Thousands of breast cancer victims are set to get new drugs on the NHS after approval by the Government's 'rationing' watchdog.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will issue a final draft appraisal on three types of aromatase inhibitors (AI) which dramatically reduce the chances of cancer coming back.

The drugs can help postmenopausal women with early breast cancer and could save many more lives.

They are Arimidex (also known by its generic name anastrozole), Femara (letrozole) and Aromasin (exemestane) which will be made available on the NHS alongside the 'gold standard' drug tamoxifen.

The final guidance is still subject to appeal, but is unlikely to be stopped at this stage.

An estimated 23,000 newly diagnosed women a year could be eligible for the drugs, while thousands of others are expected to switch from existing treatment.

At present, tamoxifen is prescribed for five years after surgery to postmenopausal women with oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer to cut the risk of relapse.

The NICE appraisal guidance says Aromasin should be used for women wanting to switch drugs after taking tamoxifen for two to three years.

Arimidex is recommended for five years following surgery, while Femara may be used for five years after surgery and after a five-year course of tamoxifen.

Dr Mary McCormack, consultant clinical oncologist at University College London Hospital, said: "The door has now been opened for the thousands of postmenopausal women in the UK who have been and will be diagnosed with this devastating disease.

"It is crucial that women with the disease who are eligible to use a different treatment are fully informed and confident in discussing their treatment with their specialists, to ensure they are getting the best treatment to meet their needs at the earliest opportunity."

Doctors predict AI drugs - which block the production of oestrogen in the body, which fuels many breast cancers - will become bigger lifesavers than tamoxifen, which is credited with helping more than 20,000 British women survive since its launch in the 1980s.

A study, co-ordinated by Cancer Research UK, found patients who switched from tamoxifen to Aromasin halfway through treatment reduced the risk of the disease returning by a third.

In June, the landmark Intergroup Exemestane Study also found switching to Aromasin cut the risk of death by 17 per cent compared with remaining on tamoxifen. The results were for those women who had already completed two to three years of tamoxifen therapy.

A trial with Arimidex immediately after surgery showed an extra 26 per cent cut in cancer recurrence on top of the 50 per cent reduction provided by tamoxifen.

Femara has also been shown to be more effective than tamoxifen in a number of studies.

The Government has made clear that doctors should not wait for NICE guidance to complete all its stages before prescribing such drugs to women.

Tony Skene, consultant surgeon at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, said women already taking tamoxifen should now get the chance to switch to Aromatase.

He said: "Pivotal data from the landmark trial suggest that switching after two to three years of tamoxifen significantly improves the chances of surviving - all eligible patients should be given the option to switch."

Dr Sarah Rawlings from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "Breakthrough is delighted that Nice has issued its final recommendation approving aromatase inhibitors for use in post menopausal women with oestrogen sensitive early breast cancer.

"New treatment options like these are an important addition to the armoury of therapies available to treat women with the disease, making a real difference in increasing disease-free survival."

The drugs are already licensed but approval by NICE - which will be finalised in November - gives doctors the go-ahead for wider prescribing in England and Wales because the NHS should pick up the bill. They are already approved in Scotland.

The cheapest of the new drugs Arimidex costs £900 a year compared with £70 for tamoxifen, but there will be savings as AIs have fewer side effects.

Aromasin costs £80 a month so two to three years' treatment would cost £1,920-£2,880.

Case study

Mary Hendrie, 51, was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago - just four months after a dreadful family tragedy when her closest brother John was killed in a road accident.

The death robbed three young children of a father, and made Mrs Hendrie's task of breaking the news of her own illness even more difficult.

But as a clinical nurse specialist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Mrs Hendrie had some insight into the treatment she was facing.

She said: "It was hard telling the family but my brother's death put it all into perspective - why would I complain when I was lucky enough to be alive."

She had extensive surgery in 2002 to remove her right breast, supported by her social worker husband Campbell, 46.

She then started taking tamoxifen to reduce the risk of relapse but the side effects caused frequent, severe hot flushes and sleep disturbance.

She said: "I soldiered on for three years but I finally saw the professor and he said there was a new drug available."

Mrs Hendrie has been taking Aromasin since December and her quality of life has vastly improved.

She said: "I still get some hot flushes but they are not nearly as bad, and I'm delighted the treatment is even more effective than what I was taking before."

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Thousands of breast cancer victims are set to get new drugs on the NHS after approval by the Government's 'rationing' watchdog.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) will issue a final draft appraisal on three types of aromatase inhibitors (AI) which dramatically reduce the chances of cancer coming back.

The drugs can help postmenopausal women with early breast cancer and could save many more lives.

They are Arimidex (also known by its generic name anastrozole), Femara (letrozole) and Aromasin (exemestane) which will be made available on the NHS alongside the 'gold standard' drug tamoxifen.

The final guidance is still subject to appeal, but is unlikely to be stopped at this stage.

An estimated 23,000 newly diagnosed women a year could be eligible for the drugs, while thousands of others are expected to switch from existing treatment.

