Daily Grind Vol 1 Issue 4

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Daily Grind

We provide solutions for unique therapy challenges

through compounding and flavoring

Volume 1, Issue 4

www.WebbRx.com

Inside this issue

Americans Prefer Independent Pharmacies!

Rx for Indiana Patient Assistance Program

Natural Hormone Replacement - The Flexible Option

Featured Compound What is Tri-Est?

Anniversary Celebration a Success - Count the pill contest results

Five of Seven Top Generics Less Expensive than Canadian Imports

With a major focus on rising medication costs, an increasing number of patients are illegally importing their medications from Canadian pharmacies. Patients are unaware that many generic drugs are cheaper in the US than other countries. Canadian drug costs are rising at a much higher rate (23% increase since Jan. 2003) than in the US (8%).

A recent IMS Health analysis demonstrated that five out of seven of the most commonly used generic drugs in the U.S. had lower prices than the generic equivalent in Canada .

With an increase in counterfeit medications and faceless foreign mail order pharmacies, it is important to remember the value of having a local pharmacist who can answer all of your health-related questions. Our pharmacists are trained to effectively manage your prescriptions to ensure you are receiving the lowest priced medications possible and to enroll our patients in cost savings programs that directly benefit the patient. For assistance in managing prescription costs, ask one of your Webb’s trusted professionals and we would be happy to help you. Are minimal cost savings worth risking your safety?

Americans Prefer Independents

“If you’re among the 47 percent of Americans who get medicine from drugstore giants such as CVS, Eckerd and Rite Aid, here’s a prescription:

Try shopping somewhere else.

The best place to start looking is one of the 25,000 independent pharmacies that are making a comeback throughout the U.S. ” (Consumer Reports October 2003)

Independent community pharmacies were rated the best among all retail pharmacy outlets in America by an “eye popping margin,” according to a nationwide survey of consumer satisfaction published in the October 2003 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.

Meet The Staff -- Mary Zink

Caring Community Pharmacist

In celebrating Webb’s 15th anniversary, Webb’s Family Pharmacy would also like to recognize Mary Zink for 29 years of service to the community. Mary graduated from Purdue University in 1975 and has been both a retail and hospital pharmacist for thirty years.

Mary is a native of Culver, Indiana , where she also took her first pharmacist job with Hook’s. She and her husband Ron moved to Rochester in 1976 and began working for Woodlawn Hospital where she practiced for over twenty years and still occasionally works part time.

Mary began working part time stints for both the former and current owners of Webb’s in 1990 and has continued to be an integral member of the staff for fifteen years. Mary currently works part time in both the Rochester and Akron stores.

Mary enjoys counseling patients and always takes time to answer any questions. In particular, she enjoys counseling patients with asthma. She will be actively participating in our latest new service of offering comprehensive medication reviews for Medicare patients. Mary looks forward to helping you with all of your prescription needs!

Rx For Indiana Program

The new Rx For Indiana Program was designed to help the citizens of Indiana find assistance for the specific prescriptions they take. To get started, log on to www.rxforindiana.org and type in a list of all prescriptions you currently take. The web site will retrieve all related assistance programs specific for your prescriptions and will provide you with enrollment information. If you do not have internet access, simply ask your one of your Webb’s trusted professionals and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Natural Estrogen Hormone Replacement

THE FLEXIBLE OPTION!

From The Compounding Pharmacists at Webb’s Family Pharmacy

Women That realize the importance of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), but object to or cannot tolerate commercially available products such as Ô (conjugated equine estrogen), EstraceÔ (estadiol), or OgenÔ and Ortho-EstÔ (estrone), may want to consider a custom compounded product. We can custom compound bio-identical estrogen in either a capsule or a cream base, depending on your preference to meet your physician’s specifications. The most common formulation of our triple estrogen product, known as Tri-Est, is an 80%, 10%, 10% blend of estriol, estrone, and estradiol, which is thought to be the approximate ratio of endogenous estrogen production.

A major benefit to using natural hormone replacement is that it most closely approximates the effects of human hormones in the menopausal years. We compound using plant-derived hormones which are all natural, not synthetic drugs created in a laboratory. Unlike synthetic drugs, which the body identifies as foreign, natural hormones have few, if any side effects due to their compatibility with the receptors in the human body. When describing replacement hormones, the word “natural” is used to refer to the chemical structure of the hormone, not its source. When analyzed biochemically, the molecules of estrogens, progesterone, and other hormones produced from wild yam precursor molecules are found to be absolutely indistinguishable from those the body produces itself. Thus the crucial variable defining “natural” is not the origin of the hormone, but its chemical structure.

