Dr. Shobha S. Krishnan, M.d. asked:

Ever since the FDA approved the HPV vaccine two years ago, its introduction into the health community has been embroiled in a medical, social, cultural and political controversy. At first glance, the debut of a vaccine to fight most cervical cancers looks like an exciting advance in the history of women’s health. However, many people are unable to separate the ethics from the basic scientific facts: the virus is transmitted through sexual contact and hence the vaccine is recommended for 11 or 12-year-old girls, before they first become sexually active. The perceived possibility that administering such a vaccine to prevent a sexually transmitted disease could promote sexual promiscuity has trumped all other ethical debates, leading some people to cast its benefits aside. As a mother, I can understand why many parents are concerned about this issue and put off vaccinating their daughters. However, in addition to being a mother, I am a physician, and I therefore believe that by putting off vaccination, we effectively strip our daughters from their chances of protecting themselves from the two major cancer causing HPV types.

According to a Newsweek article from February 25, 2008, only two out of every 10 women in the U.S. in the approved age group have received the vaccine so far.  In another new survey of almost 10,000 parents, only 49 percent said they would get their daughters vaccinated with the HPV vaccine at the recommended age of 9 to 12 years. Even though 68 percent planned to vaccinate their daughters at 13 to 15 years of age, and 86 percent said they would vaccinate at 16 to 18 years of age, they might be too late — because the vaccine can only prevent and not cure HPV. The National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), an agency that collects data on the sexual behavior of American teenagers, reports that teenage girls are already sexually active: 13 percent of them by the time they are 15, 43 percent of them by age 17, and 70 percent of them by age 19. Of the sexually active 13-21 year age group, 70 percent show evidence of HPV infections within a few to several months of when they start having *** — most of which could easily be prevented by vaccinating preadolescent girls. In addition, many parents are uncomfortable talking to their preadolescents about sexual issues; meaning uneducated teens could make problematic sexual choices not only without realizing the consequences of their actions, but also without the protection from HPV that the vaccine provides.

Again, bear in mind that the vaccine is preventive — it is only effective if administered prior to exposure to the virus. Therefore, the vaccine will not treat the existing infections. This is why it’s so crucial to administer the vaccine when girls are young, before any chance of sexual activity, including sexual contact without ***********. In addition, there are several other scientific reasons why the vaccine is recommended in the 11-12 year old groups. Unfortunately, it is beyond the scope of this article to discuss those facts.

But, won’t vaccinating young girls against a STD cause them to become less sexually inhibited and more promiscuous by giving them a license not to worry about the consequences of ***? Won’t it eliminate a deterrent to teenage *** and therefore encourage it? Highly unlikely: because teens rarely factor the possibility of getting HPV into their decisions to have ***.

Current research in adolescent sexual behavior shows that not one, but a variety of factors influence teenage sexual behavior, such as their socio-economic status, their moral and religious values, their sexual attitudes, and the influence of family, friends, and the society they live in. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that a vaccine against a single kind of STD would play a more significant role in adolescent decision making than these factors paired with their responsibility, good judgment, and the boundaries of accepted sexual behavior.

According to NSFG, the top two factors influencing teenagers who choose to remain virgins are fear of pregnancy (94 percent) and contracting HIV/AIDS (92 percent). Since knowledge and awareness of HPV in this age group is poor to begin with, teens will not view this vaccine as a reason to become sexually active at an age sooner than intended. And parents who worry about the vaccine causing promiscuity should remind themselves of the two most dangerous and important factors that influence teenagers to become sexually active and engage in high-risk behaviors: peer pressure and the use of alcohol and/or drugs.