At present, tamoxifen is prescribed for five years after surgery to postmenopausal women with oestrogen-receptor positive breast cancer to cut the risk of relapse.

The NICE appraisal guidance says Aromasin should be used for women wanting to switch drugs after taking tamoxifen for two to three years.

Arimidex is recommended for five years following surgery, while Femara may be used for five years after surgery and after a five-year course of tamoxifen.

Dr Mary McCormack, consultant clinical oncologist at University College London Hospital, said: "The door has now been opened for the thousands of postmenopausal women in the UK who have been and will be diagnosed with this devastating disease.

"It is crucial that women with the disease who are eligible to use a different treatment are fully informed and confident in discussing their treatment with their specialists, to ensure they are getting the best treatment to meet their needs at the earliest opportunity."

Doctors predict AI drugs - which block the production of oestrogen in the body, which fuels many breast cancers - will become bigger lifesavers than tamoxifen, which is credited with helping more than 20,000 British women survive since its launch in the 1980s.

A study, co-ordinated by Cancer Research UK, found patients who switched from tamoxifen to Aromasin halfway through treatment reduced the risk of the disease returning by a third.

In June, the landmark Intergroup Exemestane Study also found switching to Aromasin cut the risk of death by 17 per cent compared with remaining on tamoxifen. The results were for those women who had already completed two to three years of tamoxifen therapy.

A trial with Arimidex immediately after surgery showed an extra 26 per cent cut in cancer recurrence on top of the 50 per cent reduction provided by tamoxifen.

Femara has also been shown to be more effective than tamoxifen in a number of studies.

The Government has made clear that doctors should not wait for NICE guidance to complete all its stages before prescribing such drugs to women.

Tony Skene, consultant surgeon at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, said women already taking tamoxifen should now get the chance to switch to Aromatase.

He said: "Pivotal data from the landmark trial suggest that switching after two to three years of tamoxifen significantly improves the chances of surviving - all eligible patients should be given the option to switch."

Dr Sarah Rawlings from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, said: "Breakthrough is delighted that Nice has issued its final recommendation approving aromatase inhibitors for use in post menopausal women with oestrogen sensitive early breast cancer.

"New treatment options like these are an important addition to the armoury of therapies available to treat women with the disease, making a real difference in increasing disease-free survival."

The drugs are already licensed but approval by NICE - which will be finalised in November - gives doctors the go-ahead for wider prescribing in England and Wales because the NHS should pick up the bill. They are already approved in Scotland.

The cheapest of the new drugs Arimidex costs £900 a year compared with £70 for tamoxifen, but there will be savings as AIs have fewer side effects.

Aromasin costs £80 a month so two to three years' treatment would cost £1,920-£2,880.

Case study

Mary Hendrie, 51, was diagnosed with breast cancer four years ago - just four months after a dreadful family tragedy when her closest brother John was killed in a road accident.

The death robbed three young children of a father, and made Mrs Hendrie's task of breaking the news of her own illness even more difficult.

But as a clinical nurse specialist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Mrs Hendrie had some insight into the treatment she was facing.

She said: "It was hard telling the family but my brother's death put it all into perspective - why would I complain when I was lucky enough to be alive."

She had extensive surgery in 2002 to remove her right breast, supported by her social worker husband Campbell, 46.

She then started taking tamoxifen to reduce the risk of relapse but the side effects caused frequent, severe hot flushes and sleep disturbance.

She said: "I soldiered on for three years but I finally saw the professor and he said there was a new drug available."

Mrs Hendrie has been taking Aromasin since December and her quality of life has vastly improved.

She said: "I still get some hot flushes but they are not nearly as bad, and I'm delighted the treatment is even more effective than what I was taking before."

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Breast cancer drugs hailed as a breakthrough in treatment have been given final draft approval by the Government's health watchdog.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) issued a final draft appraisal on the use of three types of aromatase inhibitors in postmenopausal women with early breast cancer.

The drugs reduce the risk of tumours spreading following surgery and could benefit thousands of women with hormone receptor positive early breast cancer.

They are Arimidex (anastrozole), Femara (letrozole) and Aromasin (exemestane) and will be available on the NHS alongside the "gold standard" drug tamoxifen.

The final guidance is still subject to appeal, but is unlikely to be stopped at this stage.

The inhibitors stop the natural production of oestrogen - the hormone that is responsible for the growth and recurrence of many breast cancers.

A 2004 study, co-ordinated by Cancer Research UK, found that patients who switched from tamoxifen to Aromasin halfway through treatment reduced the risk of the disease returning by a third.

In June, the landmark Intergroup Exemestane Study also found that switching to Aromasin cut the risk of death by 17% compared with remaining on tamoxifen. The results were for those women who had already completed two to three years of tamoxifen therapy.

A trial with Arimidex immediately after surgery showed an extra 26% cut in cancer recurrence on top of the 50% reduction provided by tamoxifen. Femara has also been shown to be more effective than tamoxifen in a number of studies.

