News

We pharmacists frequently dispense antibiotics, and sometimes we question the rationale. Now that the fluoroquinolones are very cheap, clinicians seem to jump on them. The current resistance rate for Strep pneumo (respiratory infections) for azithromycin (Z-pak) is around 47%. The current resistance rate for E. coli (urinary tract infections)...

Tim Heath, our student pharmacist did a great job guest writing last week’s Clinician Column. He described the theory behind probiotic use. His literature search pointed us in the direction of the most efficacy for probiotics is prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhea. “C.dif” (Clostridium difficile) is an anaerobic, gram-positive,...

This week’s Value Views is written by a student pharmacist. Tim Heath, from Osceola Mills is a sixth year student from Duquesne University who is completing his Community Pharmacy Rotation at Thompson Pharmacy on Broad Avenue. Tim is writing this column in response to a physician’s request to do...

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) is a perennial plant native to North America, Europe and Asia. For hundreds of years it has been used in Europe as a sedative and an antispasmolytic to relieve insomnia, anxiety, muscle spasms and stress induced palpitations. Native Americans boiled the roots into a tea for...

We all see a lot of issues using the traditional sleep aids in our patients, especially the elderly. We often hear of reports of “sleep driving” on zolpidem (Ambien), not to mention the risk of falls. Many of our patients seeing that their benzodiazepines, like temazepam (Restoril), and the...

We see a lot of patients coming to our pharmacies getting Trimeth/Sulfa DS, Nitrofurantoin, Levofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin for urinary tract infections. Of course some of us gray haired pharmacists remember Mandelamine and Hiprex which are seldom used today. Females, due to their own special structural anatomy have a shorter...

Last week we discussed the use of Ginkgo for memory support. Another supplement that is being touted is DHA (docahexaenoic acid) for Alzheimer’s. We all dispense a lot of fish oil for its “heart healthy” benefits. On the bench we even dispense prescription supplements such as Lovaza, and Vascepa...

Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common cause of dementia and affects as many as 5.1 million Americans age 65 and older in the U.S., may triple in the next 40 years.   We all dispense a lot of Donepezil, Rivastigmine and Galantamine. Only 1 in 12 patients on these...