Ken Mc Kim on PSA: The Danger of Pain Relief

Posted on January 10, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

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Last seen on a Florida Doctor’s office wall

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

docofficepostClick on image to enlarge.. may have to click twice

Contact the Florida Department of Health

John H. Armstrong, MD, FACS

 

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pharm_2color

Customer Contact Center
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET
(850) 488-0595

Board Office
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET
(850) 245-4292
FAX: 850-413-6982

MAILING ADDRESS:

Department of Health
Board of Pharmacy
4052 Bald Cypress Way
Bin C-04
Tallahassee, FL 32399-3258

APPLICATIONS and FEES ONLY:

Department of Health
Board of Pharmacy
P.O. Box 6320
Tallahassee, FL 32314-6320

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CDC guidelines…. Dietary guidelines… They’re coming after my SODA … someone is going to get HURT !

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

New dietary guidelines: lean meat OK, cut the added sugars

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/07/new-dietary-guidelines-lean-meat-ok-cut-added-sugars.html

Is the dept of AG going to impose the dietary guidelines… like it appears that the CDC is going to impose its guidelines on opiate therapy for chronic pain pts ? Is this a HAIL MARY PASS or a BUM’S RUSH in this fundamentally changing America crap ? What is next… repealing the SECOND AMENDMENT ?

Some Americans may not have to cut back on eggs and salt as much as they once thought and eating lean meat is still OK. But watch the added sugars, especially the sugary drinks.

The Obama administration’s new dietary guidelines, released Thursday, back off the strictest sodium rules included in the last version, while still asserting that Americans consume too much salt. The guidelines reverse previous guidance on the dangers of dietary cholesterol and add strict new advice on sugars.

After a backlash from the meat industry and Congress, the administration ignored several suggestions from a February report by an advisory committee of doctors and nutrition experts. That panel suggested calling for an environmentally friendly diet lower in red and processed meats and de-emphasized lean meats in its list of proteins that are part of a healthy diet.

But, as in the previous years, the government still says lean meats are part of a healthy eating pattern.

Released every five years, the guidelines are intended to help Americans prevent disease and obesity. They inform everything from food package labels to subsidized school lunches to your doctor’s advice. And the main message hasn’t changed much over the years: Eat your fruits and vegetables. Whole grains and seafood, too. And keep sugar, fats and salt in moderation.

This year, one message the government wants to send is that people should figure out what type of healthy eating style works for them, while still hewing to the main recommendations. The Agriculture Department, which released the guidelines along with the Department of Health and Human Services, is also releasing a tweaked version of its healthy “My Plate” icon to include a new slogan: “My Wins.”

“Small changes can add up to big differences,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

One new recommendation is that added sugar should be 10 percent of daily calories. That’s about 200 calories a day, or about the amount in one 16-ounce sugary drink. The recommendation is part of a larger push to help consumers isolate added sugars from naturally occurring ones like those in fruit and milk. Added sugars generally add empty calories to the diet. If you need a healthy boost of stamina, greens powder is a natural way to fill the gaps in your nutrition and maximize your energy levels. Before choosing a product, read this review first: Athletic Greens Review – Is It Worth the Price?

Sugar-sweetened beverages make up a large portion of those empty calories. According to the guidelines, sugary drinks comprise 47 percent of the added sugars that Americans eat every day.

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01/07/2016 INBOX … Genocide … American Style

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

This email is from a medical doctor and how one of CVS’ Pharmacist intervention caused so much distress with a mental health pt that the pt quit seeing the doctor..

Hello,
I came across your website when I was looking for cases regarding CVS.  CVS has discriminated against a patient of mine by scaring her regarding the medication I prescribed and then recommending another one (in the same class) that they make more of a profit on. 
 
So I lost a patient, the patient did not get the help they need, and CVS is stating it is an “internal issue”.
 
The pharmacist wouldn’t give me her last name either when I asked for it so I had to get it from her district manager.
 
What to do?