Parents who worry about their teens becoming promiscuous can also focus on a crucial method to keep them from becoming sexually active too soon: raising their awareness. Research has shown that parental guidance is one of the most important factors in delaying teenage sexual activity — teenagers who do not have involved parents are most likely to engage in high-risk behaviors. The HPV vaccine can actually help parents guide their teens’ sexual decisions by giving them a window of opportunity to talk about the topic, and to get health care providers involved in the discussion. There is no reason why parents cannot, without any hypocrisy, inform their daughters that the vaccine is not a green light for them to immediately have ***. Rather, it is a strong message that you, their parents, care about their health, and that it’s important to take proactive steps to become a healthy adult. Think of it this way: Getting a car with an airbag, traction control and anti-lock brakes means that the car is safer in the long-run, but these features aren’t a reason to drive recklessly — accidents are still possible. No matter what, the vaccine will not, cannot and should not take the place of good, solid parental guidance.

The bottom line is we as we as parents want to do what is best for our children. We all want to teach them well while they are still in our protective cocoon so that we can trust them with their own judgment when they become independent. If they always followed our best wishes, we wouldn’t need to worry about administering the vaccine at all. However, even teens with the best judgment can face peer pressure and fall victim to bad decisions or other reasons that may cause them to engage in risky sexual behavior, and this makes the case for vaccinating all the more compelling.

©2008 Dr. Shobha S. Krishnan, M.D.

Author Bio

Dr. Shobha S. Krishnan, M.D., is a Staff Physician at Columbia University’s Barnard College Health Services. A board certified gynecologist and family practice physician, she has also worked as a surveillance physician for the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prior to joining Barnard, she was in private practice for 10 years.  In addition, Dr. Krishnan has worked as a physician at the Institute on Aging and as Chief Resident in the Family Practice Department at St.Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis. Her new book: The HPV Vaccine Controversy: Sex, Cancer, God and Politics — A Guide to parents, women, men and teenagers is scheduled to be published on August 30, 2008 by Greenwood Publications. The book presents the most up to date information about the vaccine without the influence of pharmaceutical companies or other interest groups. Visit http://www.greenwood.com/catalog/C35011.aspx for more inormation.

The book can also be purchased at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble .com and Borders.com.

Everyone needs an assistant to help them complete their day-to-day tasks, and a pharmacist is no different. A pharmacy technician is the pharmacist’s “assistant” and helps him or her keep the pharmacy running in an efficient and orderly manner – from counting medication to answering the phone.

Pharmacy technicians play an important role – when a prescription is received, the pharmacy technician checks the prescription, completes the insurance information, labels the bottle, measures the medication and pours it. Upon completion of the medical prescription, the pharmacist will double-check the medicine for any errors in measurement, count, or labeling. The pharmacy technician assists the head pharmacist, but the final word always comes from the pharmacist.

The role of a pharmacy technician is a large and important one – however technicians cannot answer questions about medications and their possible side-effects or compound the actual medicines. This is the responsibility of the pharmacist, who has an extensive educational background and is licensed by the state.

The responsibilities of a pharmacy technician include:

Helping the pharmacists count the prescription pills

Labeling medicine bottles

Answering the phones

Taking care of the money

Checking prescriptions

Organizing the medication on the shelves

Keeping count of all medication to ensure an all-day supply

A pharmacy technician can work in a hospital setting, nursing home, or pharmacy. They can set their schedules to work full or part-time. The good news is that this is a career that is on the rise – the elderly population has increased and more people are taking medications than ever before. Scientific research continues to make breakthroughs in medications and treatments, which in turn increases the need for well-trained pharmacy technicians in pharmacies nationwide.

How does a pharmacy technician learn the right skills? Pharmacy technician courses are offered at various schools and colleges, including:

Vocational Colleges

Technical Colleges

Community Colleges

Hospitals

Proprietary Schools

The duties of a pharmacy technician, like many other jobs, is an important one. The necessary skills learned by a pharmacy technician will provide a tremendous help to pharmacists nationwide and keep the pharmacy or medical facility running in a smooth manner – while effectively meeting the needs of patients. It’s a career that helps people on a daily basis and makes a difference every day.

