News & Features

February, 2007

Welcome to our free monthly newsletter. We hope your holiday season brought enjoyment, and contentment. We hope you find this newsletter timely, interesting and informative.

Your favorite over the counter cold medicines are not the same as they were last year.

Due to legislation banning the display of cold and cough products containing the decongestant pseudoephedrine, a chemical that can easily be converted to the illegal substance methamphetamine, many of the makers of cold formulas containing this drug (Sudafed, Tylenol Cold, Alka Seltzer Plus) have reformulated their products using phenylephrine in place of pseudoephedrine, so they may continue to be displayed on the shelves in the aisles of drugstores. Unfortunately, phenylephrine is not as effective as pseudoephedrine for treating congestion, and must be taken more frequently. The products containing the original formulas with pseudoephedrine have NOT been discontinued. They are still available behind the prescription counter (without a prescription) requiring only that you show identification, and sign a log book. The rationale for this rule is that any one wishing to obtain large quantities of pseudoephedrine in order to convert it to methamphetamine, must now go through the pharmacist, who will be responsible for limiting the quantities any one person can obtain at one time. Although a necessary step, this new rule is bound to cause confusion, so before choosing a product to relieve congestion, be sure to check with the pharmacist to be sure you are getting the most effective product. Pseudoephedrine is the drug of choice, while phenylephrine gives only as much congestion relief as a placebo.

Medicare part D nightmare begins again.

From November 15th thru December 31, 2006, patients had a "window of opportunity" in which they were allowed to change their Medicare Part D prescription insurer. We are now seeing patients who were either not aware that they could remove themselves from plans they did not like, or were not aware that the plans were able to raise their premiums and further limit their choice of drugs. As a result, some patients are seeing increased monthly premiums, (some up to 466%), and further limits to their choice of drugs for 2007. In order to continue with the same plan they had in 2006, the patient had to do nothing, and they were reenrolled automatically. Unfortunately, many patients chose the path of least resistance, and did not change their plans before it was too late. The next opportunity to change plans will occur in November and December of 2007. We urge you to be aware of these time limits this year.

Tobacco companies manipulate nicotine content in order to make the habit harder to break.

A study by Harvard University has confirmed that tobacco companies have surreptitiously increased the amount of nicotine in their products. The additional nicotine content is accomplished by the use of tobacco leaves which naturally contain greater concentration of nicotine, and also by making the tobacco burn more slowly, thereby increasing the number of puffs per cigarette. In this manner, the tobacco companies hope to increase the numbers of people taking up smoking, and also make the habit harder to break. In 2004, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation to empower to Food & Drug Administration to regulate the nicotine content of cigarettes, but the legislation was blocked by the Republican Senate.

Cost savings due to newly expired patents on the prescriptions you take.

The replacement of brand name Zocor (a cholesterol lowering agent) by a generic drug, as well as expiration of patents for Norvasc, and Zithromax, three "blockbuster" drugs manufactured by Pfizer will soon result in large savings for patients. Pfizer has no new drugs ready to replace the revenue lost from sale of these drugs, due to refusal of the Food & Drug Administration to approve the safety profile for a new drug which had been under development by Pfizer. Pfizer's only big money drug at the present time is the most widely prescribed drug in the country, Lipitor, whose patent is due to expire in 2010. Many other very expensive medications are nearing their patent expirations, and we will notify you as soon as generics from reputable companies are available.

Please look for subsequent issues, containing many more articles of interest.

If your building does not allow us to display this newsletter in your lobby, or you have not received it with your prescription delivery, please stop by the pharmacy for your free copy, and feel free to share it with your neighbors and friends.

The pharmacists and staff at M.D. Pharmacy, your neighborhood pharmacy.

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