New Cancer Treatments And Pharmaceutical Research

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Dr. Paul Sylvester’s breast cancer research continues to gain momentum.

An offer of $10,000 was given by the Louisiana Cancer Foundation in support of Dr. Sylvester’s pharmaceutical research at the College of Pharmacy at Monroe University of Louisiana.

A Pfizer-endowed professor of pharmacology, Dr. Sylvester is also the director of graduate studies and research.  His research team study how a rare form of vitamin E called tocotrienols can be used to attack the early stages of cancer cells without causing harm to healthy cells.

The chairman for the Louisiana Cancer Foundation board of directors, James Adams, expressed his thanks of the LCF and hopes they can continue to support Sylvester’s research.  In the last six years, LCF has provided $67,500 in funding toULM’sCollegeofPharmacy.

Adamsstated that he is supportive of the LCF’s mission and the research Dr. Sylvester has done.  He stated that he is impressed both at the knowledge of Sylvester’s team and that the research took place locally within the university and the city’s community.

Adams graduated from the ULM College of Health Sciences in 1986 and earned his master’s of business administration fromULMin 2007.  He is also the executive director of the Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute.  He’s served on numerous councils and committees forGlenwoodRegionalMedicalCenterand St. Francis Medical Center.

Founded in 1999 by the Northeast Louisiana Cancer Institute, the LCF obtained its 501(c)(3) status early in 2000.

The Louisiana Cancer Foundation was founded to increase public awareness for treatment and research toward the early detection and promote cancer new treatments inNortheast Louiaiana.  Corporate contributions maintain the LCF, as well as private donations, grants and fundraisers.

Reasons For The ADHD Drug Shortage

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There are some pharmaceuticals which are often in short supply. The ADHD drug shortage pertains to the medications used to treat this disorder.

Parents who have children with this disorder can often find themselves going to several pharmacies in an effort to have their child’s prescription filled. Often these people will purchase the less expensive generic products over the higher priced brand names.

The drugs used in the treament of ADHD include amphetamines and methylphenidates. These substances are used to calm the affected person so they have a better ability of focusing their attention.

Drugs such as Ritalin and Teva are often found in short supply with many pharmacies having them on back order. While these top brands might be difficult to acquire, there are other brands which are still readily available. Adderall XR and various generic products can be found at most pharmacies.

The shortage for the drugs used as remedies for ADHD is contributed in part to the large number of people being diagnosed with this condition. This makes the drugs used for treating the condition in high demand.

The pharmaceutical companies are regulated by the Drug Enforcement Agency, which limits how much of a substance they are allowed to manufacture. The DEA believes there is an adequate amount of drugs available to meet the needs of the people who suffer from this condition.

The department did release the new quotas for the year of 2012, which increases the production of amphetamines by twenty-five thousand kilograms. Methylphedidate will increase by fifty-six kilograms.

The shortage of available drugs prescribed to people who have undergone attention deficit disorder testing may or may not increase in the future. It is often difficult to predict how much a drug will be in demand because the number of cases cannot be determined until people are actually tested.

In addition to the drugs used to treat ADHD disorders, there are also shortages of drugs used for treating cancer as well as products used for heart disease and high blood pressure.

Most shortages can be directly attributed to the manufacturing companies who often fail to meet the demands of the current market.

Looking Into Removal Of Waste

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The battle in Surry County regarding prescription drug abuse/misuse takes the front line now due to the inclusion in a program that is national of a local pharmacy. Located at 701 W. Pine St. in Mt. Airy, the Mount Airy Drug firm has started participating in an effort to take back prescription drugs. Medications that the public no longer wants or needs can be easily and safely disposed of there. This program is partly sponsored by the National Community Pharmacists Association.

The fact of the matter is that Mount Airy Drug initially got involved through its owner Travis Hall in response to all of the problems involved with prescription drugs which claimed in 2011 at least thirty lives. This removal of waste goes far towards the reduction of potential issues and problems.

The Mount Airy people have been anxious to get on board this national program which has now been in effect for just about six months. As part of it they have received for their efforts and concern a ten gallon pharmacy drop box at their business location. The drop box is a tamper proof one and is entirely safe and not waste management hazardous.