The Government has made clear that doctors should not wait for Nice guidance to complete all its stages before prescribing such drugs to women.

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The move addresses what the FDA says is a growing problem: Some pharmacies are mass-producing unapproved copies of brand-name drugs, for no proven medical reason, under less-stringent safety and sterility rules than the agency sets for drugmakers.

Steve Silverman, the FDA's acting assistant director of the office of compliance, says the agency expects the companies to either show they are filling legitimate medical needs or stop mass production.

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Only one in five people with HIV in poor and middle-income countries receives the drugs that treat the virus, said a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday.

That is despite a 200 percent rise in the number of people receiving the drug treatment between 2003 and 2005 as individual countries worked to meet a target of treating 3 million people with the drugs by 2005, the government agency's report said.

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Many prostate cancer survivors who have sexual difficulties post-treatment have never tried erectile dysfunction therapies, such as Viagra, a new study shows.

The likelihood that a man will seek treatment for erectile problems varies with the type of prostate cancer treatment he received, the researchers found.

While past research has shown that only about half of prostate cancer survivors with erectile dysfunction seek treatment, there is little information on how much a man's interest in sex might affect his likelihood of trying such therapies, Dr. Martin G. Sanda of Harvard Medical School in Boston and colleagues note.

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 University of Georgia study has found that three-quarters of people prescribed antidepressant drugs receive the medications for a reason not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

This practice, known as off-label prescribing, is legal and intended to give physicians the flexibility to prescribe the drugs that are best suited to their patients' needs. And while study authors Dr. Hua Chen and Jack Fincham acknowledged that there are legitimate uses for off-label prescribing, they said that in many cases physicians write off-label prescriptions based on limited or anecdotal evidence.

"Most off-label drug mentions have little or no ...

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned three firms, RoTech Healthcare, Inc., CCS Medical, and Reliant Pharmacy Services, to stop manufacturing and distributing thousands of doses of compounded, unapproved inhalation drugs nation-wide. Responsible officials at firms that do not properly address violations identified in FDA warning letters risk further enforcement, including injunctions that prevent further violations and seizure of their products that violate the law.

The three firms warned by FDA say that they produce inhalation drugs as part of the practice of pharmacy compounding. Traditional pharmacy compounding typically involves pharmacies preparing drugs that are not commercially available, such as a unique medicine for a patient who is allergic to an ingredient in a FDA-approved drug. This kind of compounding follows a physician's decision that his or her patient has a special medical need that cannot be met by FDA-approved drugs. FDA normally permits traditional pharmacy compounding and the agency's action is not targeting this practice.

Inhalation drugs are used to treat diseases including asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, and cystic fibrosis. These are potentially life-threatening conditions for which numerous FDA-approved drugs are available. Compounded inhalation drugs may be distributed to patients in multiple states, and patients and their doctors may not know that they are receiving compounded products. FDA urges consumers using inhalation drugs to discuss their medications with their physicians and verify with their pharmacists that the medications they received are what their physicians ordered.

"Compounded inhalation drugs are not reviewed by the FDA for safety and effectiveness, often are not produced according to good drug manufacturing practice, and typically are not sterile. This may expose patients to unnecessary risk," said Dr. Steven Galson, Director of FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "To avoid these risks, we encourage patients to use FDA-approved drugs whenever possible."

FDA believes that, in compounding mass amounts of inhalation drugs, a number of pharmacies go well beyond traditional compounding. FDA is aware of certain pharmacies compounding millions of doses of inhalation drugs per year. These compounded drugs often simply copy FDA-approved, commercially available drugs, and any differences from FDA-approved drugs do not appear to be related to patients' medical needs.

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 As research and field trials have recently demonstrated in the U.S. and in Europe, diabetes sufferers may see clear benefits from supplementing their diabetes medication régimes with all natural supplements. However, one study may indicate that not all supplements are equally effective in treatment programs.

According to a study published by Lester Packard at the University of California at Berkeley, r-alpha lipoic acid was instrumental in reducing nerve-related diabetes pain and in drastically reducing spikes in blood sugar levels.

"Since r-alpha lipoic acid is naturally occurring, it appears to be more readily utilized by the body's metabolism," said Glucorell, makers of Insulow, an r-alpha lipoic acid supplement. "Many products on the market may advertise the benefits of lipoic acid but neglect to inform the public that some products are merely ALA -- alpha lipoic acid -- a half synthetic ingredient that may not be as effective as r-ALA."

"The R-form is the only form of lipoic acid that occurs naturally and is therefore the only form that can be readily recognized and used by cells in the body. Recently it has been discovered that the R-form provides all of the beneficial effects of the ALA, while the S-form has little beneficial effect and may actually hinder the beneficial effects of the R-form. For example, a recent study has shown that the r-lipoic acid treats all the major effects of insulin resistance, while the S-form may make things even worse," said Susan Sloane, Rph., C.D.E.