Heather Brunson asked:

Karl Dorads asked:

There has been talk of a vaccine which is purported to cure hpv. Hpv or human Papilloma Virus is the cause of a very contagious sexually transmitted condition called ******* warts. The virus is now preventable with a new vaccine which is being marketed as the best prevention for hpv in man. Legislation on hpv vaccine has been a hot bed of ethical debate ever since the vaccine was launched. Let us look through some of the highlights of the vaccine’s journey.

The United States has seen many health departments in various states making compulsory legislation on hpv vaccine. Most states have made vaccination for teenage girls free. The states, in most cases have also tried to disseminate information regarding the condition to one and all, so that the vaccine may be availed by all girls and women who are susceptible to the virus. Currently there is just one vaccine which has been approved by the Federal Drug Authority (FDA) for use to prevent hpv in man. This is Gradasil manufactured by the pharmaceutical major, Merkk. The vaccine protects its users against four of the commonest strains of the virus. Other pharmaceutical companies are coming out with their own versions of the vaccine, of which Cervarix manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline is awaiting approval by the FDA.

The fundamental question one would ask is what sparked off sudden legislation on hpv vaccine? This was initiated by a recommendation from the national Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in the United States. In June 2006, the authority recommended routine vaccination against hpv for girls between 11 and 12 years of age. These girls are in school and were supposed to be targeted before they became sexually active. Girls in this age group are in school and the onus for implementing school vaccinations rests on state legislatures and their respective health departments.

The debate on legislation on hpv vaccine now comes under the scanner when it has to be implemented in schools. The wide availability of the vaccine is a boon but there is still an opposition to the introduction of the vaccine in school mandates. This is mainly because of issues like the vaccine’s cost, its safety in children and the parents’ right to refuse vaccination for their child. Concerns about financing this costly vaccine are also being cited as a point against introducing it in schools. There are also questions raised about the need for insurance like Medicaid to cover such a vaccine.

Amid all the objections and concerns raised about the introduction and use of vaccine amongst children, the United States has allowed the vaccine to be easily accessible to one and all. The Center for Disease Control has announced that the vaccine will be available in all states through the federally funded program Vaccines for Children. The scope for coverage under this program is children between nine and eighteen years of age who are insured with Medicaid, Native-American, Alaskan-American and some under- and un-insured children.

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bharatbook asked:


The market for vaccines is expected to experience CAGR growth of over 16% in the next five years and the industry will emerge as the fastest growing therapy area. The US and Europe represents the two largest vaccine markets (in fact, these tow countries were the largest markets in 2007) and will continue to experience healthy growth in future.

Segment-wise, pediatric vaccines presently dominate the global vaccine market but adult vaccine segments will define the future direction of growth. The cancer vaccine marker, led by cervical cancer vaccines, is presently one of the most lucrative areas for vaccine manufacturers. Overall, cancer vaccines are expected to account for nearly 27% of the total vaccine revenues by 2012.

Owing to lower margins and the mature nature of these markets, the basic and enhanced pediatric markets are expected to show stagnant growth in future. On the other hand, launch of a number of new vaccines will make the addiction, cancer and proprietary pediatrics/adolescent vaccine market highly dynamic. On a whole, the global vaccine market is expected to register revenues in excess of US$ 30 Billion by 2012.

“Global Vaccine Market Forecast to 2012”, new research report, states that vaccines, which were earlier thought as a low margin, low growth industry, have emerged as one of the most lucrative segments in the pharmaceutical industry.

Analysis of the competitive landscape of the market shows its highly concentrated structure, with the top four players accounting for over 86% of the total market in 2007.

Global Vaccine Market Forecast to 2012 report gives an extensive and objective analysis on the global market for vaccines. It investigates both the past and current trends in the vaccine market, and outlines the future trends shaping the industry. It comprehensively assesses the performance of vaccines, both in the market and in developing stage. Based on various present and future indicators, the report evaluates the prospects of various vaccine segments. The report can thus give valuable information for manufacturers/investors preparing to enter in these vaccine segments.

