Drugs/Medical Archive
Your First Clue Something’s Wrong with Fosamax
March 18th, 2010. By AbiK
Yup. There’s your very first clue. The website—usually chock-full of bright branding colors (Fosamax green and yellow, the colors of grass, trees and sunshine…ahhh) and salt-of-the-earth salt-and-pepper haired folks enjoying precious moments with the grandkids or out there gardening—all smiles because they’re taking Fosamax and feelin’ fine. No osteoporosis worries there.
Now, no, I can’t say for sure that the “official” Fosamax site has gone to straight black type on white because there are any problems… but I’m guessing the site’s “not currently available” for reasons beyond a pricing analysis going on over in the marketing department.
Yup. A non-existent website. It’s a marketer’s nightmare. A PR person’s problem to manage. And it’s your first clue that maybe, just maybe, something’s amiss…
(psssst—if you haven’t been clued in yet, read on…)
SJS on Discovery Health Mystery Diagnosis
March 15th, 2010. By AbiK
Imagine thinking your child—as an infant—has a bad case of chicken pox only to find out that it’s not chicken pox but a very bad reaction to some medication (in this instance, an anti-convulsant). Then imagine finding out that the reaction has a name: Stevens Johnson Syndrome (SJS). And it can bring on a number of life-threatening symptoms in addition to leaving scars and medical conditions that can last a lifetime.
That’s what happened when Julie McCawley, now 16, was an infant and was admitted to a hospital for what was seemingly a very bad case of chicken pox. Covered with burn-like blisters, her eyes began to swell shut and she was finally diagnosed with SJS as the result of taking an anti-convulsant.
While Julie is fortunate to be alive, she has since endured 13 surgeries to counter the lasting effects of SJS and she is now blind in her right eye and photophobic. She also carries the scars from the blisters that once covered her body.
Discovery Health’s Mystery Diagnosis will be airing a segment on Julie’s experience—it’s a program that all parents should aim to watch to become more aware of SJS, which can be difficult to diagnose—and according to Julie’s mother, Jean, that’s simply because “so few doctors are familiar with SJS”.
The Discovery Health Mystery Diagnosis program on SJS will air on March 22—check your local listings for times and channels.
First Zits, then Accutane, then IBD, then Kidney Stones?
March 12th, 2010. By AbiK
Remember that book, “Because a Little Bug went Ka-CHOO!”–the one where there’s this tiny little sneeze that leads to a chain reaction that winds up with a huge circus marching through town? Yeah, that one. Well, this article from over at HealthDayNews this week kind of reminds me of that book, only not in a warm ‘n fuzzy kind of way.
The article is about Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)—which has been linked to the anti-acne prescription medication Accutane. And it seems IBD can affect more (actual quote is “much more”) than just your digestive system.
The National Women’s Health Information Center states that IBD can actually contribute to the following health problems:
- Arthritis and pain in the joints
- Fractures and weakening of the bones
- Problems with the eye, including inflammation
- An inflamed liver
- Kidney stones or gallstones
- Skin ulcers or a red, bumpy rash
- Problems with growth and delayed onset of puberty in children and teens
- Problems with the lungs (though such cases are rare)
The article just helps to highlight that IBD is a serious disease that can not only wreak havoc on the intestines, but also a number of other areas. And, as such, careful consideration should be taken when considering anti-acne treatments that use the drug, isotretinoin—Accutane, Amnesteem, Claravis or Sotret. And, as we previously posted, parents should be aware that a number of these drugs are available online, sans prescription.
Understanding Preemption in Plain English
March 5th, 2010. By Kristine B
Over the last year or so, there’s been some discussion in the media about “preemption.” So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to explain preemption and why it’s important (specifically, why and how it affects you).
In legal-speak, preemption is based on the Supremacy Clause of the US Constitution. That clause states that some matters are of national importance rather than local importance. In those matters, national (federal) law must take precedence over state laws. Furthermore, states cannot pass laws that are inconsistent with the federal law. Preemption extends downwards as well, so that state law takes precedence over community law. 
Ok—let’s give a completely unrealistic and ridiculous example to simplify things here. Let’s say our friends in Washington DC decide that Wednesdays should be “Wear Red” day—kind of a “have heart” or weekly AIDS Awareness thing. Now let’s also suppose that some state actually ban wearing red on Wednesdays. Whoops—would seem to be a problem here, right? Ahh, but with preemption, federal law could “preempt” state law and you could look forward to viewing a sea of red every Wednesday.
Now, this happens where the matter is of national importance. Not every law is subject to preemption. Also, there are situations in which state and federal laws are similar and do not entirely contradict each other, leaving questions about which laws should be followed.
For example, not all states have the same employment laws. There’s a federal law, called the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) that sets out employee wages and hours worked. However, many states have laws that overlap with the FLSA and also set out wage and hour regulations. In those situations, it is not
Parents: Is your Kid on Isotretinoin? (aka Accutane)
March 3rd, 2010. By AbiK
Yes, Roche stopped selling acne drug Accutane back in June 2009. But that was a decision made by that company—not the FDA. And, that decision was made (insert raised eyebrow here) for “business reasons”—not for any safety issues. Ahh, but here’s the thing… those “business reasons” included competition from generics. And guess what? You can still get those generics. Other than Accutane, isotretinoin is sold as Sotret, Claravis and Amnesteem.
I imagine a number of parents of acne-ridden teens breathed a sigh of relief when Roche stopped marketing Accutane. After all, what parent wants to consider putting their teenage daughter on some form of guaranteed contraception in order to be put on a drug proven to cause birth defects just so they can clear up their zits? Beyond that, reports of depression, suicidal thoughts, possible gastrointestinal problems—and labelling that also warns of a potential sudden decrease in night vision (mom, can I have the keys to the car?)—don’t exactly add up to a drug you want your child on.
But let’s face it, internet-savvy teens have no problem beating the system and finding ways to order isotretinoin online—particularly when the promise of clear skin in on the line. Enter a recent study published in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology (January 2010) titled Availability of Oral Isotretinoin and Terbinafine on the Internet.
The study, by Jason P. Lott and Carrie L. Kovarik, MD, looks at the proliferation of websites that sell certain medications without a prescription—specifically dermatologic medications. In their study of websites readily found via Google search, they categorized the websites into four groups: Illicit Commercial (those that offered purchase without a prescription); Legitimate Commercial (US licensed pharmacies requiring prescriptions); Informational (those offering only information, not sale); and Other for those not fitting into the other above categories.
What did they find? For their search on “no prescription Accutane”, 66% of the sites returned on search were categorized as Illicit Commercial. Translation: you could buy Accutane from them without a prescription.
Lott and Kovarik state that they did not go through and actually purchase any oral isotretinoin via the sites they studied—so it’s not certain that the medications would actually be received or if they would be authentic. That said, the authors of the study indicate that the US Government Accounting Office (GAO) reports that 94% of all online opioid purchases result in delivery of the drugs as advertised.
If the GAO report is true, I’d be checking my kid’s backpack.
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