

A six becomes a 16, for instance, or sometimes suspects change the
amount of refills, Reed said. Many prescription fraud cases are caught
at the pharmacy.

Luckily for county prosecutors, local pharmacies are "quite good" in
catching fraud and cooperating with the criminal justice system, Reed
said.

Elsa Iglesias, the pharmacist at Sparta Pharmacy for six years, checks
numerous details to verify prescriptions.

The prescription should be a written on New Jersey blanks of a blue
color with a specific design and cannot be more than 30 days old, she
said. Iglesias also gets a feel for irregular customer behavior.

"They'll come once and disappear, then show up again coming from a
different doctor," she said, describing a common practice known as
"doctor shopping."

When the Sparta Pharmacy calls a doctor's office, they find the
correct phone number by calling information, Iglesias said. Otherwise,
the number on the prescription script could be fake, with someone
posing as a doctor on the other end.

Iglesias will also ask for photo ID from new patients. She photocopies
the ID and staples it to the prescription to ensure the right person
receives the drug. Insurance information will display recent activity
in the pharmacy's computer system, which it can use to keep customers
honest.

If the pharmacy suspects fraud, they wait until the customer returns
and call the police, Iglesias said.

"We'll stall and tell (the customer) we're a little backed up," she said.

In her more than 15 years as a pharmacist, Iglesias noticed fraud is
blind to age, race or economic status.

"It's everyone," she said.

Smith, who never strayed from "doctor's orders," said she felt let
down by the medical system. Neither a doctor nor pharmacist raised
questions about the quantity or interactions of the prescriptions she
was taking.

"At the least, the pharmacy should have said, 'Hey wait a minute,
what's going on here?'"

In the aftermath of it all, Smith found the law relies on a
layperson's understanding of what they are prescribed. There seems to
be little liability on the physician or pharmacy, she said.

"I don't think the doctors should be punished, per se, but I do think
that they need to stop creating addicts and they need to stop it right
now," she said.

Smith's three-month withdrawal from the medications was "just like
every B movie you ever saw about it. I have now been to the mountain
and am back."

She experienced muscle cramping, sweating, nausea, hallucinations and
the pain and loss of friendships.

Today, Smith enjoys life and "plays a mean round of golf," she said.

Although shortness of breath, one of the side effects of two
medications mixing, caused her to leave her church choir where she was
a soloist, she has found a new home in the Harmony Hill United
Methodist Church's choir.

"I have no regrets. I didn't do anything wrong. But, if I had to
change one thing, I wish I was smarter about it and about where I
placed my trust."

A professional for most of her life, Smith feels sorry for anyone who
might find themselves "over-prescribed, under-served, and addicted."

County residents who need help for prescription drug addiction can
seek it at the center in Newton. There is no quick fix, however, and
detoxing often requires both therapy/counseling and medical
intervention, said Pat DeCoste, clinical director at the center.

Detox may occur in a hospital setting, while some patients check into
rehab centers like the Sunrise House in Lafayette, she said. Some
cases require inpatient treatment, while others can be treated as
outpatient.

"All types of people can have drug problems," DeCoste said.

Counselors at the center worry that a lack of awareness, both by
parents and prescription users, will only add to the problem. Since
2001, they said, prescription addiction and abuse has not wavered in
Sussex County.

"It's just there," Carlson said. "And it doesn't seem to be going away."

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 6:06 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

