"Acquiring an education has many aspects, of which school is only one, and the present approach is, I believe, the wrong one. Without claiming to have all the answers, I can only express my feeling that our methods of instruction do much to hamper a child in learning. Our approach is pedestrian. We teach a child to creep when he should be running; education becomes a task rather than excitement. Yet each of us can remember one or two teachers who made learning an adventure, which it surely is."

"We do not at present educate people to think but, rather, to have opinions, and that is something altogether different."

...Louis L'Amour, Author

So says one of my favorite authors. He is also one of America's most prolific and bestselling authors. L'Amour has written more than 100 novels in a 30-year career. The Old West was his topic, and his novels have sold hundreds of millions of copies around the world.

But, let's look at what he is saying about "learning" and "education." Learning occurs very rapidly as a child when many skills and facts are committed to memory, such as walking, talking, vocabulary, riding a bicycle, the alphabet, numbers, etc. We learned such information quickly, and it was fun. However, it was up to our parents and our teachers to instruct us on how to properly use that information, i.e., to "educate" us. Somewhere along the line, however, many have come to view "learning" as drudgery, and they avoid it at all costs. Many parents and teachers are not teaching the correct use of the information (education). Consequently, we may have "learned" individuals but not "educated" individuals.

According to Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary, "education" involves developing mentally and morally, especially by instruction; to train, instruct, teach. To "learn" is to gain knowledge, understanding, or skill by study, instruction, or experience.

It is evident that education involves more than just learning. Pharmacists need to receive an "education," not just "learning." Education goes far beyond just learning facts; it involves the proper use of those facts in the experiences of daily life and professional practice and conduct. Why are we so resistant to learning and becoming educated? A long time ago I was told that education is something no one can ever take away from you; it is yours for your lifetime�build upon it daily. We can learn a lot of facts but if we are not educated in how to use them, they may be wasted or misapplied.

In academia in the 1990s, we were told that "life-long learning" is the wave of the future. I prefer to think of it as "life-long education," but that involves a lot more than just teaching and learning facts.

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

This week on CompoundingToday.com more than 40 citations and abstracts were added related to asthma. Here is a sampling of those articles:

• Ankerst J. Combination inhalers containing inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists: Improved clinical efficacy and dosing options in patients with asthma. J Asthma 2005; 42(9): 715-724.
• Berger WE. Paediatric pulmonary drug delivery: Considerations in asthma treatment. Expert Opin Drug Deliv 2005; 2(6): 965-980.
• Bielory L, Russin J, Zuckerman GB. Clinical efficacy, mechanisms of action, and adverse effects of complementary and alternative medicine therapies for asthma. Allergy Asthma Proc 2004; 25(5): 283-291.
• Blitz M, Blitz S, Hughes R et al. Aerosolized magnesium sulfate for acute asthma: A systematic review. Chest 2005; 128(1): 337-344.
• Daviskas E, Anderson SD. Hyperosmolar agents and clearance of mucus in the diseased airway. J Aerosol Med 2006; 19(1): 100-109.

Search more than 3,000 citations and abstracts all related to compounding from more than 830 publications by clicking to CompoundingToday.com/Articles.

Recall of Ultilet Insulin Syringe 30 g 1/2 cc (Lot 5GEXI, NDC 08326-3002-50) by Boca Medical Products because of possible bacterial presence of Bacillus Cereus and Staphylococcus Intermedius. This presents a risk of local infection due to soft tissue injection with a contaminated syringe, as well as a risk of introduction of contaminating organisms into a previously sterile vial. The introduced contamination may degrade the insulin, which could lead to problems maintaining insulin levels. This product has been distributed to the following states: FL, NY, MA, AL, SC, NC, CO, TX, MI, AR. For any question related to the case, consumers should call 1-800-354-8460.

Read the complete MedWatch 2006 Safety summary, including a link to the firm's press release, at: www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2006/safety06.htm#boca

This Regulatory Update has been provided by the International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists. For more information, www.iacprx.org.

FDA Testing of Compounded Medications
The FDA is conducting a study of compounded preparations and is taking samples from pharmacies across the country. This study is affecting compounders and their pharmacies regardless of size and scope; FDA has visited stores that do as few as 5 compounds a week. So far, FDA agents who are collecting samples have been unable or unwilling to answer pharmacists' questions about the nature and scope of the study. Some pharmacies are also being inspected after being told that FDA simply wanted to collect samples. We understand that participation in the study is voluntary, but, before volunteering, it is suggested that FDA agents be questioned about whether an inspection will also be conducted when samples are taken. Most importantly, if FDA agents come to your pharmacy to collect samples, we urge you to contact Jennifer Goodrum at (281) 782-9424 or L.D. King at (281) 933-8400 so that we can share with you any updated information we may have on the study.

IACP has issued several notices to its members about these activities and provides resources to member pharmacies both to prepare for and assist during inspections. IACP recently sent a letter to the FDA requesting that the Agency cease and desist regarding the collection of samples of compounded medications for study, based on a number of substantial concerns with targeted medications, jurisdiction, resources being invested in the study, and the lack of public information available about the study's intent and methodology. We will be continuing efforts on the Hill and within the agency related to this study.

The Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board (PCAB) announced that it is now inviting a limited number of compounding pharmacies to apply to be part of its first accreditation class. PCAB indicates that the first class will be limited to approximately 100 pharmacies. Pharmacies that are interested should submit an on-line application at the PCAB website, www.pcab.info. Click on the Log in button and select Register.

Color Your E-mail
If using Microsoft Outlook as your e-mail software, you can select certain senders and set them up so their e-mail name will show up a different color (i.e., red, blue, greet, etc.) in the e-mail listing. This is especially useful when you get a lot of e-mails and want to quickly locate e-mails from a certain individual. To set this up, do the following:

1. Start MicroSoft Outlook
2. Select "Tools."
3. Select "Organize."
4. Select "Using Colors."
5. Select the appropriate choices: Color messages | from/send to | Name | in | Color
6. Select "Close Organizer."

Now, you can quickly tell when you receive e-mails from certain individuals.