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Editorial: The "Dog Days" of Summer

The "Dog Days" of summer are the hottest, most sultry days, occurring in the Northern Hemisphere in the months of July and August.  But from where does the term come?  Why do we call the hot, sultry days of summer “Dog Days?”

Back in ancient times, when the night sky was unaffected by artificial lights and smog, different cultures in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars.  The images (constellations) were dependent upon the culture.  For example, the Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans.  These groups “saw” images of bears, (Ursa Major and Ursa Minor), twins, (Gemini), a bull, (Taurus), and others, including dogs, (Canis Major and Canis Minor).  The brightest of the stars in Canis Major (the big dog) is Sirius, which also happens to be the brightest star in the night sky.  The ancient Romans thought that the earth received heat from it.

In Ancient Rome, the Dog Days ran from July 24th through August 24th, or, alternatively, from July 23 through August 23rd.  The Old Farmer’s Almanac lists the traditional period of the Dog Days as the 40 days beginning July 3rd and ending August 11th, coinciding with the ancient heliacal (at sunrise) rising of the Dog Star, Sirius.  These are the days of the year with the least rainfall in the Northern Hemisphere.

Some people attribute the phrase to the supposed laziness of domesticated dogs (who are in danger of overheating with too much exercise) during the hottest days of the summer.  When speaking of "Dog Days," there seems to be a connotation of lying or "dogging" around, or being "dog tired" on these hot and humid days.

Dog Days are mentioned in several literary works; there is even a mention of "dogdays" in Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol:

The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice.  A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin.  He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dogdays; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.

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

CDC: Trained Pharmacists Must Be Involved in Dividing Single-use Vials
Following two outbreaks of Staphylococcus aureus infection in 10 patients being treated for pain in outpatient clinics, the CDC is strongly urging providers faced with drug shortages to avoid using single-dose vials (SDVs) or single-use medications for more than one patient unless the formulation is prepared by a “high-quality” pharmacy.  In both cases, the clinics reported that they were unable to obtain smaller vial sizes needed by patients either because of drug shortages or because the smaller size wasn’t being manufactured.

The outbreaks are a reminder of the serious consequences that can result when SDVs are used for more than one patient.  If SDVs must be used for more than one patient, full adherence to United States Pharmacopeia standards is critical to minimize the risks that be associated with of “multipatient use.”
http://www.uspharmacist.com/weekly_news_update/story/35642/

Low-income Individuals Take More Medications
A survey was commissioned by Phalanx Investment Partners and conducted by Google Consumer Surveys.  Their conclusion was that those who fear that government-sponsored health care will lead to fewer prescription drugs are simply wrong.  It will lead to the opposite—an explosion of people seeking drug treatments and already squeezed doctors to feel even greater pressure.  This conclusion seems to be supported by the data but is admittingly not conclusive.  Check the article for their “takeaway’s”.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidmaris/2012/07/24/low-income..

How Do Fake Cancer Drugs Enter the U.S.: An Example
Canada Drugs grew to become a vital link for American consumers stung by high drug prices.  The Internet pharmacy had, by the middle part of the last decade, filled millions of U.S. prescriptions with low-cost, Canadian supplies of everything from Pfizer’s Lipitor to GSK’s Advair.  As the company grew into a larger enterprise spanning three continents, so did the risks of counterfeit drugs.  During the final months of 2011, companies controlled by Canada Drugs sold two batches of fake Avastin to U.S. doctors.  The Avastin case let the U.S. know it’s not immune to counterfeit drugs.

When Canada Drugs was founded in 2001, its medicines were exclusively from Canadian suppliers.  The drugs were less expensive than U.S. versions because of Canadian price controls.  By 2003, big drug makers seeking to protect their U.S. sales shut online pharmacies out of the Canadian supply chain, forcing them to seek supplies elsewhere.  Canada Drugs began buying pharmaceuticals in other countries that drug safety experts say have lax regulation and problems with counterfeiting.  Even though taking steps to avoid fakes, the efforts failed to slow the international gray market.  Recently, the scandal continued to unfold as the FDA disclosed it had warned another wave of doctors who bought drugs from Montana Healthcare and related distributors, bringing the total to 76 doctors in 22 states.  The FDA said investigators uncovered new information identifying the doctors and distributors.  Corporate documents show Canada Drugs controls the maze of subsidiaries that procured and shipped the counterfeit products, including Montana Healthcare Solutions and a British wholesaler called River East Supplies Ltd.  The company also does business as Clinical Care, Quality Specialty Products, and Bridgewater Medical, which are other distributors identified by the FDA in the Avastin case.  Please use the following link for more information on this story.
http://online.wsj.com/article/..

Dalfampridine (4-aminopyridine) Poses Seizure Risk for Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Ampyra was approved to improve walking in patients with MS.  Seizures are a known side effect of Ampyra, and seizure risk increases with higher blood levels of the drug.  The majority of seizures happened within days to weeks after starting the recommended dose and occurred in patients having no history of seizures.  The FDA is updating the Ampyra drug label to clarify recommendations.  Ampyra should be discontinued permanently if a seizure occurs.
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/../ucm313055.htm

A quick and easy read, this book contains eight chapters specifically on drug delivery and drug targeting.  It is a part of the FASTtrack series of revision guides created for undergraduate pharmacy students but is interesting and applicable to practitioners as well.  Each chapter presents the content that is followed by a summary, self-assessment, question, and suggestions for further reading.  It covers immediate-release, delayed-release, sustained-release, controlled-release, and site-directed drug targeting.  Chapter eight also discusses carriers for drug targeting.  Chapters 2 and 3 discuss increasing the solubility and dissolution rate of drugs and increasing the permeability and absorption of drugs.  It is easy to read, with appropriate drawings and diagrams; it also includes a “Mind maps” section at the end, which are useful ways to organize and categorize information and to enhance one’s creative problem-solving abilities.

Fully equipped turn key compounding facility (sterile and non sterile) in Fort Lauderdale, FL.  10 x 14 ISO 7 clean / anteroom, 2 horizontal and 1 vertical hood, autoclave, convection oven, sonicator, analytical balance, powder containment.  Ready to be permitted and operated.  For further inquiries call Mike at 305-301-3389.

Drowsy?
Just remember pard,
That marble slab
Is doggone hard!
      Burma Shave

PCAB is proud to announce the accreditation/re-accreditation of the following three pharmacies:

Custom Rx Pharmacy & Wellness Concepts, Wichita, Kansas; Jan Gerber, RPh, President/Owner, jgerber@customrx.net:
Initial Accreditation for Sterile and Nonsterile Compounding

JCB Labs, Wichita, Kansas; Brian Williamson, PharmD, PIC, brian@JCBlabs.com;
Initial Accreditation for Sterile Compounding

Family Pharmacy, Sarasota, Florida; Mike Pass, PharmD, Owner, mike@familypharmacy.org;
Re-accreditation for Sterile and Nonsterile Compounding

Please join us in congratulating these pharmacies on their achievement.