About Insulow

Available without a prescription, Insulow may be purchased at Savon Drugs, Shaws, Osco Drug as well as online via cvs.com, amazon.com , and drugstore.com for $39.99 MSRP. Created specifically for diabetics and those at risk of diabetes, Insulow manages blood glucose levels naturally. Similar to the familiar marriage of vitamin D and calcium, the two active ingredients in Insulow, r-lipoic acid(1) and biotin(2), work in harmony, to ensure a proper balance between insulin production and glucose uptake.

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More encouraging signs for those who'd like to see the morning-after pill sold over-the-counter.The company that makes the pill known as "Plan B" says federal regulators want to quickly settle the matter after a three-year battle.

Barr Pharmaceuticals met with the F-D-A today, about a week after the agency surprised the company and many others by asking to have a chat. A Barr spokeswoman says today they'll amend their application within two weeks to limit non-prescription sales to women 18 and older. The company will also devise a plan to ensure pharmacies enforce that.

The "Plan B" pill can lower the risk of pregnancy by up to 89 percent when taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex.

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A company and its owner selling contact lenses directly to consumers via three Web sites are settling Federal Trade Commission charges they violated federal law by failing to verify consumers' prescriptions as required by the Commission's Contact Lens Rule. They will pay $40,000 in civil penalties and will be prohibited from violating the Rule in the future.

This is the FTC's first enforcement action under the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act of 2003 and the Contact Lens Rule, which the Commission issued in 2004.

The laws require that prescribers provide consumers with a copy of their prescription after they are fitted for contact lenses and that sellers either obtain a copy of the prescription or directly verify it with the prescriber before selling contact lenses to consumers.

The laws are designed to make the market for contact lenses more competitive by allowing consumers to obtain their prescriptions and comparison shop for lenses. The laws also are designed to protect consumers' ocular health by prohibiting the sale of contact lenses without a valid prescription.

The defendants, Walsh Optical, Inc., and its owner Kevin Walsh, run three Web sites that sell contact lenses: www.lensworld.com, www.contactmania.com , and www.contactlensworld.com. The FTC's complaint alleged that the defendants often sold contact lenses to consumers without first obtaining their prescription or verifying the prescription with the prescriber.

In addition to the $40,000 civil penalty, the settlement also contains provisions that allow the FTC to monitor compliance.

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At least six people have died in China from taking the antibiotic clindamycin phosphate glucose, according to the country's state media.

The government banned the drug last week, after a 6-year-old girl died and scores of others suffered adverse reactions.

The official news agency Xinhua said the latest victims were both elderly.

Manufacturer Anhui Huayuan Worldbest Biology Pharmacy Company said it had recalled 760,000 bottles of the drug.

The State Food and Drug Administration has received 81 reports of severe reactions throughout the country, according to Xinhua.

Adverse effects of being injected with the drug are said to include chest pains, vomiting and diarrhoea.

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A Congressional conference committee is now attempting to reach a compromise between a bad Medicare prescription drug bill passed by the House and a worse drug bill passed by the Senate. The only possible outcome is something awful -- and President Bush, who is pressuring Republicans to compromise, has pledged to sign practically any bill to emerge.

Citizens who care about their health, their finances, and their freedom can only hope that the Senate and House of Representatives reject whatever comes out of the conference committee.

Both bills propose the largest expansion of government in nearly 40 years. With the federal budget running the largest deficit in history, even the grossly underestimated additional cost of $400 billion over ten years is an outrageous burden on taxpayers. If both Social Security and Medicare are in crisis over the prospect of millions of Baby Boomers, this Medicare drug bill can only make matters much worse. Yet this is the least important fault of this legislation.

Despite being among the richest generations of older humans over age 65 in history, retired Americans, according to those who favor Medicare drug subsidies, can't afford prescription drugs. There's no doubt drug costs are rising, but where is the evidence that most seniors have to choose between drugs and dinner?

On the contrary, the last 30 years have seen the most phenomenal growth in new drugs in history -- drugs that improve both the quality and the length of life. People are living longer, better lives due to the brilliant scientific breakthroughs produced by U.S. pharmaceutical firms.

But Bush and the bill's Congressional proponents apparently believe that drug companies -- confronted by price controls and new Medicare regulations dictating which drugs doctors can prescribe for seniors -- will continue to spend $22 billion on research and development.

The biggest bait and switch lies in the delusion that the plan will actually pay for prescriptions. Bill proponents don't say much about higher Medicare premiums or bigger co-payments, or rising deductibles, or restrictive formularies, which include many low cost drugs --- but not the drugs doctors prefer to prescribe. Your doctor will continue to recommend what you need. The government will decide what you get.

Some people do have a hard time paying for their prescriptions. They would have an easier time if they were not taxed for the dollars they spend on prescriptions and free market reforms, such as tax-free medical savings accounts, are more likely to help than a handout with strings attached.