This is a person’s notes from the CDC conference call today 01/07/2016  There is a open comment period on the web until 01/13/2016 here is the link http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=CDC-2015-0112-0001  As you can see .. the CDC had their hand picked members of this committee (many of the “experts” are known to have a anti-opiate mindset) and would not entertain adding to the committee… Does this mean that the DECK HAS BEEN STACKED so that the outcome will be what the CDC wants to  happen.  Regardless of what the 106 million in the chronic pain community wishes….
Notes: 
It was obvious to me on the end of the call (as they had to take a vote) after listening to all of the public comments and the recommendations of the BSC (with the exception of one brave soul) that they did NOT want any input from additional experts in the field either as actual additions to their 10 (ten) member Workgroup nor as experts in a consultative capacity to the workgroup as many of the callers asked for more patient representation both from the patients themselves and their families as well as requests for Dr’s Tennant and Fudin or other doctors specializing specifically in the treatment of severe, chronic pain disease. Even a couple members of the BSC mentioned they felt the workgroup lacked in patient representation. This was not agreed to by the majority of those voting on the workgroup members. 
There was an amendment to the vote requesting that experts be included on a consultant basis – again this was shot down to only include the words “encouraged” and not added to the workgroup and only in those areas mentioned in categories as needed such as obstetrics, pediatrics, etc. 
They felt that the doctors they had already chosen as “practicing physicians” in their respective fields would suffice. See their following choices:
(1) [not sure of spelling] – Dr. Aaron Krebs or Erin Krabbs?? Do not know background?, (2) Dr. Mitchell H. Katz, (3) Dr. Mark Wallace, UC-San Diego Board Cert. Anesthesiologist, (4) Patients – Only one representative – Penny Coen, (5) Dr. Gregory W. Terman, Former President of the American Pain Society, currently Professor & Director of Pain Medicine Research, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine & Professor, Graduate Program in Neurobiology & Behavior for University of Washington, Medical Center (6) Dr. Christina Porucznik (see research below on Prescription Painkiller Overdoses**) University of Utah, School of Medicine – Served on the Core Expert Group 
I’ve not had time to do much research on any of the following and very little on the former:
7) Dr. Cunningham, Albert Einstein College of Medicine (8) Ann Burns, American Pharmacy Assoc. (9) Dr. Green, Emergency Medicine & Epidemiology, Boston Medical Center (10) Kathryn Golodny – Osteopathic Medicine, Philadelphia College if Osteopathic Medicine
Areas represented in the order they were given but not in the order the members were given:
1) Primary Care/Internal Medicine
2) Pain Medicine
3) Public Health 
4) Patients (only 1)
5) Behavioral Health
6) Substance Abuse Treatment
7) Pharmacy

8, 9, & 10) Research – From this category one must serve as the Chair For the Workgroup

Another CDC “trick” with the conference call… apparently changed the number to call in on at the last minute.. Does it appear that the CDC is “playing games” on getting these guidelines published and enacted with as little public knowledge/input possible ?
They’ve CHANGED THE NUMBER AT THE LAST MINUTE!!
New number is:
1-888-469-1243

Passcode: 4709506

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400,000 pts die every year from medical errors … Genocide… American style

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

Lawsuit claims Houston woman died after pharmacy gave wrong meds

A lawsuit filed Monday in Harris County court claims a Houston woman died after a Walgreens pharmacy incorrectly filled a prescription issued by her physician.   Photo: Steven Senne, Multiple / AP

http://www.chron.com/houston/article/Lawsuit-claims-Houston-woman-died-after-pharmacy-6743088.php

The son of a Houston woman alleges his mother died when a local pharmacy filled her prescription with a high dosage of the wrong medicine, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Harris County court.

Lee “Mama Esther” Hudson, died in December 2013 at age 82 in Houston, burial records show. The lawsuit was filed by her son, Gary Fosha, 49.

According to court documents, on Oct. 28, 2013 Hudson went to the Walgreens pharmacy at 5202 Almeda Road to fill a prescription for 75 mg per day of hydroxyzine, an antihistamine used to treat itching, issued by her physician.

 But the pharmacy gave her hydrochlorothiazide, a medication used to treat high blood pressure, usually prescribed at 25 mg per day, the lawsuit said.

Upon taking the wrong prescription, Hudson lost blood pressure, suffered kidney failure and was hospitalized on life support until her death on Dec. 14.

Maria Wormington, attorney for Fosha, said, “There is no dispute that the pharmacy misfilled the prescription at issue. However, I do not yet have the expert review back that would further describe how this misfill was a proximate cause of the damages alleged.”