More people are relying on prescription medication to treat illnesses,
but the pharmacists trained to hand out those sometimes lifesaving
drugs come in short supply.
Add to that Arizona's booming population, and you've got the makings
of a shortage that is spurring some pharmacies to offer signing
bonuses and nearly six-figure salaries.
About 45 percent of the nation's population has been prescribed at
least one drug compared with 35 percent in 1994 - making the United
States the most medicated of all nations, several health experts say.
Pharmacy school is hard, but the problem is not a lack of applicants.
"One of the problems with the pharmacist shortage is that colleges
cannot turn out pharmacists fast enough to meet the demand," said Don
Featherstone, who hires pharmacists for Bashas' supermarkets in
southern Arizona. "It's an ongoing search. There is rarely a time when
you're not looking for somebody."
Qualified pharmacists can save lives, catching potentially fatal
prescription errors and making sure patients know how to take their
medication. Hundreds of people die each year because of prescription
errors, researchers say. Thousands more die because of adverse drug
reactions.
Given such problems - and hoping to help build the state's biomedical
hub - University of Arizona officials plan to expand the College of
Pharmacy into Phoenix as early as this fall.
"There is a critical shortage of pharmacists across the country," said
Judy Bernas, UA's associate vice president for advancement. "We will
start small, then possibly grow to the size of the Tucson programs."
Changes in practice
The Phoenix program won't just aid in the pharmacists shortage. It
could help revolutionize the practice.
UA officials plan to introduce a new field of study to Arizona - a
rare clinical pharmacogenomics program to teach would-be pharmacists
to tailor drugs to each patient's genetics.
This could reduce chances of patients having allergic reactions and
side effects, "even to prevent a liver problem," said J. Lyle Bootman,
UA's pharmacy dean.
"It's happening in clinical settings, but is very, very limited,"
Bootman said. "Much more research must be done."
Such a practice could especially benefit minority groups, older people
and patients with diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
The method builds on the centuries-old practice of compounding
custom-made medicine. These days, most pharmacists have little
occasion to use such custom mixes, but the knowledge involved is
critical, experts say.
"Medicine is about to go through some significant changes, and we need
people out there so when you're handed a drug, it's not just
everybody's. It's going to work for you," said David Burks, senior
director of development for UA's pharmacy college.
Pharmacists would be among those at the helm of this change.
Adding to the history pharmacists already keep on their patients, they
would maintain a database of genetic information for each person.
Wanted: skilled pharmacists
But the immediate problem is managing the workload and the time it
takes to fill a prescription.
Because of the competition for more pharmacists, those who are
qualified in Arizona can expect salaries approaching the six-figure
range, with bonuses between $20,000 and $30,000, said Featherstone, a
practicing pharmacist whose company is opening about 10 new Arizona
pharmacies each year.
Just two years ago, bonuses averaged about $15,000, he said.
"The sign-on bonus is actually new to pharmacy. In the last seven or
eight years, it's become very common to offer them," he said.
More than 5,300 licensed pharmacists live in Arizona, but about 15
percent don't practice, the Arizona State Board of Pharmacy reported.
The number of pharmacies has doubled. The board reported there were
more than 1,500 registered chain, independent, hospital and other
pharmacies last year, up from 765 in 1995.
Some pharmacists work multiple jobs in the field and others work more
than 40 hours a week, which can result in errors. Meanwhile, patients
must sometimes wait days before a prescription is filled.
The demand is so severe that pharmacist and UA College of Pharmacy
graduate Amy Thai is already considering expanding her six-month-old
practice to offer Internet and mail-order sales.
"By 2008, the baby boomers will reach retirement age and that's going
to have a great impact on the pharmacy," said Thai, 28, owner of
Arizona Discount Pharmacy in Mesa.
Nationwide statistics say the same.
Since 1995, the nation has seen a 54 percent increase in the number of
prescriptions handed out - now more than 3.2 billion annually, the
National Association of Chain Drug Stores reported.
About 18 percent of the population is prescribed three or more drugs,
compared with 12 percent in 1994, the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services noted in a 2005 report on the nation's health.
Increasingly common outpatient surgery, swift development of new drugs
and the push to reduce deaths from adverse drug reactions are also
driving the need for more pharmacists.
Yet too few training slots exist for the number of students interested
in studying pharmacy, said John Murphy, associate dean of UA's College
of Pharmacy.
UA's pharmacy college in Tucson is filled to capacity and graduates
nearly 150 students each year.
That's why the Phoenix program - which should produce more and
better-trained pharmacists - is so hopeful, David Burks said.
"If you have more doctors and more pharmacists," Burks said, "you'll
have a health care system that can deliver more equitably and faster
to more people, sooner."

