Spring Has Sprung!

By Beth Isaac // April 8th, 2011 10:05 AM // No Comments

Well, spring has finally sprung! And if you are like me, your allergies are not too far behind. Don’t worry , there’s good news! There are so many options available now that you can still spend time outside while also keeping your red, itchy, watery eyes and sneezing at bay. I know it hasn’t felt much like spring in New York yet, but I promise you warmer weather is just around the corner so make sure you are prepared to head outdoors just as soon as mother-nature is willing to cooperate.

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The New Kid on the Block: Allegra

Prescription strength Allegra is now available without a prescription. Allegra is the latest prescription antihistamine to become available over-the-counter and now joins Claritin and Zyrtec as your available options for allergy symptoms including itchy, watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, and itchy nose and throat. Allegra-D combines Allegra with a nasal decongestant and is available for those of you that also find yourself with a stuffy nose. Like Allegra, prescription strength Allegra-D is now available without a prescription, but it’s kept behind the pharmacy counter.

The Bottom Line

  • Begins working in the first hour
  • Non-drowsy relief of allergy symptoms
  • Available for adults and children as young as 2 years of age
  • Available in different strengths; 30 mg, 60 mg and 180 mg
  • Allegra-D is available in two strengths, for 12-hour or 24-hour relief of symptoms

 

 

 

Posted In: General Health

Taking medications as directed may save your life

By Kristen Dore // April 5th, 2011 6:04 PM // 3 Comments

Did you know that not taking your medications as directed can cost you not only money and time, but possibly your life? It is estimated that 89,000 people die each year due to failure to take their blood pressure medications as prescribed. Not taking medications appropriately increases the number of doctor and hospital visits, plus the amount of time spent in the hospital. The increased health care costs from people not taking their medications as directed can be as much as $300 billion per year in the United States.

Here are some tips to help you stay on track with your medications:

Make sure you understand how to take your medication. If you do not, talk to your pharmacist or health care provider.

Use a daily organizer, such as a pill box.

Associate taking your medications with part of your daily schedule. For example, with your breakfast or before bedtime.

Take advantage of technology. Use cell phone text reminders, watches with alarms, or special pharmacy bottle caps that glow to remind you to take your medications.

If you experience side effects talk to your health care provider. There may be an alternative medication that is appropriate for you.

If cost is an issue talk to your health care provider or pharmacist. There may be a generic available or some drug companies offer patient assistance programs.

Taking your medication correctly not only may save you time and money, but it may also help you live a longer life!

Posted In: General Health
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The Shingles Vaccine: An Update

By Beth Isaac // April 5th, 2011 6:03 PM // No Comments

Many times drugs are initially approved for certain medical conditions in specific groups of people. Often, years later, further studies are done again in a different population of people and amendments, or updates, are made to the original prescribing information for a drug or vaccine. That’s what I am here for! To not only let you know about these updates, but to just give you the bottom line of what you really need to know. Simply put, I will read through all the articles and medical information and just cut to the chase for you. And so begins the update you want to know about the shingles vaccine; Zostavax.

Zostavax recently gained FDA approval for use in people ages 50 to 59 for the prevention of shingles. The vaccine was first approved in 2006 for the prevention of shingles in people 60 years of age and older. According to the FDA, each year shingles affects approximately 200,000 people ages 50 to 59 and the chances of developing shingles increases with age.

The Bottom Line

  • Shingles is a painful and debilitating condition characterized by a rash of blisters which typically develops on one side of the body and can cause severe pain which may last for weeks, months or years after the initial episode.
  • Zostavax was recently approved in the younger population of people based on a study of more than 20,000 patients which showed Zostavax decreased the risk for developing shingles by approximately 70 percent.
  • The most common side effects of Zostavax include redness, pain and swelling at the injection site, and headache.
  • Zostavax is manufactured by Merck.
Posted In: General Health
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Community pharmacist…just a bigger community

By Kristen Dore // April 5th, 2011 6:03 PM // No Comments

I have been lucky enough to work in many areas of pharmacy. However, I was always drawn to community or retail pharmacy. Although it was not always an easy job, it had its benefits. I loved the people I worked with. I enjoyed the relationships I had with the nurses and doctors at the local medical offices. I also liked being part of a community, and interacting with my customers.

So you may be wondering, what is this blog going to be about?

Drugs, of course. I am a pharmacist, after all. Medications play an important role when it comes to our health, but they are just one part of the big picture. So, while I may blog about new medications, drug recalls, or medication safety and tips, I’ll also cover timely health and wellness topics, too.

Why am I doing this? By nature, pharmacists like to role up our sleeves, dig into scientific and medical literature, and care for our community — our profession has a long history of doing this. Except here, the community is not limited to a small town in New York or New England. And to get this information, there’s no need to drive to a plaza, find a parking spot, walk to the back of the store, and wait in a long line. Wherever you live, all you need to do to get interesting and accurate medical information is visit PDR Health.

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In my Own Words

By Shereen Abou-Gharbia // April 5th, 2011 6:03 PM // No Comments

Simply put, I’m a mother, a wife, a medical writer, and a pharmacist. I’ve worked in many pharmacy practice settings including the pharmaceutical industry in medical information and publications (5+ years), hospital (2+ years), and in community pharmacy (4+ years). These days, I work for Everyday Health, an up-and-coming online digital company that specializes in all things related to consumer health. As a staff pharmacist, I provide valuable information to users on many of today’s news-worthy health topics.

What’s in my blogs?

Utilizing my expertise in pharmacy and medical writing, I will share my knowledge and insights to deliver timely, bite-size articles written with simple candor. With each blog post, I will offer my thoughts and commentary on an important, relevant news item, video, website, and much more.

Why should you care?

Well, in the words of Sir Francis Bacon, ‘Knowledge is power’. My goal is to empower you, the patient, to play an active role in your health and well-being. Success in medicine requires more than just a highly-trained, skilled and knowledgeable physician. It also requires a fully-informed patient.

An informed patient is…

In today’s world, patients are more informed and in a lot of ways more vulnerable than ever. There are volumes of health information available and patients can easily access all types of data, directly delivered through the Internet. On one hand, there is this raw, often “messy” data or research results from clinical studies presented via government-funded websites and on-line scientific journals.  At the other extreme, patients are also widely exposed to this processed, spun medical information from commercials and direct-to-consumer ads that often seem “clean”. The fact is the real information, this raw “messy” data, is often confusing and chaotic to patients, whereas the packaged “clean” version appears neat and reassuring. Unfortunately, the easier choice is typically not the whole story and may, in fact, be untrue.

How do you decode these encryptions? What are they really saying? And what are the facts? Fiction? Why is it even relevant?

These are just some of the questions, I will address with each of my blog posts. If there is a topic of interest that I haven’t covered, let me know. I’ll gladly provide you with my take on it, in my view. Feel free to contact me direct on Twitter at PDR_Shereen and via commentary, etc. I welcome your feedback, good or bad. This will help to shape my blogs and hopefully maximize its impact and utility among my readers.

Thanks for your time. I look forward to bringing you all the latest and greatest health news with every one of my user-friendly posts. One topic: one blog at a time.

Have a good one,

Pharmacist Shereen

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