Walgreens declined to comment on the pending litigation.

The lawsuit alleges gross negligence on the pharmacy’s behalf and demands damages between $250,000 and $1 million.

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Obama’s “gun control policy”.. does a end run around HIPPA ?

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

DR MANNY: Don’t put doctors in middle of gun control policies

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/01/06/dr-manny-dont-put-doctors-in-middle-gun-control-policies.html?intcmp=hphz02

In a tearful address to the nation on Tuesday, President Obama sought to deliver on a promise he made to the American people in the wake of the horrific Newtown, Conn., shooting in 2012 by taking executive action for stronger gun control laws.

Part of the plan for what the Obama administration calls “common-sense gun safety reform” involves enabling health care providers and certain state agencies to report the identities of patients suspected to have mental health issues to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) without violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPPA, which has been the law of the land in medicine for quite some time.

So any doctor who accepts Medicare or Medicaid payments will now be allowed to report certain demographic information identifying patients they believe to be subject to a federal “mental health prohibitor,” thus preventing them from possessing a firearm. You can check for reviews over at Tulster when it comes to getting a holster.

Personally, I’m sick and tired of physicians being placed in the middle of government politics and using us for political agendas that have nothing to do with being a doctor. This latest law allowing doctors to report on individuals suspected of suffering from mental illness is inefficient at best.

Gun control is a legal and political problem that should be fixed by Congress and federal rulings— not a problem to put on the shoulders of health care professionals. There are laws in the books that we as physicians have grown up with that do not allow us to share personal and clinical information about a patient with anybody else without written consent. In other words, I cannot even talk to another medical colleague about a patient’s condition without that patient’s consent. But somehow, the president seems to be suggesting that if we even think a patient is suffering from mental illness, we should report them.

Since 2013, Medicare and Medicaid have suggested patients be asked about gun ownership at their doctor’s visits. Even when that recommendation came out, I couldn’t figure out why. But this latest superficial suggestion is not only dangerous but also inappropriate.

First, not all physicians are qualified to diagnose mental health. To diagnose mental health, credentialed doctors must perform specific tests. I hardly think that a kidney specialist is qualified to make a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Now, I have nothing against kidney specialists, but we all go into different fields to focus on certain parts of the body! I believe we could be getting into murky waters with the proposed legislation as it could potentially compromise the credibility of otherwise innocent citizens.

Thanks to the emergence of the black market, gun violence is overwhelmingly committed with firearms that are obtained illegally. Everybody knows that. As it has been suggested by many of my colleagues here at Fox News who are better qualified than I am to discuss this issue, stricter federal court rulings to punish crimes where a gun is used should be placed on the books by the federal government. But this is not part of the president’s plan.

Now, I’m not denying that we have a problem here. I understand how devastating it is for families and communities to continue to deal with these horrific tragedies that are occurring in schools, at work, in shopping centers, etc. Something must be done. Better gun control must be instituted, but I believe it should first tackle the biggest problem: illegal guns. I’m also hoping that as the federal government and the Obama administration continue to debate how to keep America safe, that they pay better attention to mental health treatments and options for patients which— even with the proposed $500 million in federal funds— are still incredibly limited.

Doctors just want to be doctors. We want to deal with science and cure people of their ailments. We don’t want to be policemen for the federal government. And the sad thing is that with the exception of the American Psychiatric Association, I have not seen much coming from medical societies in this country on whether doctors should be part of the gun control policies that the president wants to institute? I’ll tell you what my answer is: No, we already have enough to do, and if we continue to put more of a burden on our doctors, we’re not going to have a lot of them left.

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Patient DUMPING… Genocide… American Style

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

Dash Cam Video from Woman’s Hospital Death Released

http://www.wjhg.com/news/regional/headlines/Dash-Cam-Video-from-Womans-Hospital-Death-Released-364446521.html

BLOUNTSTOWN, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) – Questions remain in the case of a panhandle woman who went to her local hospital just before Christmas complaining about feeling ill, and then died while being removed from the facility by police.

The family’s attorneys released the dash cam video Wednesday morning and they say authorities are the reason she’s dead.

A more than two and a half hour video released by the attorneys of Barbara Dawson Wednesday morning doesn’t show much of the 57-year-old panhandle woman, but includes plenty of audio during the moments before her death.