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 6:06 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

You will never be healthy, eating healthy foods occasionally. You have
to make healthy eating a habit if you want to obtain nutritional
health. I have been doing push-ups five days a week for over 25 years.
My arms are pretty strong but it did not happen overnight. I did not
do push-ups for a couple weeks or months and then stopped. I had to
make push-ups a habit if I wanted to continuously get the results I
have. Exactly the same holds true with having a healthy diet. People
jump on the "band wagon" of healthy eating when they read books or
view web sites that talk about nutrition. While many of these books
and web sites tell you what you should eat in-order to be healthy,
they fail to teach you how to make healthy eating a habit. Thus in a
short period of time when temptations come, people fall right back
into their unhealthy eating habits. What is a Habit? According to
Webster's dictionary a habit is "a behavior pattern acquired by
frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in
regularity or increased facility of performance." Can you see that if
we simply apply this principle to healthy eating we will be on our way
to vibrant health? Bad Eating Habits: Bad eating habits do not develop
overnight. For most people these habits began forming when they were
kids. Thus one reason why many adults have a hard time breaking their
bad eating habits is because these habits have been a part of their
lifestyle for many years. Why Do We Eat Food? There are two main
reasons why we eat food. One is to supply fuel for our body. The other
reason is for pleasure. Unfortunately some of the foods that give us
pleasure are unhealthy. Most people make their food selections based
on what they see, smell or taste. Look at these three sentences: That
pie sure looks good! That pie sure smells good! That pie sure taste
good! Notice that all three statements involve food and pleasure.
However the food that is producing the pleasure (in this situation the
pie) may or may not be good for you from a nutritional standpoint.
That is why we need to be wise in our food selections and not simply
leave it up to our sense of sight, taste or smell. Healthy Eating Can
Be Enjoyable: Some people think of a healthy diet as being boring and
tasteless. I think that one reason they feel this way is because most
of the commercial ads we see promote foods high in calories, fat, or
sugar and only a small percentage of food advertising is done for
fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Thus if there was more
nutritional education, more and more people would find healthy eating
to be pleasurable and tasty. How Having a Healthy Diet Changed My
Life: In 1998 my wife finally talked me into going to the doctor to
get a check-up. I was not feeling sick but she clearly said that it
was a good idea to get a yearly physical examination. Thank God I
listened to her. I have been athletic all my life. I run 18 miles a
week. So when I went to the doctor I was not expecting to hear the bad
news he gave me. He told me I had borderline diabetes. Diabetes can be
very dangerous if not treated. It is one of the leading cause of death
in the United States. It is a disease of the pancreas that causes the
body to stop producing the insulin it needs to regulate blood sugar.
My doctor told me that I did not need to be put on medication, however
he suggested I start reading some books on healthy eating. That was
the beginning of my path to a healthy diet that turned my health
situation around. Today I can honestly say that I am in excellent
health. I feel great, I sleep great, people tell me that I do not look
my age, I maintain a healthy weight, I do not take any type of
medication, my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugar is normal, my
cholesterol is normal, my immune system is strong, and the list goes
on. I do not believe that I am healthy because of chance. I strongly
believe that one main reason that I am healthy is because I take
personal responsibility for my health. A healthy diet is a great part
of this responsibility. Our physical bodies have laws that are
governed by proper nutrition. If we violate these laws by consistently
eating unhealthy foods, we are going to get sick.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

# posted by Network @ 3:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Back problems come in many different types, including herniated or
slipped disc, spinal stenosis, scoliosis, degenerative disc disease,
and problems caused by weak muscles. This article will give you an
idea of what different types of tests are available and how your
doctor will determine the source of your back pain. What you are about
to read is the culmination of information from many different places
and resources. Before your doctor can diagnose your condition and
create a treatment strategy, a complete profile and physical exam are
needed. This will give your physician a better idea of the reason for
your condition. Then appropriate diagnostic tests may be recommended.
Complete History Your doctor will want to get an account of your
condition. While you are waiting to see the physician you may start by
filling out a printed form. Your problem will be easier to diagnose,
the more information you share with your physician; so take time to
think about everything that relates to your pain and write it down. A
physical history can give your physician insight into your lifestyle,
when the pain began,physical factors that might be causing pain,
something that could have caused an injury, and any family history of
similar problems. After reading through your written history, your
physician will ask more questions that connect to the information you
have given. Your physician may want to know: If and where you are
feeing deadness or weakness. If the pain radiates to other parts of
your body. About any current weight loss, fever, or illness. Where you
are feeling pain and how intense it is. If you have had an injury. If
you've had troubles with your bladder or bowels. Whether you have had
this problem or something like it before. What factors make the pain
feel better or poorer. Physical Exam After taking your history, your
doctor will give you a physical exam. This allows the physician to to
determine the source of your trouble and try to rule out probable
causes of pain. The areas of your body that will be examined depend
upon where you are experiencing pain: lower back, legs, neck, arms,
etc. Motion of Your Spine - Is there pain when you bend, move or
twist? If so, where? Have you lost some flexibility? Reflex Changes -
Your tendon reflexes might be tested, such as below the kneecap and
behind the ankle in the Achilles tendon Motor Skills - You might be
asked to stagger on your heels or toes. Sensory Changes - Can you feel
certain sensations in detail areas of the feet or hands? Weakness
-Your muscles will be tested for power. You might be asked to try to
elevate or push your arm, hand, or leg when light resistance is put
against them. Pain - The physician may try to determine if you have
tenderness of certain areas. Special Signs - Your physician will also
confirm for any "red flags" that could designate something other than
spinal/vertebrae problems. Some indications of other problems include
tenderness in certain areas, a fever, an abnormal pulse, frequent
steroid use (leads to injury of bone mass), or fast weight loss.
Diagnostic Tests Diagnostic tests may be required in order to spot
your condition. Tests are chosen based on what your physician suspects
is causing the trouble. Bone Scan CT Scan Discogram EMG Facet Joint
Block Lab Test MRI Myelogram Spinal Tap SSEP X-ray Each one of these
tests will be covered in further depth in upcoming articles. We have
come to the end of my informational article. It's now your job to take
this information and do something with it. Good luck and good health!

