People who have lost a friend or loved one to opioid addiction know about naloxone. In December, Georgia became the 36th state to legalize over-the-counter sale of naloxone, which can save the life of someone who has overdosed on painkillers, heroin, or other opioid drugs. In the past, only someone with a doctor’s prescription could…
Many people have trouble understanding the medical conditions they have, the medications they take and the medical consent forms they have to sign. That’s an issue of “health literacy.” The term is not just a metaphor, because a big factor in health literacy is basic reading ability. According to Georgia’s Task Force on Adult Literacy,…
Recent price hikes for certain prescription drugs have provoked an outcry from consumers, physicians and even members of Congress. The latest uproar has focused on EpiPens, the emergency auto-injectors for severe allergic reactions. Prices have soared to more than $600 for a two-pack. In a new Doctor’s Column, Dr. Bob Wiskind, an Atlanta pediatrician, looks…
Epinephrine is cheap. My office purchases a multi-dose vial for less than $10. That is why it is ironic that there has been so much discussion and debate recently about the increased cost of EpiPens, which are well-known auto-injectors for epinephrine. The reasons for the price uproar can be found in a combination of supply…
President Obama, speaking in Atlanta at a summit on drug abuse, said Tuesday that government must spend more money on treatment of people addicted to opioid drugs. The nation’s surging opioid epidemic, he said, “is costing lives and devastating communities.” Opioid drugs include heroin as well as prescription painkillers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. The…
Two pharmacy employees at Emory University Hospital Midtown illegally diverted more than 1 million doses of controlled drugs in a scheme that lasted more than four years, according to a Georgia Board of Pharmacy consent order. Details of the thefts came to light in the consent order with the Atlanta hospital, finalized last month. The…
When actor Charlie Sheen went public with his HIV status late last year, Cathryn Lapka hoped his announcement would ignite a 21st century conversation about HIV – and its prevention – in America. But she was disappointed. Sheen was already notorious for his reckless, bizarre behavior, which he now admits was tied to drug use….
After two testy committee hearings, a Georgia House health panel passed a bill Tuesday that would allow dental hygienists to practice in safety-net settings without a dentist present. The House Health and Human Services Committee vote came after agreement between the hygienists and the Georgia Dental Association on provisions in the bill. The legislation would…
Revelations can happen anywhere. Georgia pharmacist Garrett Strawn’s flash of awareness came in a fairly mundane setting. He was in a glassed-in pharmacy at the rear of a big chain store in Rome. He was flanked by shelves loaded with pills and tablets, creams and ointments, injectables and inhalers that doctors prescribe for illnesses of…
A state law that’s been in place for less than six months has improved access to key vaccines for Georgia adults. The legislation allows pharmacists and nurses to administer vaccines for influenza, pneumococcal disease, shingles and meningitis. This is a big development for Georgia pharmacists, who have been administering flu vaccine to all comers since…