Webster defines a "statesman" as:

"1: one versed in the principles or art of government; 2: one who exercises political leadership wisely and without narrow partisanship in the general interest."

According to the definition, we may not have any statesmen in Congress, unless they are the quiet, elected representatives that go about doing "our business" without any fanfare. But wait, that can't be the case because when one looks at the voting records of our elected congressmen (senators and representatives), we see that they generally are voting along party lines; the definition above states "�and without narrow partisanship�" and "�in the general interest�"

What would it be worth to have elected officials and congressmen that would vote their conscience and the way their constituents wanted them to vote? What would it be worth to be able to trust your elected representatives? What would it be worth to be able to believe that the campaign statements delivered during the campaigns were the heartfelt convictions of the candidates and statements that they would follow through on when elected? What would it be worth to have elected representatives that did what they said they were going to do and not "negotiate deals" to pass bad legislation just so they can get support for their own bad legislation. After all, in politics it seems that negotiation is when standards are lowered to get what one wants. Is this why we send our elected representatives to Washington? To "negotiate deals" to lower the standards in the U.S. so some politicians can get their way, build their power structure and financial base? I would certainly hope not!

I think it is time to put "term limits" on all elected officials...say for example, two terms and then they are out! Why? Because too many make it a career and build up their following and their power structure and get into the "Washington mentality" or "Potomac fever" and then the folks back home are lost in the milieu and are only a means for them to stay in Washington to build up their own nest eggs. In Oklahoma, we voted in term limits a few years ago and they are in progress now and changes are occurring within the state. No longer do we have the same "cigar-filled backroom politicians" making "deals"...we have a lot of new, young, bright and energetic individuals entering politics as well as some experienced individuals that are eager to serve their limited terms in helping to make the state better. Is it perfect? No, but things are easier to change now than they used to be and we are on the right track.

Think about what changes could be made at the national level if we had two-term limits for all our elected officials and representatives. It would certainly be an improvement and the bickering, power structures and lobbying would all be changed. Would it be perfect? No, but the way things are headed now is ultimately going to be a tragedy for the U.S. If one looks at third-world countries, the power structure is in the hands of a very few. If one looks at where we are headed, the power structure is being concentrated into the hands of a very few. Traveling around the world a lot, the one thing I notice is that most countries have two large classes (the rich and the poor) and a very small middle class. The thing that makes the U.S. great and functional, is that we have two small classes (the rich and the poor) but the largest class is the middle class. We are unique and that is one thing that has made us strong; a good honest work ethic and working for our families and for the good of the nation as a whole. We are headed into a society similar to what we are trying to change in other parts of the world, i.e., a centralized power structure with most of the wealth concentrated in the hands of a few that have a big impact and influence on the decisions being made in Washington.

Where are the statesmen? Think about it!

Loyd V. Allen, Jr., Ph.D., R.Ph
Editor-in-Chief

For complete information see the FDA release at: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01268.html

Standard Operating Procedures are vital to your pharmacy practice. Obtaining them can be costly and time consuming. Consider downloading the SOPs you need from CompoundingToday.com. There are more than 300 to choose from. Here are the top ten SOPs downloaded in the last month:

• Security of the Pharmacy
• Chemical Abbreviations/Acronyms
• Cleaning and Disinfection
• Technician I
• Technician II
• Employment Information
• Incident Reporting
• Basic Compounding Documentation - The Master Formula Form
• Pharmacist I
• Technician III
• Training Pharmacist and Technician Personnel

Bag the Elephant! How to Win & Keep BIG Customers
by Steve Kaplan
Bard Press, Austin Texas ($19.95)

Whether your pharmacy is a one man show or a large corporation, this book will teach you something that you didn't already know. In compounding pharmacy they always teach us to diversify and not to put all of our eggs in one basket. Well, this book actually teaches you how to go after the one big basket, the Elephant!

But that Elephant will mean something different to all of us. In the book the Elephant refers to a giant company. In our industry, because we focus on one patient at a time it is hard for us to go after a large company for business. But in compounding an Elephant does not necessarily have to be a company, it can be all sorts of things; like a specialty area of practice, a doctor, a clinic, a hospital, etc. Many compounding pharmacies specialize in one or two areas which make up a large portion of their business. Like NHRT for example, many compounding pharmacies have one big Elephant, NHRT, which consumes over 50% of their practice. Right now considering the controversy surrounding NHRT this may be scaring many of you, but this book will teach you how to manage your Elephant! In this book you will learn how to market to the Elephant, keep the Elephant loyal, expand the Elephant, how to protect and not lose the Elephant. You will learn in this book that it takes far less Elephants to grow your business than it does from individual sales. As your pharmacy grows, you may actually become an Elephant and this book gives great explanations on how the Elephants are managed, structured, positioned and what it takes to be a great Elephant!

This book contains great marketing tips for your marketing representatives, great management tips for your managers and great inspiration for those owners. You won't be able to put it down because it is so captivating and interesting to read. Steve Kaplan's witty personality, ambition, intelligence and drive are contagious when you read

See this and other book reviews related to compounding pharmacy at http://www.compoundingtoday.com/Books/ReviewList.cfm

I Can't Swallow Pills
Most of us probably believe that the best way to swallow pills is to:

• put the pill(s) in our mouth
• take a swig of water
• tip our head back
• ...and swallow

Well, the tipping back part might be what gets us into trouble. Tipping back the head closes off the throat. Many people have success swallowing pills with that method, but it still takes some conscious effort.

Consider this:  When we sit at the dinner table and eat, we don't pop food into our mouth, chew, tip our head back, and swallow. We chew and are usually looking down at our plate as we negotiate the next mouthful. We can certainly swallow a mouthful of food that is larger than a pill, and we have no problem swallowing when we eat because the throat opens when we tip our head forward.

When you take a pill, the best move for effective swallowing is to put the pill in your mouth, take a swig of liquid, and tip your chin down toward your chest. The pill goes right down!

Try it! After some mindful practice, most people can swallow several supplements at once.

Need to clean up some stains?
Oftentimes acidified isopropanol or methanol works very well. Add about 1 mL of concentrated hydrochloric acid to a pint of isopropanol or methanol. Place a small quantity of the mixture on the stain and let it set for a few minutes. Then, rub the area and rinse with water. Be sure to label the bottle as acidified isopropanol or acidified methanol with the actual formula prepared.