But the fact that some people have a tough time paying for drugs does not make it right for the government to force everyone to use and pay for government-run health care. Someone's need is not a claim on everyone else's income. If you have trouble paying for your prescriptions now, just wait until you have to pay for everyone's prescriptions.

The politicians -- from virtually every Congressman to President Bush, who has vowed to sign almost any Medicare expansion bill regardless of cost or merit -- have it half-right. The way Americans buy prescription drugs -- indeed, the way Americans finance their use of the medical profession -- desperately needs an expansion.

But politicians, as usual, have the drug issue exactly backwards: what ought to be expanded is not government-controlled medicine. What ought to be expanded is freedom - the freedom to choose, pay for and control one's health care. Congress and the White House ought to embrace the concept of choice in medicine and kill the Medicare prescription drug bill.

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Australia's health care costs are rising faster than any other OECD country.

This is why federal Health Minister Tony Abbott is warning Australians to brace themselves for yet another increase in health insurance premiums.

So, what can be done to solve the problem? A lot, according to Dr Rob Moodie of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation.

Tomorrow, he will deliver a dynamite paper at a health industry roundtable in Melbourne held by the Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies.

To make his point that most developed countries have got their priorities wrong in health care funding, Moodie will expand on the old adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

More and more is being spent on medical treatment and pharmaceutical drugs, with proportionately less being spent on preventing people needing treatment in the first place.

It just doesn't make sense, either morally or financially.

We know that health promotion campaigns can be stunningly effective. Countries such as Finland have managed to reduce early mortality rates by 45 per cent, solely due to health promotion measures. Twenty-five years of informing the public about healthy living has increased the life expectancy of Finnish men by seven years and women by six years.

The United States managed to reduce the prevalence of smoking from 41.9 per cent of its population in 1965 to 23.1 per cent in 2000. In Australia in 1998 alone, it is estimated that 17,400 premature deaths were averted because of tobacco control efforts.

Financial savings were put conservatively at a staggering $12.3 billion.

But the news is not all good regarding our expenditure on smoking control.

Dr Moodie raises the interesting question of why the Federal Government in 2001 chose to spend $80 million subsidising the anti-smoking drug Zyban, when 80 per cent of patients did not finish their treatment.

The Government neglected to spend $10 million repeating the successful national tobacco campaign when there was hard evidence it would have been far more effective in getting people to quit smoking.

The result? A glut of precious taxpayer dollars being wasted along with many, many lives.

As our health budget chews up increasing billions of dollars, many have swallowed the argument that rising costs are mainly due to our ageing population and increasingly expensive medical treatments.

Myth, says Moodie. Chronic diseases don't just affect the elderly and many are entirely preventable.

The fact is we are fast becoming a nation of fat, indolent, wheezing boozers who rely on prescription drugs and medical technology to prolong our unhealthy lifestyles.

So, what is standing in the way of disease prevention?

Let's start at the top. It's not so long ago that the Federal Government spent up big sending us all fridge magnets as part of its war on terrorism.

Yet, it is far more likely we will die prematurely from stocking our fridges with grog and fatty, sweetened, processed food than from any terrorist's bomb.

You don't need to be a political analyst to realise that it is politically sexier and a bigger vote-winner to scare us about terrorism than to educate us about the dangers of poor nutrition.

Which brings us to big business. The most lucrative global businesses today are military weaponry, pharmaceutical drugs, tobacco, alcohol and manufactured foods, all of which have a huge impact on public health.

Yet with the limited exception of the tobacco industry, which continues to survive, the powers that be are proving highly reluctant to impinge upon the market freedoms enjoyed by these economically powerful industries.

This is because while public health campaigns cut Government expenditure, they are unlikely to boost the profits of an industry, which spends great amounts on marketing its unhealthy products.

Dr Moodie draws attention to the role of commercial television in public health and the breathtakingly honest views of one Patrick Le May, MD of Television France Une.

It confirms everything I have most loathed about my own experiences of commercial television.

As Le May puts it, the role of his television station is, for example, to help Coca Cola to sell their product.

Fair enough, but how? By making the brain of the TV viewer empty, thus preparing it for the ads. What Le May brazenly declares he is selling to Coca-Cola is empty brain time.

Australia operates a largely self-regulated system of advertising regarding the alcohol and manufactured-food industries and they are running rampant.

Along with warning us that insurance premiums will soon rise, Tony Abbott is refusing to heed the calls for curbs on junk food advertising during children's television programs.

People should be free to make their own mistakes, the minister reckons.

Tosh. If Tony Abbott really believes this, why doesn't he restore the ability of the tobacco industry to advertise?

It is nonsense to claim that regulating junk food advertising won't help solve our obesity crisis.

But if advertisements don't work, then why do they exist?

The truth is that keeping us fat, drunk, legally doped, sick and at war is a highly profitable game for private industry, which comes at great cost to the public purse and health.

And it will take a braver health minister than Tony Abbott to do anything about it.