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# posted by Network @ 3:30 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Long, lustrous and silky hair are trade mark of many, especially
females. A female's hair are her best natural accessories to carry and
obviously show and even compete with her same sex friends. But if you
are amongst those 60% of the females, who are suffering from hair
problems, then you know the shock of being less haired over your head.
The major problem is that the hair loss in females is considered as a
taboo in society and this adds to salt into bounds of the females
suffering with hair loss or hair thinning problems. Women themselves
do not feel comfortable in openly discussing their problems. However,
men can openly discuss openly and thus able to try on several
treatment options including treatment of hair loss using medications,
etc. You are not the only woman who is suffering from hair loss and
feeling difficulty in openly discussing and finding resolution to hair
problems. According to a clinical analysis, one in every four women is
suffering from hair problems. Females also keep worrying why hair loss
happens? The causes of hair loss in women can be any, like; harsh hair
treatments, hormonal changes during pregnancy, or the menopause.
Stress and unhealthy eating habits also lead to hair problems.
Sometimes, hair thinning in females may be genetic. The hair thinning
as a genetic factor normally occurs between 18 to 24 years of age. The
most common form of hair loss due to genetic or other medical factors
is alopecia androgenecia. This is the sort of hair problem in which
the hair becomes extremely thin so that one can see through it.
Alopecia areta is another form of hair problem that normally starts as
tiny bald patches but may result into total hair loss, if not taken
care of. If you can believe it, almost one quarter of the world
population is suffering with some type of hair problems. And any sort
of hair problems in females affect self confidence and sometimes, may
even lead to anxiety and depression. The first step in settling any
sort of hair problems is, distinguishing the nature of hair loss you
are suffering with. There are a number of treatment options available
for treating hair problems, depending on the kind and severity of
problems. Your doctor may suggest you some oil / cream / lotion to
apply on your scalps. If hair loss is due to hormonal or hereditary or
due to some other serious health problems then your doctor may
prescribe you a variety of medications. Besides getting aid from a
health professional, you also can take care of your hairs to avoid
hair loss. How?? Here are given some tips and tricks to prevent you
from bad hair days. 1.Analyze your diet. Nutrition plays a vital role
in keeping healthy tresses. Lack of essential vitamins and minerals
and proteins etc may switch hair problems. Ask your doctor /
nutritionist for help. 2.Opt for loose and comfortable hair style.
Give up the hairstyle that introduces tensions in your hair follicles.
For example; tight ponytails, chignons and plaits. 3.Avoid layered
cuts as these create misapprehensions of more vigor. 4.Do not use in
large the heated hair styling tools, such as; tongs and straightening
irons, as these may create strain and breakage of hair. 5.Use wigs and
hair extensions or use hats, scarves and funky jewellary to draw
attention away from your hairs. 6.Ask your hair dresser to monitor
your hair growth, but not become obsessed about it. 7.Stress is a
major trigger to hair loss. Try to stay positive.

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# posted by Network @ 3:29 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Stomach cancer patients who receive chemotherapy before and after
surgery have significantly higher survival rates, according to a study
published this week.

