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Capsule moment

NSAIDs:

 This impetus for this comment came from an Edmonton GP who is the weekly doctor guest on our local CBC morning show.  He discussed how some people get a bit careless with the dosing of NSAIDs since they are available OTC.  Also there are many brands out there but generally containing only naproxen or ibuprofen.  He reminded the listeners that ASA is also an NSAID and can contribute to the negative gastric, kidney and heart side effects.  Also, there is a multitude of cold remedies that are considered “shot gun” type formulas to quell all the symptoms of cold and flu including pain and discomfort.  The amounts of NSAIDs in these products must be considered because many people don’t read the fine print and be taking Motrin or Aleve as well as their cold medication containing similar products.  I notice one of the Maritime provinces is going to remove these products from gas station convenience stores.  Certainly nobody tis here to advise on the proper use of these products.  I think they are also going to include Tylenol in this group of meds to be disallowed.  Perhaps a bit overkill here.

ALLERGY RELIEF:

 I’m sure I mentioned that I have a lot of experience with seasonal allergies.  I went through the subcutaneous immunotherapy as a teenager and feel they helped a lot.  In later adult years, Flonase was a great help as well as the longer-acting oral antihistamines.  Now that Flonase and similar corticosteroid products are available OTC, it provides the pharmacist with a greater choice of products to help their allergy-prone patients.

SUNSCREENS:

 I mentioned sunscreens in the June 3 column but neglected to mention shelf-life and the skin anti-aging property that might encourage more people to use the products.  Young people in particular have to be encouraged to use sunscreens properly and even to be encouraged to use them at all.  Acquiring skin cancer is a slow process…decades in the future….and is sometimes difficult for young people to relate to.   Pharmacists can be important in helping this age group to understand.  This is the time of year for pharmacists to bring the concept of phototoxiciy and photoallergic reactions possible with certain drugs.  Phototoxic reactions are more common and result from direct damage to tissue by chemicals that have been activated by radiant energy.  They usually develop within minutes or hours after exposure and affect the sun-exposed areas only.  Examples of drugs that may cause phototoxic reactions include sulfa, fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, NSAIDs, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide and phenothiazines.