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PLAN by doctors to change prescription practices could save the nation's sick people $170 million a year on drug bills and deliver the equivalent of 10 extra GPs to the Coast. In a plan presented to the federal government, the Australian Divisions of GPs wants doctors to be freed of costly government red tape and increase the use of cheaper drugs on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. ADGP chairwoman Jenny Thomson said the scheme would drastically cut the cost of prescription drugs "by alerting doctors to the latest cost-effective information on medicines".

"The current system is not smart or sustainable and simply must change," Ms Thomson said. "GPs are currently required to phone the government call centre for certain prescription authorisation – for no other reason than to save (the government PBS costs)," Ms Thomson said. Under the plan, education sessions would be held for GPs to discuss the latest information on drug efficacy, cost and prescribing patterns in their district. Dr Wayne Herdy of the Sunshine Coast Local Medical Association said freeing up doctors by doing away with time-consuming authorisations would mean they could see hundreds more patients a week. That meant a time-saving benefit to doctors on the Coast equivalent to 10 extra GPs. But he believes reforms to the system could go further, with the Commonwealth funding the gap for pensioners for certain more expensive PBS authorised drugs that are essential for the best patient outcome. Presently, those who can least afford it were being slugged for the difference, he said. "This may be just $3 on a drug that costs $63 but, for a pensioner paying $4.70 for a script already that is a significant cost," Dr Herdy said. Maroochydore pensioner Nick Sprogis said he would spend more than $10 a week on prescriptions. And sometimes he has to pay the extra for a brand drug. "It would be good if they could lower the costs – usually the chemist asks if you want to save money by using the generic drug rather than the brand name," he said. Dr Herdy said some generic drugs were as effective as the dearer drugs but in other cases there were significant differences in efficiency. He believes 98% of the authority prescription requests made to unqualified call centre staff were approved after one phone call. The remaining 2% were usually approved after slight modifications. Local Pharmacy Guild of Queensland spokesman, Tim Logan, said the authorisation process was also a pain for pharmacists because of the red tape involved.

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Sildenafil citrate, more commonly known as Viagra, is widely known as a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. What many may not realize is the drug was not originally intended for sexual purposes, but rather for cardiovascular use. The help the drug provides for ED was merely a side effect recognized in a study. Viagra was previously believed to have no effect on the heart.
However, in a recent study, the drug was tested on mice, and researchers found it deterred the short-term effects of hormonal stress on the heart. The mice whose hearts were larger due to stress remained a normal size when Viagra was used.

The drug was also seen to be helpful in stopping and reversing the long-standing cardiac effects of high blood pressure. Furthermore, a study has been conducted on humans, and the outcome appears optimistic for the future of heart health.

Dr. David Kass and his team from Johns Hopkins observed the effects of Viagra in the heart via 35 study participants with no past or signs of heart disease. The patients were given two injections over a three-hour period of dobutamine -- a drug that increases heart rate and the strength with which the heart pumps.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

Sildenafil citrate, more commonly known as Viagra, is widely known as a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. What many may not realize is the drug was not originally intended for sexual purposes, but rather for cardiovascular use. The help the drug provides for ED was merely a side effect recognized in a study. Viagra was previously believed to have no effect on the heart.
However, in a recent study, the drug was tested on mice, and researchers found it deterred the short-term effects of hormonal stress on the heart. The mice whose hearts were larger due to stress remained a normal size when Viagra was used.

The drug was also seen to be helpful in stopping and reversing the long-standing cardiac effects of high blood pressure. Furthermore, a study has been conducted on humans, and the outcome appears optimistic for the future of heart health.

Dr. David Kass and his team from Johns Hopkins observed the effects of Viagra in the heart via 35 study participants with no past or signs of heart disease. The patients were given two injections over a three-hour period of dobutamine -- a drug that increases heart rate and the strength with which the heart pumps.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

A leading pro-life senator has introduced new legislation to restrict the use of federally controlled drugs in assisted suicides. If Congress approves the bill and President Bush signs it into law, it would stop the use of drugs in all of the assisted suicide cases in Oregon, the only state to legalize the practice.

The new legislation, the Assisted Suicie Prevention Act, follows on the heels of a Supreme Court decision in January prohibiting the Bush administration from restricting the use of the drugs.

In a 6-3 decision, the high court ruled that the Bush administration could not use the Controlled Substances Act, which governs illegal narcotics, to stop the use of such drugs in assisted suicides.

However, the decision paved the way for Congressional legislation to accomplish the same purpose and Sen. Sam Brownback hopes to promote a bill to do that.

"When the law permits killing as a medical 'treatment,' society's moral guidelines are blurred, and killing could gain acceptance as a solution for the chronically ill or vulnerable," Brownback said in a statement LifeNews.com obtained.

"Doctor-assisted suicide could actually create a financial incentive for insurance companies to encourage prematurely ending the lives of those in need of long-term care," Brownback added.

Still, Brownback said the bill would not unfairly punish doctors who are trying to provide patients with legitimate pain relief medication.

