Editorial: Higher Standards�Athletes or the U.S. Congress?

Who has to adhere to the higher standards... athletes or the U.S. Congress? Let's look at some specific issues.

If an athlete is caught lying (to the NCAA, etc.), they may be suspended for an entire season.
If a member of Congress is caught lying, they usually deny it, blame someone else, or, if they admit it, just pass it off as "it's no big deal!"

If an athlete is caught by a referee breaking a rule in the game, the whole team may be penalized.
If a member of Congress is caught breaking rules, they try to hide it, deny it, and pretend it didn't happen.

If an athlete is caught stealing, they may be punished with criminal prosecution, suspension, or other penalty as required by law.
If a member of Congress is caught stealing, it may go to the ethics committee to be studied for a couple of years!

If an athlete is caught "fixing a game," they may be suspended, fined, etc.
If a member of Congress is caught "selling their vote," they may be applauded and rewarded!

If an athlete is caught receiving something of value from an overzealous supporter, they may be suspended and/or fined.
If a member of Congress is caught receiving something of value from a lobbyist, well�that's just the way things are done in Washington!

You know� it's no wonder that Congress and other elected officials have lost the respect of the American public. We still respect the "office," but not a lot of the "office holders." It's time for Congress to be subject to the same laws and regulations that we are subject to and not carve out any special deals for themselves that are not available to everyone. I should note that there are many hard-working, conscientious, and dedicated elected officials and members of Congress and this is not directed towards them, as we sincerely appreciate their service.


Loyd V. Allen, Jr., PhD, RPh
Editor-in-Chief

Industry, Lawmakers Rally for Drug Coupons
Healthcare officials and lawmakers in Massachusetts are demonstrating support of legislation to pave the way for consumers to use coupons-manufacturer discounts and co-pay assistance programs-to offset the rising costs of prescription drugs.

Massachusetts currently does not allow consumers to purchase prescription medications using coupons. A spokesperson for the Massachusetts Independent Pharmacists Association, said such coupons could in some cases save patients up to 75% on their co-pay for common medications. People find these coupons on the Internet and bring them into a pharmacy. Pharmacists, in Massachusetts, are then in the position of telling them they can't use them.

Previous attempts to pass similar legislation have been blocked by insurance companies claiming that such discounts eat into their profitability. Supporters say that if we're in a position to provide some financial relief, then we should.
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2010/03/29/daily24.html?s=industry&i=health_care

Pfizer Gives Details on Payments to Doctors
The world's largest drug maker, Pfizer, announced this week that it paid about $20 million to 4,500 doctors and other medical professionals for consulting and speaking on its behalf in the last six months of 2009; this is Pfizer's first public accounting of payments to the people who decide which drugs to recommend.

Pfizer also paid $15.3 million to 250 academic medical centers and other research groups for clinical trials in the same six-month time period. The disclosures do not include payments outside the U.S.

Most of the disclosures were required by an integrity agreement the company signed in August to settle a federal investigation into the illegal promotion of drugs for off-label uses.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/business/01payments.html

FDA Targets Ice on Frozen Seafood
(Editor's Note: This is not a drug-related topic but is interesting.)

The FDA is reviewing a multistate investigation that found shoppers have been paying for large amounts of ice that are not supposed to be included in the price of frozen seafood. Their investigation found that a coating of ice applied to frozen seafood to preserve quality during storage and distribution often was wrongly included as part of the labeled weight of seafood. In some instances, the investigation found, ice accounted for 40% of the product's weight.

The FDA is reviewing the situation to determine if any action should be taken. If there is a determination by the FDA that fraud is taking place, it will first issue a warning letter and later take "stronger action" if necessary.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0331-fda-seafood--20100330,0,1741759.story

Hearing Announced to Consider Placement of Carisoprodol into Schedule IV.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will hold a hearing with respect to the proposed placement of carisoprodol in schedule IV of the Controlled Substances Act on May 4, 2010. Interested persons desiring to participate in this hearing must provide written notice on or before April 26, 2010. This action may result in carisoprodol being subject to the regulatory controls and criminal sanctions of schedule IV, as are applicable to the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, importation, and exportation of carisoprodol and products containing carisoprodol. According to the DEA, carisoprodol products are being diverted, abused, misused, and sold on the street and from Internet sites without legitimate prescriptions, and it is being abused with other controlled drugs such as opioids. There are incidences of pain patients addicted to carisoprodol.
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-6763.pdf

Clinical Pharmacy in the United States: Transformation of a Profession
Elenbaas RM, Worthen DB
Lenexa, KA: ACCP; 2009; 201 Pages; Paperback

This book consists of 8 chapters covering different time periods starting in 1910 and progressing through 2009. There is a unique timeline at the bottom of the pages that show what other events were occurring simultaneously with the developments discussed in the book. The book also contains a compilation of "Reflections on Clinical Pharmacy," which was written by various authors. Based upon the first chapter, clinical pharmacy has been a concept with activities associated with it for 100 years (1910-2010). In 1950, the PharmD was recommended as the entry-level degree and was started in California; this degree is now in its 60th year of being a part of pharmacy practice.

There are some really interesting topics that are discussed and reviewed with some special emphasis on social, professional, and political aspects of the practice of pharmacy. It is a book that is well worth reading and allows one to appreciate all the years of effort that have gone into changing the practice but still leaves one with the question of how much longer will it take to become the standard. A great "read" for those that have been around and lived through much of what is discussed and a great "read" for younger pharmacists and pharmacy students so they can gain an appreciation of the long battle that has been fought and is still ongoing.

�that if every American citizen would write a check for $40,000 to the IRS we could immediately eliminate our national debt? Is your check in the mail????

Power

Is your store or facility in an area that occasionally experiences power failures? Look into the possibility of a generator to provide power in those instances. You might be surprised at how reasonable the costs are and what the benefits may be.