Our Tri-Est product can be compounded as a capsule, cream, troche, or vaginal suppositories depending on your specific need and/or preference with capsules and creams being the most common. An obvious advantage to a capsule over other formulations is the ease of administration. The major advantage to a cream over a capsule is an increase in blood levels. When taken orally, estrogen is susceptible to what is known as a “first-pass” effect in which the liver metabolizes much of the drug before it is able to be absorbed into the bloodstream where it exerts its beneficial effects. Topical creams avoid this effect because they are emulsified in a base that allows for superior penetration and absorption directly in the blood stream without undergoing immediate hepatic metabolism.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is an important component in any preventative health program for the menopausal years. HRT produces great short-term benefits by relieving the following symptoms associated with decreasing hormone levels. These include: Vasomotor instability (hot flashes & night sweats), insomnia, increased incidences of anxiety and/or depression, painful or uncomfortable sexual intercourse, feminine itching, and urinary frequency, discomfort, and incontinence. Hormone replacement therapy relieves these complaints in most women.

Much has changed in the field of women’s health the past 5 years when it comes to the use of estrogen and progesterone for menopause therapy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently published the most comprehensive, evidence-based clinical recommendations to date regarding the use of HRT.

HRT continues to be the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms and should always be prescribed at the lowest effective dose for the shortest period of time to relieve vasomotor symptoms and only should be used as long as risks outweigh benefits. (Using a compounded bioidentical product makes it easy to achieve this goal.)

HRT should not be prescribed solely for disease prevention (cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, or depression, etc.). However, instances exist in which disease prevention is appropriate as a secondary benefit for women who are already taking hormones for vasomotor symptoms.

Herbal alternatives to hormones such as soy, black cohosh, and wild yam have not been shown to be effective in relieving menopausal symptoms.

If you are interested in this or any other hormone related product, it is important to discuss this information with your physician as this is a prescription only product.

Featured Compound

What’s In Tri-Est?

The following hormones can be included in our custom products depending on your needs and your physician’s desired specifications:

Estriol – Considered to be a weak estrogen (20-30% lesser affinity for the estrogen receptor in the body), however it is highly effective if the concentration is kept equivalent to that of estradiol and can produce similar biological responses.

One of the major benefits of using estriol in higher concentrations is the finding of multiple studies that estriol is antineoplastic (cancer fighter). There have been reports that high estriol levels protect against the tumor-producing effects of estrone and estradiol. Estriol is not commercially available.

Estradiol – Estradiol is the second most important component of Tri-Est and is the main estrogen secreted by the ovaries.

Estradiol protects against osteoporosis and it may increase the level of HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). The negative effect of solitary administration of estradiol is that higher levels may stimulate carcinoma of the breast and endometrium in some women. Estradiol should be opposed by estriol.

Estrone – Estrone is the final component in triple estrogen therapy and is implicated in hormone-medicated cancers, as it is the most carcinogenic. Estrone should be opposed by estriol to prevent estrogen-derived carcinomas.

Testosterone & Progesterone - Two other very important hormones that can be added to our Tri-Est product include testosterone and progesterone and will be the focus of future issues. Benefits of testosterone include cardio-protective effects, increased bone strength, muscle tone, energy, and libido. Benefits of progesterone include counteracting carcinogenic effects of estrogens, increases bone mass, and regulation of the menstrual cycle.

To read about more of our Custom Compounded Formulations click here.

Anniversary Celebration A Success!

The employees of Webb’s Family Pharmacy would like to thank all of our loyal customers who helped make our 15^th anniversary celebration a success. It was a fun-filled week that included 15 cent prescriptions, a guess how many drugs are in the bottle drawing, kids coloring contest, free cake and punch, and an opportunity to spin a wheel for a free prize with every purchase. It was a good time for everyone involved and we would once again like to THANK YOU for your continued support!

Count the Pill Contest Results

During our 15th Anniversary Celebration many of our customers participated in a fun contest to Guess the Number of Pills in the Bottle.

Here are the results:

In Rochester the bottle contained 2303 pills. Winning the contest was Linda Weaver with her guess of 2316.

In Akron the correct answer was 483 and winning the contest was Margaret Hunter with her guess of 500.

Over 170 customers participated in this fun contest.

In Case You Missed It!

February was the debut issue of The Daily Grind, which is a series of newsletters to keep you informed of who we are and the various services we offer. Each newsletter will also include detailed information on products we currently compound for our patients. Last month featured our Scopolamine Gel for motion sickness. All back issues are on file in case you miss one and would like a copy. Or you can find them on our webb-site, www.WebbRx.com. Or Click Here

We Need Your Assistance Please!

In an effort to market our store and better serve our customers we would like to know ‘how we are doing’. We invite all of our customers to submit a testimonial about our company, staff, services, and/or products. If you have a story you would like to share, please fill out a testimonial form. Forms are available in the store or you can click here to submit your entry on-line. Our favorite submissions will be used in our marketing and all submissions will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $25.00 gift certificate. Please let us know how we’re doing so we can continue to improve our efforts to strive for excellence.

What’s for Lunch?

Have you tried the Pink Flamingo lately? Located inside our Rochester location. Kim Kinninger, owner and creator of many healthy and tasty dishes invites you to stop in. The lunch hours are 11am – 2pm Monday – Friday. She also welcomes the opportunity to cater your office or special function for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner. Your taste buds will be glad you did.

See www.224Pink.com for more delicious information or call 224-PINK

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