The report provides forecast on

§ Global vaccine revenues

§ Basic pediatrics revenues

§ Enhanced pediatrics revenues

§ Proprietary pediatrics/adolescent revenues

§ Adult/travel revenues

§ Influenza revenues

§ Cancer vaccines revenues

§ Major pediatric and adult vaccines

§ Major geographical markets – US, Europe, China, India, Japan and Brazil

§ US pediatric and adult vaccine markets

§ Revenues of key players

§ Revenues of key vaccine brands

For further information, please click on the following link: http://www.bharatbook.com/detail.asp?id=83247

Or

Contact us at:

Bharat Book Bureau

207, Hermes Atrium, Sector 11, PO Box.54, CBD Belapur, Navi Mumbai – 400 614, India.

Phone : +91 22 2757 8668 / 2757 9438

Fax : +91 22 2757 9131

E-mail : info@bharatbook.com

Website : www.bharatbook.com



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Heather Brunson asked:


You’e considering starting a pharmacy technician career – congratulations, it’s a solid career choice! Pharmacy technicians are needed nationwide to count and measure medication, manage inventories and complete pharmaceutical dosage forms alongside licensed pharmacists. It is an industry that is expected to grow at a fast rate over the next decade – providing opportunity and stability for you! Here’s some helpful information about how to become a pharmacy technician: 

What can I do with a pharmacy technician certificate? Enrolling in a pharmacy technician certificate program will provide you with the necessary foundation to assist licensed pharmacists in a pharmacy setting. You will be prepared to provide medication and other health care products to patients. Your duties will vary, but some daily tasks will include:

- Verifying prescription information

- Retrieving, counting, pouring, weighing, measuring and mixing medication

- Selecting containers and preparing labels

- Preparing insurance claim forms

- Maintaining patient records

- Working the cash register and interacting with patient

Once you complete your pharmacy technician online course, you will be prepared to sit for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certification exam. This will enable you to become a certified pharmacy technician and add specialized credentials to your resume. It can also create more career opportunities for you, such as allowing you to assume more responsibilities and eventually even taking on a supervisory role. 

How much do pharmacy technicians make? The amount of money that you can make as a pharmacy technician depends on your geographical location and amount of experience. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in May 2006 the highest 10 percent of pharmacy technicians earned more than $17.65 per hour; the middle 50 percent earned an hourly rate between $10.10 and $14.92. Certification and evening/weekend work may increase your amount of earnings. 

Where do pharmacy technicians work? As a pharmacy technician, you will work in a comfortable pharmacy setting in a hospital, community pharmacy, outpatient clinic, nursing home or pharmaceutical organization. You will work the same hours that pharmacist work , which may include evening, night, weekend and holiday hours – there may also be part-time opportunities available. 

What is the career outlook? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment is expected to increase much faster than average through 2016, and job opportunities are expected to be good. As the population ages, there will be an increased need for prescriptions for the middle-aged and elderly – meaning opportunity for qualified pharmacy technicians across the U.S.



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Xanax is prescription tranquilizer which depresses the nervous system in a way similar to alcohol. It is also known as Alprazolam & is a part of the class of drugs called benzodiazepines, more commonly referred to as Benzos. It is primarily prescribed for short term relief of mild to moderate anxiety, nervous tension, acute stress, and panic attacks.

Xanax Abuse:

Being a depressant, Xanax has high abuse potential. No wonder, it has found its way from pharmacies to drug dealers, and is being abused by young, healthy people who want to get high. Xanax when abused is taken orally, chewed, crushed (then snorted like cocaine), or crushed (then dissolved in water and injected like heroine). It can become psychologically and physically addictive if taken in high doses for longer than eight weeks.