"By only penalizing doctors for using a federally-controlled substance for the stated or undisputed purpose of assisted suicide ... the bill does not constrain doctors from offering palliative care that brings pain relief to patients," the Kansas Republican explained.

Last May, Brownback chaired a Judiciary Committee hearing to examine the impact of assisted suicide in places where it has been widely practiced.

Several experts testified that in countries like the Netherlands and Belgium, where assisted suicide is legal, doctors have started experimenting with euthanasia and infanticide.

A September 2005 article in the U.K. medical journal The Lancet reported that half of the newborn babies who died in Flanders, Belgium between August 1999 and July 2000 were "helped" in that regard by their doctors.

"The American Medical Association and disability rights groups are strongly opposed to physician-assisted suicide because it is antithetical to the doctor's role as a healer and it jeopardizes the ability of the infirm and helpless to defend themselves," Brownback said.

"I doubt Americans want the government to decide when life is worth preserving and when life can be destroyed," he concluded.

In 1990, the Supreme Court ruled that patients had a right to refuse lifesaving medical treatment and, in 1997, the court ruled unanimously that there is no constitutional right to assisted suicide but that states may ban or allow the practice.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

When people think of pharmacists, they think of the person who hands
over medicine at the counter.

Brian Jensen of Two Rivers wants to change that.

"Pills in the bottle don't provide healthcare," said Jensen, a
pharmacist in Manitowoc County for 27 years and owner of the Medicine
Shoppe Pharmacies in Two Rivers.

Jensen said pharmacists are not merely pill pushers, but should be
educators as well.

Pharmacists are "not being utilized to the best of their skills," he said.

Jensen serves as a mentor for resident pharmacist Aisha Ashraf, 24, of
Wakefield, R.I. She began her residency in July after graduating from
the University of Rhode Island with a doctorate in pharmacy in May.

As a resident, Ashraf will learn from Jensen and his partner,
pharmacist Marv Moore, how to interact with patients when they come
into the Medicine Shoppe for new prescriptions or refills.

For patients getting new prescriptions, she will discuss possible side
effects of the medicine, what the medicine does and should do, and
what the patient should do when encountering those side effects.

For patients getting refills, she will ask if the drug is working and
how they are feeling.

Ashraf said she will also monitor patients' blood pressure, blood
sugar and cholesterol if necessary. There may be times when she would
have access to a patient's medical profile to understand a patient's
medical history.

This is the kind of change Jensen is seeking.

After visiting the doctor — and unless there is immediate medical
attention—patients would spend more time consulting with pharmacists
about their medication, Jensen said.

"(Pharmacists) can be predictors of needs in medicine and help
patients," and pharmacists can also "detect and correct drug-related
problems," he said.

Wisconsin law requires pharmacists to counsel patients about new
prescriptions and refills. Wisconsin is "pretty unique," said Joseph
Bonnarens, director of the University of Wisconsin Community Pharmacy
Residency Program (UWCPRP) in Madison, since it's the only state that
requires both. Other states only require counsel for new
prescriptions, Bonnarens said.

Although there is such a law, Jensen wants to go beyond it. Most of
the time, it's not done at all or is not being done effectively,
Jensen said.

So, for the last 15 years, Jensen has been trying to change his
pharmacy's focus from mere distribution of medicines to patients'
overall needs.

Instead of asking patients if they have any questions for the
pharmacist, the pharmacist will be the one asking the patients
questions, Jensen said.

Jensen is a part of the former Wisconsin Center for Pharmaceutical
Care, now the Pharmacy Society of Wisconsin. From 1993-96, they
provided intensive one-week training for about 100 pharmacy
representatives from 60 sites across Wisconsin. The training was to
create a "critical mass" of patient-focused sites, Jensen said.

These training sessions were done about three to four times a year,
and after three years, less than 5 percent maintained that change,
Jensen said. It was realized that such a transition couldn't be
accomplished through a week of intensive training.

Jensen then came across something in Indiana – a yearlong community
pharmacy residency program providing resident pharmacists a chance to
develop skills and services for patient care.

After meeting with the people involved, he was convinced that it was
needed in Wisconsin.

When Jensen returned, he followed the Indiana model and developed a
curriculum for the Medicine Shoppe.

In 1999, he had the first resident at the Medicine Shoppe, and in
2000, Two Rivers Medicine Shoppe Pharmacies received national
accreditation for its program, making it the first pharmacy to
coordinate an accredited Community Practice Residency Program in
Wisconsin.

"It's an honor to be accredited," Jensen said.

They also were reaccredited in 2003.

Jensen said the residency model is best because the residents "are all
doing the things that the program intended them to do."

A past resident pharmacist is a co-owner of a pharmacy in Chicago, and
another is working as a clinical pharmacist in Madison, applying what
they learned during their residency, Moore and Jensen said. Ashraf is
the fourth resident pharmacist at the Medicine Shoppe.

