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Editorial: Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

How does one make a decision? Generally, it is important to check the facts, review the history and other information surrounding the situation at hand, and use one's experience and knowledge of what is right in light of one's convictions.

In practicing pharmacy, a pharmacist makes literally hundreds of decisions every day, if not more. These decisions are based upon the facts and other information that is presented by healthcare professionals and patients, and pharmacists use their education, training, and experience to make a decision. In other words, one cannot practice pharmacy without true facts, etc.

In our family and social lives, we make decisions based on the same criteria. In driving a car, we make decisions based on facts, the laws, and the regulations by which we must abide. We place our trust in a lot of what we experience each day.

Now� here comes "politics"! Why do we allow lies to be told to us by politicians, and we accept them? Why is it that politicians can lie about each other, and we oftentimes accept them? Why is it that our founding fathers were willing to, and did, risk their lives to establish the most successful nation in history that is based on many truths, and we are not upholding those founding principles?

It doesn't matter what political persuasion one happens to be, decisions must be made on the truth. In fact, any decision made by any elected official or body that is based on lies should be made null and void because the decision is invalid! Any politician elected based on lies should be removed from office! Why is it that the most advanced nation in the world cannot restore a political system based on the truth? It seems we have a double standard in requiring the truth in some aspects of our lives and not in others!


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

Excedrin Recall Impacts Migraine Sufferers
Store shelves are Excedrin-free, and Novartis has attributed the recall and shortage to problems at its Nebraska plant that could have led to contamination by other medications produced there. Novartis has previously announced a massive recall of its Excedrin, No-Doz, Bufferin, and Gas-X products. The company says it is working very hard to return products to store shelves and plans to restart production on a "line-by-line, product-by-product basis" to assure quality, and hopes to start restocking some products in the second half of the year. They did not mention which of the recalled products will be manufactured first. Some patients are turning to eBay to purchase whatever stock is available at hugely inflated prices, and some medications are passed around by private individuals. Each Excedrin Migraine consists of 250 milligrams of aspirin, 250 milligrams of acetaminophen (Tylenol), and 65 milligrams of caffeine. A generic substitute could work just as well.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/migraine-sufferers-scrambling-months-excedrin-migraine-recall/story?id=16743173#.T_w9U3B4X35

Clinic Staffers Infect Patients by Re-using Drug Vials
Federal health officials have warned about clinics giving injections to more than one patient from vials designed for single use. Ten patients in Arizona and Delaware were hospitalized with serious infections they got when clinic staff injected them with drugs taken from vials meant for one-time use in recent months, the CDC said. Last April, staff at one clinic in Delaware managed to infect nine patients with bacteria from the staffers' own bodies. The CDC said the cases illustrate a growing problem--there have been 20 such incidents since 2007. The facilities at both clinics said they had trouble getting multiple-dose vials. There have been nationwide shortages of some of the drugs because of manufacturing problems, so staff diluted single-dose packages and used them in several patients, spreading infection. Medications labeled as "single dose" or "single use" typically are preservative-free and should be dedicated for single-patient use to protect patients from infection risks. There are ways to safely use smaller vials for multiple patients.
http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/12/12705175-clinic-staffers-infect-patients-by-re-using-drug-vials?lite?ocid=twitter

Pfizer Sued by Pharmacies Over Lipitor
Five retailers, including Walgreens and Krogers, have joined a legal battle against Pfizer accusing the drug maker of using anticompetitive tactics to delay the introduction of competing generic copies of Pfizer's blockbuster Lipitor. This lawsuit adds to litigation against Pfizer in the wake of Lipitor's loss of U.S. market exclusivity last November, which triggered the launch of lower-priced generic versions and began eroding sales of the brand-name drug. The plaintiffs in the latest lawsuit said generic copies of Lipitor should have become available 20 months earlier, in March 2010, when the original U.S. compound patent for Lipitor expired.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304550004577510613860845578.html?KEYWORDS=pfizer

FDA Announces Enforcement Action Against Companies Manufacturing Unapproved Drug Products Containing Oxycodone
The FDA is announcing its intention to take enforcement action against (1) all unapproved single-ingredient, immediate-release drug products that contain oxycodone hydrochloride for oral administration and are labeled for human use, and (2) persons who manufacture or cause the manufacture or distribution of such products in interstate commerce.
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-07-06/pdf/2012-16475.pdf

Medical Gift Ban Relaxed and Students and Doctors Protest
The Massachusetts Governor is scheduled to sign a new $32.5 billion state budget that would likely loosen a ban on gifts from drug and medical device companies to doctors. The proposed measure scales back restrictions imposed in 2008 and would now allow companies to pay for "modest" meals and refreshments for doctors as part of informational sessions about their products. The budget plan has drawn criticism from more than 100 medical students, residents, and physicians, who signed a petition to Patrick June 18 to preserve the state's existing ban on gifts from makers of pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
http://www.boston.com/whitecoatnotes/2012/07/06/students-doctors-protest-looser-medical-gift-ban-state-budget/7iCofDhhAPBKGB66f1tAlI/story.html#mapoli

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...that "If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." -Mark Twain

...and "Just once, when I say 'Oh, I'm fine' I want someone to look me in the eye and say 'Okay, now tell the truth.'" --Anon

Try making a decision using incorrect facts and think through the consequences.

Listen birds,
These signs cost money,
So roost awhile,
But don't get funny!
      Burma Shave