Teenagers and mid school kids are especially vulnerable to Xanax abuse for several reasons:

In the adolescent brain, the centers for judgment and self-control are still developing, making many teens less than careful about the decisions they make and more open to risk-taking. Mid school kids are notoriously conformist, so many are going to want to do what other kids are doing or what they think will make them look cool.

Contemporary adolescence is filled with stress and problems, some exaggerated and some, unfortunately, experienced fully. Even if a teen over-dramatizes or magnifies a problem, the temptation to self-medicate is real.

Effects of Xanax:

Children who abuse Xanax are generally unaware of the dangers involved. Xanax has depressant effects on brain areas that regulate wakefulness and alertness, very similar in effect to alcohol and sedative barbiturates. They enhance the action of receptors that inhibit central nervous system stimulation, and conversely, inhibit the action of receptors that stimulate the nervous system. The various symptoms of xanax abuse include difficulty in concentrating, disconnected sensation, depressed heartbeat, depressed breathing, excessive sleep, mental confusion and memory loss. Other health hazards are anemia, impairment of liver function, chronic intoxication (headache, impaired vision, slurred speech) and depression.

As with other anti-anxiety drugs, when one decides to stop the use of xanax, various withdrawal symptoms can arise. The short-acting benzodiazepines, like xanax, can produce especially severe withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawal symptoms include rapid heart beat, shaky hands, disturbed sleep or insomnia, sweating, irritability, anxiety and agitation, to name a few.

Treatment:

Xanax drug testing is an important part of helping an addict stop substance abuse. Cognitive-behavioral therapy also has been used successfully to help individuals adapt to the abstinence from benzodiazepines.

Often the abuse of various benzodiazepines like Xanax occurs in conjunction with the abuse of another substance or drug, such as alcohol or cocaine. In these cases of poly-drug abuse, the treatment approach must address the multiple addictions.

Brenda Stokes asked:

In today’s busy world, the last thing on your mind should be rushing around trying to buy soma and other prescription drugs at traditional pharmacy and drug stores.

Most doctors now offer free online drug prescriptions filling in addition to traditional pharmacy shopping. In one online session you can buy soma, car insurance, vitamins, hair care products and even a birthday present for your love ones.

Some soma prescriptions are sensitive in nature and to be able to purchase them from the privacy of your own home is a much more dignified scenario.

In many cases, if you buy soma online it’s much cheaper than buying it at store front pharmacy or grocery store. Especially when you consider today’s rising gas prices, the idea of taking care of all your errands from the comfort of your home or office is increasingly appealing.

Some people have been scared off of buying prescriptions online because of stories of below par products being delivered or thinking that they are operating outside of the law. This is simply not the case. It has never been safer to buy soma and other prescription medication from reputable sources. Federal regulations assure that consumer safety is not only a priority, but a legal necessity for every online pharmaceutical provider. Buying a prescription online, especially if you buy Soma, is no different than paying your phone bill or ordering more paper for your printer. It is simply a faster and more convenient way to take care of the mundane errands in life.

People today have become more dependent on the internet to simplify their lives. From keeping track of their closest family members to finding long lost school mates to shopping for clothes and buying gift presents with the click of a button, the internet has dramatically changed the way in which they conduct their everyday lives. Buying prescriptions such as soma online is just another way to take advantage of the simplicity, convenience and ease of use that internet shopping provides us with. If you must buy Soma, that’s a good way to do it.

Harrel Dris asked:

The premise of vaccines is a good one: modify an infective agent (bacteria, virus) in the laboratory so it is no longer virulent (disease-producing) without destroying its antigenic characteristics (immune-stimulating). When administered, a vaccine will then theoretically not produce the disease but will create immunity to it.

The approach is similar to that used in homeopathy whereby the toxin responsible for the disease condition is diluted and administered to stimulate the body to fight the disease. Like fighting like.

