Editorial: Dumb, Dumber, and Dumbest!

Where do we fit in? Evidently many politicians think we are somewhere in that continuum. However, we tend to think that is where they reside most of the time. As an example, and whether you are in favor of off-shore drilling or not, in recent weeks a leader in Congress stated that it would take ten years for any oil to come in from new off-shore drilling rigs and that it would only drop the price of gasoline by 2 cents per gallon? Does that person not realize they are in the U.S.—the most advanced and powerful nation in the world? Does that person not know that in the 1940s the nation rose to the task of industrializing at an incredible pace during WWII and researched, developed, and produced tens of thousands of planes, tanks, vehicles, military clothing, food, etc. for our troops and during that time possibly made some of the most remarkable technological advances in the U.S., all of which occurred within about five years.

Sorry, but I don't believe for a second that it will take ten years! Also, I don't believe that it will only drop the price of gasoline 2 cents per gallon. We have seen the price drop 50 cents a gallon in the past month alone. What I would like to know is from where those numbers they speak about come. In fact, I would like to know from where a "lot" of those numbers come that are tossed around in Congress by both sides. As many reading this know very well by being involved in compounding issues in Congress, there are truths, half-truths, and non-truths (outright lies) being thrown about. Whether it is by design or through ignorance, this is inexcusable. If you are going to vote on a bill that impacts millions of people, you have a responsibility to document the information before casting your vote.

Also, why is it a federal offense to lie on government documents, yet Congress is charged with creating and oversight of these documents and apparently lie to us all the time without any apparent recourse? If they lie to us, should they not also be subject to fines and imprisonment?

No, we're not dumb! However, that may be a characteristic of some of those that voted for some of the politicians in Congress. Nevertheless, it's time we used the TRUTH and FACTS that are available to us to make up our mind about who has the best program(s) for the U.S. so we can make an informed decision when it comes time to vote.

I don't think many like to make flawed decisions from flawed data in our daily lives with our families and businesses! So, why should we be expected to cast our votes based on flawed information from political "wannabees"? It's time for documented statements and the TRUTH from all our candidates. If they get elected based on lies which are later revealed, they should be removed from office immediately and appropriately dealt with as any other citizen that "lies to the government"!

One last thing, there's a tradition in education, former New York City school chancellor Frank Macchiarola once observed, "that if you spend a dollar and it doesn't work, you should spend two dollars; and not only that, you should give those two dollars to the same person who couldn't do the job with only one." Where does this put some of our elected officials on the above continuum?

In closing and for the Arthurian buffs, I am reminded of what "Camelot" stood for: the preservation of honor, truth and justice—a lesson evidently forgotten by many!


Loyd V. Allen, Jr., PhD, RPh

Researchers say number of drugs with price increases of 100 percent or more on the rise.
Drug companies are quietly pushing through price hikes of 100 percent to more than 1,000 percent for a very small but growing number of prescription drugs. This drives up costs for insurers, patients, and government programs, according to researchers from the University of Minnesota. The number of brand-name drugs with increases of 100 percent or more could double this year from four years ago. The researchers also stated that the average wholesale price of 26 brand-name drugs jumped 100 percent or more in a single cost adjustment last year, up from 15 in 2004. During the first half of 2008, 17 drugs made the list. A number "�of the drugs are administered in hospitals, which bill insurers, patients, or government programs for them." In 2007, "prices rose about 7.4 percent on average for 1,344 brand-name drugs, according to Express Scripts, which manages drug benefits for large employers and insurers."
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/drugs/2008-08-07-costlydrugs_N.htm

Analysis suggests Vioxx study was primarily crafted by Merck's marketing department.
A 1999 clinical study that Merck & Co. said was done to test side effects of the painkiller Vioxx (rofecoxib) was actually conducted primarily to support a marketing campaign before the drug's launch. This was reported this week in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the same medical journal that published Merck's original study. These findings were based on internal Merck records disclosed during litigation and are among the first to document what many scientists suspect is a wider industry practice of using studies masquerading as clinical science to bolster marketing plans. This practice raises both ethical and scientific questions as to whether study participants were unknowingly and needlessly put in harm's way to promote a company's product.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601202&sid=aR0Ri_Bo.g_0&refer=healthcare

California Court Stops Pharmacy Reimbursement Cuts
A Federal District Court in Los Angeles has ordered the state of California to stop the 10% cuts in Medi-Cal reimbursement payments to healthcare providers, NACDS reported. The court found that pharmacies and other Medi-Cal providers and patients were being irreparably harmed as a result of the cuts. Pharmacies were losing money on nearly every Medi-Cal transaction, and many pharmacies have been forced to turn away Medi-Cal patients. In addition to pharmacies, the court's order includes relief for physicians, dentists, adult day healthcare centers, clinics, health systems, and other health care providers and applies to services rendered on or after July 1, 2008.
http://supermarketnews.com/news/cali_pharm_0821/

Popular Medicines: An Illustrated History
Peter G. Homan, Briony Hudson, Raymond C. Rowe
Grayslake, IL: Pharmaceutical Press; 2008 (www.pharmpress.com)

Popular Medicines is a history book on 21 of the most popular medicines and remedies, some dating back several hundred years. A few examples include Carter's Little Liver Pills, Dalby's Carminative, and Dr. William's Pink Pills for Pale People. This book is filled with illustrations of the different products and their advertisements which often claim a wide variety of uses. For each medicine it reveals many of the different formulations used throughout the years, biographies of the developers, and many other facts. It also contains a glossary of terms and substances used in the formulas, tables showing the system of weights and measurements, plus an index. Popular Medicines is an excellent book dealing with a vital part of the history of pharmacy and would make a wonderful addition to the collection of any pharmacist or historian.

Reviewed by Emilee Bailey (Pharmacy Student at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Oklahoma)

Starting on October 1, 2008, in order for Medicaid outpatient drugs to be reimbursable by the federal government, all written, nonelectronic prescriptions must contain at least three tamper-resistant features, one from each of the three baseline characteristics outlined in guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on August 17, 2007 in a letter to State Medicaid Directors.
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/DeficitReductionAct/30_GovtInfo.asp

Ten more SOPs added to CompoundingToday.com website, as follows:

New SOPs This Week:

Disposal of Electronic Equipment
Best Buy, an electronics chain, has announced its plans to test drive a new electronics recycling program at 117 of the company's stores throughout America. Under the new program, consumers will be able to recycle up to two electronic devices per household, per day, at one of the 117 participating stores. Eligible items include televisions and monitors (32" or smaller), computers, phones, cameras, and a miscellaneous "other electronics devices and peripherals" category. The new program is broader but still retains certain limitations. Console televisions, air conditioners, TV's greater than 32", large appliances, microwaves, llamas over five feet in height, and washed-up presidential candidates are all off limits. Participating stores are located in Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland, and California; readers interested in exact store locations can find that information at http://bestbuymedia.tekgroup.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=4567