Attorney Daryl Parks says the video shows police didn’t handle the situation correctly.

“The time that this incident starts to happen, to the time that she’s getting CPR, you have almost 30 minutes of lapses there. She didn’t have any real care until they started giving her CPR and bringing her to the trauma unit there at the hospital,” Parks asserted.

Dawson was removed from the Calhoun-Liberty Hospital December 21st, but pleaded that she still needed help. Her oxygen tank was unhooked and she collapsed in the parking lot before later dying.

State representative Daryl Rouson is also advising the family on the case. He explained, “We think they what they did was put criminality over healthcare.”

An incident report from the Blountstown Police said officers thought Dawson was being non-compliant. Her attorneys say that assumption is the reason she’s dead.

Dawson’s aunt was at the scene, and cousin Martha Smith-Dickson was emotional before she even viewed the tape.

“We want justice for Barbara so this will not happen to anyone else,” Smith-Dickson said.

An autopsy report indicated Dawson died of a blood clot in her lungs. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and Agency for Health Care Administration have launched investigations.

The Blountstown Police Department released a statement refuting Dawson’s attorney’s claims saying, in part, “The responding officer acted appropriately and sought medical attention within one minute of Dawson collapsing.”

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Dashcam Video of Barbara Dawson’s Arrest and Collapse

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

Source: Dashcam Video of Barbara Dawson’s Arrest and Collapse

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FDA has identified kratom as a botanical substance that could pose a risk to public health and have the potential for abuse

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

US Marshals seize dietary supplements containing kratom

http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm480344.htm?source=govdelivery&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that U.S. Marshals, at the agency’s request, seized nearly 90,000 bottles of dietary supplements labeled as containing kratom. The product, manufactured for and held by Dordoniz Natural Products LLC, located in South Beloit, Illinois, is marketed under the brand name RelaKzpro and worth more than $400,000.

“We have identified kratom as a botanical substance that could pose a risk to public health and have the potential for abuse,” said Melinda Plaisier, the FDA’s associate commissioner for regulatory affairs. “The FDA will continue to exercise our full authority under law to take action on these new dietary ingredients, especially if they ignore the notification requirements, as part of our commitment to protecting the health of the American people.”

Mitragyna speciosa, commonly known as kratom, is a botanical substance that grows naturally in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Serious concerns exist regarding the toxicity of kratom in multiple organ systems. Consumption of kratom can lead to a number of health impacts, including, among others, respiratory depression, vomiting, nervousness, weight loss and constipation. Kratom has been indicated to have both narcotic and stimulant-like effects and withdrawal symptoms may include hostility, aggression, excessive tearing, aching of muscles and bones and jerky limb movements.

In February 2014, the FDA issued an import alert  that allows U.S. officials to detain imported dietary supplements and bulk dietary ingredients that are, or contain, kratom without physical examination.

In January 2016, the FDA administratively detained RelaKzpro under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), as amended by the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Under its administrative detention authority, the FDA can detain a food or dietary supplement product if the agency has reason to believe the product is adulterated or misbranded. The agency can keep detained products out of the marketplace for a maximum of 30 days while it determines whether to take further enforcement action, such as seizure.  

The U.S. Department of Justice, on behalf of the FDA, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois alleging, among other things, that kratom is a new dietary ingredient for which there is inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that it does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury; therefore, dietary supplements containing kratom are adulterated under the FD&C Act.

The FDA is warning consumers not to use any products labeled as containing kratom. Health care professionals and consumers should report any adverse events related to products containing kratom to the FDA’s MedWatch program by:

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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Today’s inbox… Genocide … American Style ?

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Pharmaciststeve

stevemailbox

 

My PM Doctor told me today that she had a patient of hers take his life because he could not get his pain Meds and could no longer take the pain. So sad and it makes me absolutely furious! Damn (&%$%^$ just attached a rider to federal budget limiting vets access to guidelines. Suicides are going to rise and no one taking data!

My name is Holly, I would like to discuss something that you’re possibly able to help me with.CVS  pharmacy here in  Florida has been filling my meds  for several months Now they’re refusing to and they can’t give a good explanation. I’m 45 year old disabled woman was really hurt in car accident and my son  was killed. In that same car accident I need to try to find a way of filling my meds in filing a formal complaint against CVS if you can help me.

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