"I'm very, very proud of the residents we've trained," Jensen said.

Moore, who did his residency in Iowa, is also replicating the
patient-focus approach he learned, Jensen said.

The goal of the residency program is to change a resident to be more
interactive with patients, and "we get better and better at this," he
added.

This year, the Medicine Shoppe recently began its first collaboration
with the UWCPRP. Prior to this, the Medicine Shoppe had its own
community pharmacy residency program, directed by Jensen.

Working with the University of Wisconsin strengthens ties and extends
boundaries between the university and the Medicine Shoppe. It'll also
help improve the capacity of care in Manitowoc County with the
university's support in their research, Jensen said.

Ashraf is the only resident in the university's program this year, and
her residency will run until June 30, 2007. In addition to interacting
with patients, she will develop new patient programs for the Medicine
Shoppe and determine how effective they are. Ashraf will also serve as
an adjunct clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
three to four times a semester.

Afterwards, she will apply what she learned from the Medicine Shoppe's
focus on patient consultation in future roles.

Jensen was never in a residency program and said what he's doing now
is "a way to give back to the profession."

There are two Medicine Shoppe sites in Two Rivers owned by Jensen and
Moore — a clinic at 2219 Garfield St. and the main pharmacy at 1500
Washington St.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

Thank you for the article (July 21) on drug errors. The millions of
hospital injuries and billions in costs do not include the much
greater issue of doctor/pharmacist/patient error.

In comparing doses, the article erroneously stated, "10 milligrams or
10 migrams." The article was in error. The corrected comparison would
be for "10 milligrams or 10 micrograms." An error like this clearly
indicates the folly of expecting patients to be "aggressive in
questioning" their doctors about dosages. Doctors have specialized
knowledge.

Doctors and pharmacists fill hundreds of prescriptions every day. We
can expect excellence, but not perfection. As the rate of
prescriptions goes up, so do the errors.

If a third of Americans are on five or more medications, then they are
at risk of injury due to drug interaction -- even if the prescription
is perfect. We do not have longterm research on drug interactions.
Recent longterm research about asthma and pain medications alone
showed that both decrease patient life span.

Patients can be aggressive about coming off unnecessary medication. If
a medication doesn't help, it needs to be changed. Doctors usually add
a new medication and leave the older one. Coming off any medication is
risky, so it is easier to continue both. If the patient does not bring
up decreasing medication, a doctor will assume that things are going
well. Tapering off non-working medication with a doctor's help is the
simplest way to avoid future prescription errors.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

After years of FDA stalling, Plan B may finally become available
without a prescription. Plan B (levonorgestrel) is a
highly-concentrated birth control hormone that nearly always prevents
pregnancy if taken within the first 3-5 days after sexual intercourse.
It is not an abortion pill, and cannot terminate a pregnancy; it
prevents actual fertilization of the egg and implantation of the egg
in the uterus, both of which take place before pregnacy begins and
before new DNA is formed.

The new regulations, if approved, would allow those 18 and up to buy
Plan B behind the counter without a prescription--but they would have
to ask their pharmacist for it by name, and pharmacists are prohibited
from dispensing the drug to minors.

Anti-abortion activists have consistently blocked Plan B, and
information about Plan B, under the principle that reducing the risk
of unintended pregnancies encourages premarital sex. So far, this
strategy has been remarkably successful; a recent study found that
only 8% of women know what Plan B is for and can distinguish it from
RU-486, the abortion pill. Because of this, most women who end up with
unintended pregnancies that they don't want to carry to term are aware
of only one option: abortion. Nice going, fellas.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs

Licenced drugs used for treating HIV/AIDS could be a possible tool for prevention of the infection, according to researchers.

The need for prevention of HIV/AIDS has become more urgent with 4.9 million new HIV cases reported last year globally. Researchers have begun to assess antiretrovirals in preventing the infection, according to AIDS Vaccine Bulletin.

The study is based on the idea that those travelling to countries where malaria is endemic often take drugs for malaria to protect themselves and a similar approach is being tested for HIV/AIDS by researchers, the bulletin said.

This idea is known as pre-exposure prophylaxis and is being tested in five ongoing clinical trials. "We urgently need new types of prevention tools and PrEP is one of the many promising strategies, like microbicides and vaccines," Albert Liu, an investigator for one of the PrEP trials in the US.

Many researchers have concerns that giving drugs that are known to be effective for treating the disease could encourage people to participate in more risky behaviour, an idea known as behavioral disinhibition, which could lead to higher risk of infection.

But investigators involved in clinical trials insist that measures are in place to limit this effect. 

If found effective, PrEP may have the greatest benefit for people who are unable to negotiate use of traditional barrier methods and therefore, have few options when it comes to HIV prevention.

More than two decades ago when AIDS was first described in medical literature, there was no medicine to treat but at present there are more than 20 ARVs licenced by the USFDA which have dramatically improved the health of millions around the globe.

Labels: No Prescription, Online Pharmacy, Prescription Drugs