Medication Management

Managing your medicines is very important.

We can assist you with your individual needs,

provide regular review of your medicines and help you to

effectively manage your medicines.

Medications are often expensive and stocking up unnecessarily is

not good for your bank balance.

Using medication management services can help to overcome the problem of overstocking your medicine cabinet.

Call us and check out your options.

email: chemist2u@gmail.com

Web: www.chemist2u.com.au

Useful Resource:

National Prescribing Service:

www.nps.org.au

Medications and Wound Management

The effects of medications on the management of wounds is often overlooked in the development of an appropriate wound managment strategy.

The inclusion of a medication review is recommended since a large number of medications taken for co-morbidities can markedly impact on the healing rates of wounds.

This review must include over-the-counter remedies, complementary and nutritional supplements, because these agents, like prescribed medications, can contribute positively or negatively to wound care.

The amount of information to collate and interpret is vast and this article attempts a beginning that will hopefully identify areas for concern and improvement in the area of medication related issues for wound management.

Geoff Sussman has provided a great insight through research into these matters and is used extensively by this author as part of an overall review.

In addition to reviewing the literature it is hoped that a clinical tool can be developed that will make the task of organising a specific wound management plan more relevant.

It is proposed that a good starting point is a review of the phases of wound healing. Interference with or enhancement of any or all of these aspects to wound healing is important in the classification of medications.

First Phase: Inflammatory

Second Phase: Proliferative

Third Phase: Remodelling

Review these phases at: http://www.medicaledu.com/phases.htm

In the first phase the use of:

Anti-inflammatories could reduce the inflammatory response and slow healing

Anticoagulants could reduce the haemostatic effects required

Vasodilators might impact of the vasoconstriction seen in this phase.

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The Anciet Art of Compounding

The Ancient Art of Compounding

Far from being a lost art, compounding or the mixing of two or more agents together, has been around it seems since man began to experiment with his surroundings in order to better understand the world around us.

“The art of pharmaceutical compounding began with the birth of the first humans. All ancient hunter-gatherer societies had some knowledge of the medicinal properties of the animals, plants, molds, fungus and bacteria as well as inorganic minerals within their environment.” (Wikepedia 2008)

The pharmaceutical science of compounding medicines dates back to biblical times and earlier. Indeed, for more than 2000 years, those who practiced the apothecary’s art have been preparing medicines to meet the specific and unique needs of individual patients.

Many modern preparations found on the shelf today owe their origins to the apothecary who originally compounded them for a particular patient.

From alchemy and apothecary to modern pharmacist, the tradition continues and by virtue of extensive training and stringent registration requirements of pharmacy boards, each pharmacist is required to understand and be able to compound medicines when needed to meet the specific needs of the patient that cannot be achieved through the use of proprietary medicines.

In modern times, the art of compounding has widened to include many complex admixtures of drugs for use in specialised situations such as the intravenous feeding of critically ill patients or chemotherapeutic drugs for the treatment of cancer.

‘The pharmacist by virtue of his training in the pharmaceutical sciences and his special knowledge of the properties of drugs, is legally required to prepare medicines of accurate composition which meet the highest technical and professional standards.’ (Martindale: Pharmaceutical Handbook: 18th edn)

The ancient art of compounding dating back further than Galen, the ‘father of pharmacy’, is very much alive. It sill requires that ingredients are checked for compatibility, the best formulation and method for preparing is found, and remains well within the scope of the experienced pharmacist.

Natural sweetners as an alternative to artificial sweetners

Sugar substitutes are food additives and synthetic agents are known as artificial sweetners.

A number of naturally occurring agents are available that can be compounded into a suitable form for use as a sugar substitiute, generally in very much smaller amounts to both the artificial sweetner or sugar.

Controversy exists over the use of artificial sweetners such as aspartame, saccharin and cyclamates and many people have sought natural alternatives that deliver the deisred sweetness without the increase in food energy or possible risk of adverse effects from the sweetening agent used.

If you have a particular need for an alternative sweetner contact us for further information and advice.

Weight Management and Hormones

Exciting new research into hormonal infulences on weight management may lead to an understanding of obesity that could have far-reaching effects on our general health and well being.

Several articles covering areas of research are of particular relevance given the major contribution that obesity has in many major chronic and debilitating disease states.

Research in to the hormone Leptin, secreted by fat (adipose) tissue, by Umut Ozcan and others is helping to unlock the role that this important hormone plays in obesity.

Leptin's predominat role is in appetite suppression and this is seen particularly in the hypthalamus.

Leptin resistance as a consequence of 'stress' in the endoplasmic reticulum of cells leads to an increase in appetite and weight gain.

The original article link:

http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/news.asp?artid=13086
(Source: Cell Metabolism: Children's Hospital Boston: January 2009)


Additional studies at Yale indicate that oestrogen has a similar role to Leptin in regulating weight although it is independent of Leptin or it's receptors.


Link to original article:

Tamas L. Horvath, chair and professor of Comparative Medicine and professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Sciences at Yale School of Medicine.
(Source: Nature Medicine: Yale School of Medicine: January 2007.)

http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/news.asp?artid=8996

Weight Management

Contact us to discuss your weight management.

Our programme uses a range of options centred on your individual needs.

Free follow-up and advice.

There are no quick fixes - our approach is consistent and designed to reduce the stress that is unhelpful when managing your weight.

You can phone for a consult now!

02 66287300