"This is the first time we've been able to demonstrate that
chemotherapy alone significantly improves outcome," David Cunningham,
an oncologist at the Royal Marsden Hospital in England who led the
study, told Reuters.

Chemotherapy increased the five-year survival rate by 57 percent for a
cancer that strikes nearly one million people worldwide each year, the
study said. About 700,000 die from it annually.

The researchers studied 503 patients and their findings were published
in this week's New England Journal of Medicine.

The results "convincingly demonstrated a benefit" from chemotherapy
pre-treatment, John Macdonald of St. Vincent's Comprehensive Cancer
Center in New York wrote in an editorial in the New England Journal.
The finding offers a new option for people with stomach cancer,
Macdonald wrote.

Cunningham, who led the study, said a recent test of chemotherapy and
radiation had shown similarly good results after surgery.

If diagnosed early, surgery can cure 90 percent of all stomach cancer.
But because it is rarely caught quickly, the cure rate drops to 20 to
30 percent with doctors long agreeing that chemotherapy after surgery
is so ineffective that it is routinely not prescribed.

The new study, conducted at 45 medical centers, mostly in the United
Kingdom, however, may change that.

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# posted by Network @ 10:14 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

It could help your love life and possibly your heart too. Researchers
say they have discovered that Viagra may be effective in treating
heart disease.

They conducted a study on mice and healthy patients at John Hopkins
University. The study found that the little blue pill blocks the
adrenaline stress on the heart. Hearts that were enlarged by stress
stayed normal size when Viagra was used, and in patients the pill
reduced the strain by half.
Doctors say, if the results hold up, Viagra could be used as a
standard heart treatment in a few years.

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# posted by Network @ 10:13 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

You will never be healthy, eating healthy foods occasionally. You have
to make healthy eating a habit if you want to obtain nutritional
health. I have been doing push-ups five days a week for over 25 years.
My arms are pretty strong but it did not happen overnight. I did not
do push-ups for a couple weeks or months and then stopped. I had to
make push-ups a habit if I wanted to continuously get the results I
have. Exactly the same holds true with having a healthy diet. People
jump on the "band wagon" of healthy eating when they read books or
view web sites that talk about nutrition. While many of these books
and web sites tell you what you should eat in-order to be healthy,
they fail to teach you how to make healthy eating a habit. Thus in a
short period of time when temptations come, people fall right back
into their unhealthy eating habits. What is a Habit? According to
Webster's dictionary a habit is "a behavior pattern acquired by
frequent repetition or physiologic exposure that shows itself in
regularity or increased facility of performance." Can you see that if
we simply apply this principle to healthy eating we will be on our way
to vibrant health? Bad Eating Habits: Bad eating habits do not develop
overnight. For most people these habits began forming when they were
kids. Thus one reason why many adults have a hard time breaking their
bad eating habits is because these habits have been a part of their
lifestyle for many years. Why Do We Eat Food? There are two main
reasons why we eat food. One is to supply fuel for our body. The other
reason is for pleasure. Unfortunately some of the foods that give us
pleasure are unhealthy. Most people make their food selections based
on what they see, smell or taste. Look at these three sentences: That
pie sure looks good! That pie sure smells good! That pie sure taste
good! Notice that all three statements involve food and pleasure.
However the food that is producing the pleasure (in this situation the
pie) may or may not be good for you from a nutritional standpoint.
That is why we need to be wise in our food selections and not simply
leave it up to our sense of sight, taste or smell. Healthy Eating Can
Be Enjoyable: Some people think of a healthy diet as being boring and
tasteless. I think that one reason they feel this way is because most
of the commercial ads we see promote foods high in calories, fat, or
sugar and only a small percentage of food advertising is done for
fruits, vegetables, grains and beans. Thus if there was more
nutritional education, more and more people would find healthy eating
to be pleasurable and tasty. How Having a Healthy Diet Changed My
Life: In 1998 my wife finally talked me into going to the doctor to
get a check-up. I was not feeling sick but she clearly said that it
was a good idea to get a yearly physical examination. Thank God I
listened to her. I have been athletic all my life. I run 18 miles a
week. So when I went to the doctor I was not expecting to hear the bad
news he gave me. He told me I had borderline diabetes. Diabetes can be
very dangerous if not treated. It is one of the leading cause of death
in the United States. It is a disease of the pancreas that causes the
body to stop producing the insulin it needs to regulate blood sugar.
My doctor told me that I did not need to be put on medication, however
he suggested I start reading some books on healthy eating. That was
the beginning of my path to a healthy diet that turned my health
situation around. Today I can honestly say that I am in excellent
health. I feel great, I sleep great, people tell me that I do not look
my age, I maintain a healthy weight, I do not take any type of
medication, my blood pressure is normal, my blood sugar is normal, my
cholesterol is normal, my immune system is strong, and the list goes
on. I do not believe that I am healthy because of chance. I strongly
believe that one main reason that I am healthy is because I take
personal responsibility for my health. A healthy diet is a great part
of this responsibility. Our physical bodies have laws that are
governed by proper nutrition. If we violate these laws by consistently
eating unhealthy foods, we are going to get sick.

