Posted on April 28, 2009 by Joel Shpigel R.Ph.

As Insurance Co-Pays Increase, People Do Without Their Medications

 

 

Many articles have been written about how the economy has affected people who have no health insurance and have to pay cash  for their medications and medical supplies. The high cost of prescription medications have caused many of these people to cut their pills in half or take their pills every other day instead of daily. Some are even splitting their blood glucose testing strips in half to get 2 tests from one!  Studies have shown that by not taking or by skimping on medicines, symptoms and outcomes worsened and the rates of heart attacks and strokes have increased.

Now, research is showing that even people who HAVE insurance are being affected. New studies has shown that as co-pay amounts doubled, the percentage of patients who had started their medications dropped. As an example, it was found that "five years after their diagnosis, about 82 percent of people with hypertension had begun taking the drugs they needed to get their blood pressure under control, versus only about 66 percent of those whose co-pays were twice as much"

If you are experiencing difficulty paying for your medications, shop around  for the best price. If you have insurance but pay high co-pays, search for a pharmacy that may be able to help you save money on your co-pays. Check out the website  www.FocusPharmacy.com and see if Focus can help reduce your co-pay payment.

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Posted on April 10, 2009 by Joel Shpigel R.Ph.

Brown Fat Burns Calories Instead of Storing Them

New research has discovered that there may be a special kind of fat in your body that burns calories instead of storing them .According to three preliminary studies recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine you may have this fat and it could be activated simply by spending time in the cold!

Brown adipose tissue (called brown fat) helps babies, young children, and other small mammals stay warm by burning calories when activated by low temperatures. New research shows that many of us retain some of this Brown Fat even as adults.

 "People who had brown fat were, in fact, different from the people who didn't," explained Dr. Aaron Cypess of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, Massachusetts, the lead author of one of the new studies. "They were younger and leaner. People who were older, those who were obese, and those using heart drugs called beta blockers were less likely to have brown fat".

Researchers  observed that some people had deposits of tissue that looked like fat but didn't act like it; this fat-like tissue was located above the collarbones and in the upper chest and consumed lots of energy. Conversely, white adipose tissue -- the regular fat that stores extra calories and makes us gain weight-  shows very little metabolic activity.

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Posted on April 10, 2009 by Joel Shpigel R.Ph.

The Ryan Haight Act for Internet Pharmacies

 

 

Ryan Haight was born on December 28, 1982 and died on February 12, 2001 from an overdose of prescription drugs he had purchased on the Internet. He was only 18 when he died.
 

The Ryan Haight Act, also known as the "Internet Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act" attempts to prevent  the growing sale of prescription drugs over the Internet without a valid prescription by:

  • providing new disclosure standards for Internet pharmacies
  • barring Internet sites from selling or dispensing prescription drugs to consumers who are provided a prescription solely on the basis of an online questionnaire
  • allowing state attorneys general to go to federal court to shut down rogue sites.

Focus Express Mail Pharmacy has recently complied with all of the requirements of the Ryan Haight Act. If all  fully licensed, certified, and legitimate pharmacies who advertise on the internet comply with this act, families will not have to endure the loss of a child due to unscrupulous and rogue internet pharmacies again.

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Posted on April 10, 2009 by Joel Shpigel R.Ph.

You May Be Able To Prevent Type 2 Diabetes

Joan Yankowitz  on healthylivingtimes.com suggests that there are 7 changes that you can make to your daily lifestyle that may prevent you from developing Type 2 diabetes:

1) By putting less food on your plate, you will gradually eat less and start to lose weight. Drink a glass of plain water or a sugar-free drink before eating to lessen your hunger pains.

2) Reduce your fat intake by grilling or baking foods instead of frying.

3) Read food labels and check the Glycemic Index of the food you are eating to make better choices.

4) Drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. Keep a bottle of water with you and sip frequently  throughout the day.

5) Choose a healthy snack rather than a chocolate bar.

6) Use skimmed rather than full-fat milk in hot drinks.

7) Exercise is good for health. But, if you are not used to exercising,  then start in moderation by walking each day for 15 minutes until you gradually get into a regular exercising pattern.

 

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