Only non-controlled medications and pharmaceutics are accepted at the Mount Airy facility. These include some prescriptions as well as over-the-counter medicines. The fact of the matter is that drugs used by those they have not been prescribed to can be and are very dangerous.

The items that are collected are then forwarded to a center that is federally licensed where they will ultimately be destroyed.

Another great service the pharmacy is planning to offer is to help educate their customers on the dangers and problems associated with drugs not used exactly as they were intended to be.

The reality of the situation is truly frightening. Every year it is estimated that over 250 million pounds of medications that are not used are improperly disposed of. Any efforts that can help improve this situation should be welcomed.

Changes To Healthcare Laws Taking Effect In January

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On January 1st, Dr. Carl E. Mitchell knows that he faces a 1 percent decrease in payments for his Medicare patients. However, the amount of lost money is not enough to convince him to write prescriptions electronically to offset the decrease.

As an independent practitioner who intends to retire within 2 years, it is a financial burden that Mitchell is willing to take rather than pay out a several thousand dollars to set up an e-prescription system in his practice.

According to Mitchell, the lost income is less than the cost of the new e-prescription program.

The penalty indicates a shift from perks given to doctors for using the e-prescribing system, and it is among alterations to health-care regulations and laws that are set to take effect in the New Year.

According to a senior policy advisor with a Washington-based medical group association, a large number of medical practitioners are opting to take the penalty instead of upgrading to the new system.

Other changes to health-related regulations and laws, which are set to take effect in 2012 or 2013, include:

• Consumers will be owed a rebate if their insurer spends less than a certain percentage, 80 percent for individuals and small groups and 85 percent for large group policy health insurance, of premiums collected on medical care as opposed to overhead and administrative costs.

• January 1st is the official start date of the Shared Savings Program under Medicare. Nashville institutions, such as Vanderbilt’s Medical Center and Saint Thomas Health have expressed curiosity in forming or participating in an ACO, which would assist in coordinating the care of assigned Medicare patients.

Under this medical care reform, the resultant health savings from participants in an ACO, which include doctors and hospitals, are to be shared between the providers and Medicare.

• An 11 state pilot demonstration program is set to start, which involves having recovery auditors review claims to Medicare before they are paid. Tennessee is not among these 11 states, and seven of those states were selected because of a high rate of fraudulent claims, while the remaining four have a large number of inpatient stays of less than. The purpose of these programs is to reduce errors in Medicare payments by stopping fraudulent practices or mistakes before disbursing money.

On the state level, legislation for healthcare is making some changes as well. Pharmacists are obligated to report all sales of over-the-counter medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, which is a major ingredient in methamphetamine, using new medical software.

It is part of an ongoing effort to stop the distribution of certain medicines or products that exceed a medically useful amount. Access to this system is being given to law enforcement to assist with the prosecution of those who buy pseudoephedrine in order to supply those who intend to create illegal meth.

Pain clinics throughout the state are set to face a daily $1,000 fine for not registering for a two-year certification with the Department of Health. This fine is intended to stop the proliferation of pill mills, which are so-called because they are used by addicts and dealers to receive prescriptions

How Parents Can Prevent Babies From Becoming Another “Acetaminophen Infants”

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Reducing the tragic incidence of “acetaminophen infants” is the primary objective of manufacturers that are currently introducing lower concentrations of the popular OTC painkiller and fever reducer. For now, the changes portend to perplex parents wanting to avoid administering excessive acetaminophen dosing of their offspring, however.

Higher-dose acetaminophen formulas were once thought to benefit babies by delivering more medicine via a lower quantity of liquid swallowing by infants. This format proved fatal in many instances, however, due to liver failure induced by unintentional acetaminophen overdosing. Per a recent FDA consumer update, ambiguous product packaging and inconsistent manufacturer instructions are the primary causative factors underlying this tragic phenomenon.

The FDA has also noted that no standardized acetamoniphen dosing directions currently exists for children less than two years of ago. Thus, parents should consult a physician for advice about appropriate oral doses for younger children.

FDA parameters state that product instructions which contain ’160 mg per 5 ml’ or similar verbiage indicate a lower acetaminophen content of liquid medication. Packaging which displays language along the lines of ’80 mg per .8 ml’ indicates concentrated liquid acetaminophen preparation. The former formula typically comes with an oral syringe that features visible medication markers while the latter product category comes with a dropper.