But, as always, there are slips between the theory and practice of vaccines. For one thing, because large, not homeopathically small, doses of modified infective agents are in vaccines, the immune system can be taxed. Give several different vaccines and repeat them periodically and the immune system can be exhausted. The immune system has finite, not infinite capacity. The net result can be increased vulnerability to cancer, autoimmunities and other infective agents.

There is also the problem of route of administration. The normal point of entry for disease agents is across oral, digestive or respiratory mucous membranes. The exposure is usually only to a small number of organisms, maybe even one. In contrast, vaccines are commonly given by injection, bypassing several layers of important immune-stimulating mechanisms with the mucous membrane barriers and can contain tens of thousands of modified disease agents.

Some vaccines are modified, but are still living. Who is to say what such living creatures do over time when injected into the body in enormous quantities? Viruses are very clever and capable of remarkable change and adaptation. I’m not sure I like the idea of these guys floating around in my body trying to decide how best to attack me. When we take such vaccines, we are volunteering for an experiment.

I will not go into a litany here of all the proven dangers of vaccines or enumeration of tragic results. This has been done elsewhere.

But here are a couple of new problems. Some vaccines contain high levels of thimerosal mercury. Mercury is a potent toxin and its level in some vaccines exceeds Federal Safety Guidelines. Problems linked to thimerosal include autism and speech disorders, as well as heart disease.

J Am Physicians Surgeons, 2003; 8(1):6-11

http://www.jpands.org/vol8no1/geier.pdf

A new vaccine is being developed for Alzheimer’s based upon the theory that increased brain plaque is the cause of the disease. However, plaque is not the likely cause, but a symptom (similar to high cholesterol in atherosclerosis), and initial trials of the test vaccine caused 6% of the participants to suffer from severe brain swelling.

In the recent effort to prepare the population for bioterrorism, almost 26,000 people were vaccinated with small pox. So far, seven cases of cardiac problems and ten cases of myopericarditis have been associated with the vaccine. Although this temporal association is being downplayed (like smoking being associated with respiratory disease), it is reason for caution. Additionally, the smallpox vaccine is known to cause hypercoagulability, a condition particularly threatening to those with vessel narrowing atherosclerosis. Some researchers believe that the pox vaccine virus (along with a host of other pathogens) has the capability of adhering to the endothelium (lining) of blood vessels. These nodules stimulate an inflammatory response resulting in platelet adhesion, thrombin release and fibrin formation. When this occurs, the vessel is narrowed depriving distal (downstream) tissue from oxygen and creating the ideal anaerobic (oxygen devoid) environment for proliferation of pathogens (infection), neoplasia (cancer) and sclerotic plaque (heart attack, stroke).

MMWR, 2003; 52(12):248-50

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5212a2.htm

Vaccine mania is caused by misinformation, fear and profit motives. If you believe we have been saved thus far by vaccines for polio, diphtheria and the like, please think again. In almost every case, the vaccine was introduced only after the disease had already naturally declined in the population. Giving credit to the vaccine is like saying the crowing rooster is responsible for the sunrise.

If you or your children are under pressure to take a vaccine, get fully informed. The safest vaccine would be one that is killed (trusting that has really happened) and is given by the same route (oral or aerosol) that the street form of the disease agent would use to attack.

Microbes are ubiquitous. They are in constant contact with us. We cannot escape them by hiding in our homes or wearing facemasks, nor will we eradicate them with disinfectants. In spite of propaganda to the contrary (vaccines are really big money), vaccines will never be the savior of humankind. Their potential risks may even outweigh their benefits when all is said and done. The only cases of polio today, for example, are those caused by the vaccine.

Disease has not wiped out all life on the planet because within any given population there is natural resistance. That resistance is optimized in healthy bodies living a healthy lifestyle and that have proper natural nourishment. Health will never be something somebody else gives to us with a pill or injection; it is something we do to ourselves.

For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit www.cerealwysong.com.
Dr. Randy Wysong asked: