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In wake of meningitis scandal, Massachusetts changes CE requirements
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalWhen a tragedy on the scale of what happened in 2012 regarding the Massachusetts-based New England Compounding Center (NECC) meningitis contamination and the subsequent fallout on the Board of Pharmacy (BOP), you can expect that certain changes will occur.
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Study: THC has no effect on Alzheimer’s symptoms
Dr. Denise A. Valenti Medical & Allied HealthcareThey did not get buzzed, but they also did not get better. The results of a study looking at marijuana-related treatment and Alzheimer's disease was recently published in Neurology. The study used an oral cannabinoid containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary active ingredient in marijuana, in a formulation of a controlled dose. However, researchers found no improvement in the test subjects' behavioral symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
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Study: Generic as good as name brand for post-transplant drugs
Lynn Hetzler Medical & Allied HealthcareGeneric formulations of tacrolimus are as effective as the name-brand version, according to a recent study led by the University of Cincinnati. Researchers enrolled 70 kidney and liver transplant patients into a prospective, blinded, six-way crossover study. Participants underwent transplantation at one of two hospitals — University of Cincinnati Medical Center or The Christ Hospital (Cincinnati).
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Are pharmacists being innovated out of existence?
Greg L. Alston PharmaceuticalThe CAPE 2013 Educational Outcomes for pharmacy education created a buzz throughout the academic pharmacy industry. As a result, we must decide how to develop the nonclinical soft skills that have been incorporated into the accreditation guidelines. One of these important new skills is the ability to become an innovator (Guideline 4.3).
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Biopolymers: The key to the 21st‑century medical revolution
Adolfo Benedito EngineeringWe have so much hope for medical innovation in the near future. Words such as nanotechnology, immune therapy, stem cells and tissue creation are becoming more and more common in the medical world, generating a current of optimism that we may soon find cures and treatments for many complex diseases and conditions.
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Pharmacists can help patients swallow pills
Jason Poquette PharmaceuticalIt may be a tough pill to swallow, but the medical community is becoming more aware of the number of patients who have difficulty swallowing tablets and capsules. Of course, this isn't a new issue, but a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics revealed the problem may be more widespread than we thought. More than half of the parents polled indicated their child couldn't swallow solid dosage forms like tablets and capsules.
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Recent advances in herbal bioenhancers
Dr. Afsaneh Motamed-Khorasani PharmaceuticalAyurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of Hindu traditional medicine native to India. One of the concepts often being mentioned in Ayurveda is Yogvahi (synergism), which is a technique to increase bioavailability, tissue distribution and efficiency of medications.
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Study: No link between vaccines and autism
Katina Hernandez Medical & Allied HealthcareA comprehensive new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association debunks the theory that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is associated with an increased risk of autism. Although previous studies have already disproven the myth of a link between the vaccine and autism, anti-vaccine proponents continue to suggest that a possible link exists.
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How often are opioids for chronic pain truly misused?
Dorothy L. Tengler PharmaceuticalMore than 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from chronic pain, and treating it can be challenging for physicians. Doctors often resort to the use of chronic opioid therapy, which has increased substantially in recent years. To examine just how pervasive this issue is, the American Pain Society and the American Academy of Pain Medicine commissioned a systematic review of the evidence on chronic opioid therapy for chronic noncancer pain and convened a multidisciplinary expert panel to review the evidence and formulate recommendations.
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Preventing and reversing cardiac hypertrophy with an ancient remedy
Dorothy L. Tengler Medical & Allied HealthcareCardiac hypertrophy, or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), is a thickening of cardiac muscle often caused by chronic high blood pressure that can lead to heart failure. Although HCM is a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes, it is a significant cause of sudden unexpected cardiac death in any age group.
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