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# posted by Network @ 10:14 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Revolutionary drug technologies are looking to take the pain and
hassle out of the way we medicate — by replacing insulin injections
with breathable insulin, vaccines with skin patches, and tablets with
mildtasting wafers or granules.

At yesterday's 18th Singapore Pharmacy Congress, visiting professor at
the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Department of Pharmacy,
Professor Hans Junginger talked about the move towards more convenient
and efficient methods of drug delivery.

An example is Clarosip, a plastic drinking straw filled with the
antibiotic clarithromycin.

Launched in November last year by German company Grunenthal, the straw
contains a precise dose of the medication in the form of tasteless
granules.

All you do is sip a favourite drink with the straw, which releases the
antibiotic. No more frustration swallowing tablets or coaxing stubborn
children when it is medicine-taking time.

Said Prof Junginger: "There are elderly people who are unable to
swallow; not all drugs dissolve easily in water. With this new
technology, controlled release of granules which can be simply drunk
will be of great advantage for the patient."

Taking the sting out of injections are technologies like the inhalent
insulin Exubera, which will potentially do away with the 20,000
insulin injections a diabetic undergoes in 10 years.

Insulin powder is released in a small inhaler, and a few deep breaths
allow the fine powder to be absorbed quickly into the bloodstream.

Micro-needle and patch technology designed to allow drugs to permeate
via the skin could also make vaccines painless and trauma-free. Some
of these innovations are already being marketed.

In two or three years, wafers incorporated with medicine — just like
breath-freshening strips in the market now — could also be available,
said Dr Junginger.

While none of these are available in Singapore yet, head of the
Department of Pharmacy at NUS, Professor Chan Sui Yang, said that we
could see more of these technologies in the future.

"We already have the medicine. It is just that some of them may not be
in the optimal form. All we need to do is add some engineering to
achieve better outcomes," she said.

For her and many other pharmacists, improving current drug delivery
systems is important to achieve better patient compliance and, more
importantly, to cater to an ageing population.

Said Prof Chan's colleague Assistant Professor Giorgia Pastorin: "It
is helpful for the elderly. My grandmother always tells me that she is
unable to swallow her pills or finds it hard to count them.

"With this technology, she can take her medicine properly without
mistakes. It will be very empowering for her that she can take her
pill in the proper manner."

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# posted by Network @ 10:14 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

In the first human study of its kind, Dr. David Kass , a cardiologist
at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, showed in a paper last
fall in the journal Circulation that Viagra can suppress the effects
of stress hormones on the heart, a potential boon to many people with
heart disease.

In the study, 35 healthy male and female volunteers were given a drug
called dobutamine, which stimulates the heart much as the natural
hormone, adrenalin, does. Their hearts responded just as expected,
pumping harder and increasing cardiac output.

About 30 minutes later, Kass divided the group in two. Half got
Viagra, the other half, a placebo. Neither the doctors nor the
subjects knew who got which drug. About half an hour later, all
subjects got another dose of dobutamine. The hearts of people who had
gotten Viagra showed a smaller increase in contractions than those of
the people who got a placebo, suggesting that Viagra ``acts like a
brake on the heart."

In the penis, Viagra works through a chain of chemical reactions to
dilate blood vessels, the key to getting and maintaining an erection.
In the heart, Viagra works through the same chemical pathway, but the
result, instead of vasodilation, is a decrease in the heart's response
to stress. In another study, Kass's team has found that this decrease
in susceptibility to stress can actually reduce the thickening of the
heart muscle that often follows long-term high blood pressure, a
problem called cardiac hypertrophy.

Dr. Michael Mendelsohn , director of the Molecular Cardiology Research
Institute at Tufts-New England Medical Center, said that the new
evidence of Viagra's effect on the heart means ``it is time to start
studying the possibility of using Viagra as a heart drug."

Viagra and similar drugs such as Cialis and Levitra, said Kass, could
be taken once a day by people who have thickened heart walls, a
problem for 2.5 million Americans with congestive heart failure. A new
study using Cialis, which is longer-acting than Viagra, is expected to
begin in July. For now, doctors aren't recommending Viagra for heart
problems.

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# posted by Network @ 10:13 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Drugs support agencies say north Queensland teenagers may be turning
to pharmaceutical drugs because illegal drugs are getting dearer and
harder to source.

A Townsville father says schoolchildren are holding 'pharm' or
pharmaceutical parties, where they mix prescription drugs and wash
them down with alcohol.

He has spoken out after the death of a 16-year-old school girl at a
party last month.

Di Forsyth from the Addiction Help Agency says teenagers see
pharmaceuticals as a cheap way to get high.

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# posted by Network @ 8:10 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Pfizer said it will charge the same price for the drugs as it does for
chemically identical copies, or generics.
The Swiss price cuts will become effective on Aug. 1, Pfizer said.
Pfizer, based in the U.S., is the world's largest pharmaceutical
company by sales.
The price cuts follow an agreement between the pharmaceutical industry
and the Swiss government in the fall of 2005, which aimed at limiting
the rise in healthcare spending.
Under the pact, the highest possible price that can be charged for a
generic drug is 70% of the price of the original product.
A few months later, effective Jan. 1, 2006, the government also
introduced a new regulation to encourage the use of generic medicines.
Under the new rules patients pay a lower percentage share of the
medicine's price - 10% instead of 20% - if they are taking a generic
version of a branded drug.
Interpharma, a Swiss pharmaceutical industry trade group, estimates
that by the end of July, the prices of around 1,400 medicines will
have dropped by 30% on average.

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# posted by Network @ 4:25 PM 0 Comments Links to this post

Health authorities are tackling adverse drug reactions among patients
with the establishment of a department that will monitor side effects'
cases and educate the public and the private sector.

The central pharmaceutical services department, set up last week by
Dubai Department of Health and Medical Services (Dohms), aims to
improve and regulate pharmaceutical services in its hospitals and
clinics, including a surveillance and reporting system for adverse
drug reaction cases.

Adverse drug reactions, defined as harmful reactions to drugs due to
allergies, interaction with another drug or undocumented side effects,
range from minor, such as decreased effectiveness of the medicine, to
major, such as injury or death.

However, the department's authority on surveillance and reporting
system will only cover cases received at Dohms facilities.

Dr Ali Sayed Hussain, head of the new department, told Gulf News that
the surveillance system was important to ensure the safety of the
public. "It's very important to have a reporting system for drug-drug
interaction cases and adverse drug reactions," he said.

He added that adverse drug reactions were common, partly due to some
pharmacists' practice in selling prescription medicines over the
counter.

"We are sure it happens. But we don't see any cases right now, because
there is no reporting system," he said.

Adverse drug reactions afflict millions of people around the world,
with four of them reported annually in the United States alone.

Some experts believe the figures are higher as many cases were
explained away by other factors, including the advanced age of the
patient or severity of the disease.

Dr Hussain said the requirement was important as many pharmacists did
not know enough about drug interactions.

"For example, if a patient takes erythromycin [an antibiotic] with
cisapride [to treat acid reflux disease], he could die," he said.

Cisapride is not available over the counter but erythromycin can be
purchased over the counter.

The simplest item, be it prescription medicine or herbal supplement,
can cause an adverse reaction in people if they interact with each
other.

Herbal supplements that contain ginseng, ginger, garlic or ginkgo
biloba decrease or enhance the effects of blood thinning medicine,
warfarin. This medicine is commonly used to treat blood clots, such as
in pulmonary embolism in the lungs.

Antibiotic erythromycin, used to treat respiratory tract infections
and syphilis, also interacts adversely with warfarin.

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# posted by Network @ 12:57 AM 0 Comments Links to this post