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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Should there be a third way to get medications?
Some weeks ago, a FDA
advisory committee voted
against allowing the over
the-counter sale of the cho
lesterol-lowering medication
Mevacor. I wholeheartedly
agree with this decision.
There are a number of
reasons that a medication
such as Mevacor should not
be available without pre
scription. First, it would be
taken by people who would
n’t need it and who might be
harmed by taking it. Diet
and exercise are still the
best way to lower choles
terol.
Secondly, Mevacor belongs
to a class of drugs known as
statins. Statins, as a class,
have a number of drug
interactions and side effects
(some potentially serious).
And statins should not be
taken by women who are or
may become pregnant.
Lastly, therapy with a cho
lesterol-lowering medication
requires regular blood tests
to monitor both effective
ness and to check for poten
tial problems. It’s not very
likely that people taking this
type of medication over-the
counter will get the neces
sary follow-up with their
physician.
A prepared statement
from the Society of Health-
System Pharmacists noted
that “Existing models for
over-the-counter availability
do not provide the safe
guards required to ensure
the safe and effective use of
statins as part of a multifac
eted approach to preventing
coronary heart disease.”
They make a good point.
But notice the “existing
models for over-the-counter
availability” phrase in their
statement. What do they
Two sentenced for pot trafficking
From staff reports
PERRY - George
Guzman 111 and Jose Luis
Gonzalez pleaded guilty
Monday to one count each of
trafficking in marijuana and
were sentenced.
Guzman, 26, of Macy
Avenue, Perry, pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to
25 years and ordered to
serve 12 of those in prison.
In addition, he was banished
from Houston County for
the 25-year duration of his
sentence.
According to the Houston
Circuit District Attorney’s
Office, Guzman had a prior
marijuana conviction sever
al years ago that resulted
from a federal narcotics
prosecution. His prior mari
juana case involved approxi
mately 50-60 pounds of mar
ijuana.
Gonzalez, 24, also pleaded
guilty and was sentenced to
20 years and ordered to
serve five of those years in
prison. In addition, he was
banished from Houston
County for the 20-year dura
tion of his sentence.
Both men were also
ordered to pay fines and fees
of approximately $175,000
each.
Upon their release from
prison, Guzman and
Gonzalez will be on parole
and/or probation, and will
be subject to warrantless
searches.
Guzman and Gonzalez
were arrested on Nov. 27,
2004, after Houston County
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David Voltz
Pharmacy Q&.A
voltzrph@hotmail.com
mean by that?
Under our current system,
there are only two ways
medications are available to
the public; either by seeing a
doctor and getting a pre
scription, or over-the-count
er. It is generally accepted
that prescription drugs are
more potent and dangerous
and that over-the-counter
drugs are safer for broad
use.
Now I don’t believe that
this is necessarily true.
Over-the-counter medica
tions can be just as danger
ous as prescription, but it is
the common perception.
And over-the-counter med
ications are available every
where from gas stations to
vending machines. And the
FDA takes all this into con
sideration when considering
whether or not a medication
should be available over-the
counter.
But what if there were a
third way to get medica
tions? What if you could get
some medications that are
currently prescription only
from a pharmacist without
having a prescription?
Wouldn’t that be nice? I
Sheriff’s
investigators executed a
search warrant at a Macy
Avenue home in Perry.
Deputies seized approxi
mately 31 pounds of mari
juana from the home. Two
other co-defendants, Haidee
Trevino and Jeanette
Guzman, still have marijua
na trafficking charges pend
ing in Houston Superior
Court and they remain free
on bond.
“The sheriffs office did an
excellent job with this inves
tigation,” said Assistant
District Attorney George
Hartwig 111, the prosecutor
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think so.
This “third class of med
ications” idea has been
around since I was in phar
macy school, and I think it’s
something that should have
been done years ago. There
are precedents in other
countries.
Canada, for example, has
a “pharmacist-only” class
that includes some insulins,
vaccines, and even a Tylenol
product with codeine,
among many others. The
United Kingdom has an
over-the-counter version of
Zocor (also a type of statin)
available only from pharma
cists.
Surely we could imple
ment a similar system in
this country. And having a
class of “available from a
pharmacist only” medica
tions could have many
potential benefits.
First, a pharmacist would
have to be consulted before
the medication could be pur
chased. The pharmacist
could help ensure that the
medication is, not only actu
ally needed, but also that it
is also taken correctly. The
pharmacist could also check
for possible drug interac
tions and allergies.
Second, it would allow the
physician to send some
patients, when deemed
appropriate by the physi
cian, to their pharmacist for
a medication without having
to come in to the physician’s
office for a prescription. The
pharmacist could also make
sure that the patient goes to
their physician for the
appropriate follow-up.
Third, it would allow the
FDA to make more readily
available to the public some
medications that they have,
in the case. “This was a very
solid case. The speed with
which these traffickers were
investigated, indicted and
convicted shows that law
enforcement and the
District Attorney’s Office
are serious about aggres
sively targeting and prose
cuting major narcotics deal
ers in Houston County.”
Guzman and Gonzalez
were sentenced by Chief
Judge George E Nunn,
Houston Superior Court.
Guzman was represented by
Michael Chidester. Gonzalez
was represented by Greg
Bell.
LOCAL
in the past, been reluctant
to move over-the-counter
due to potential problems.
Problems that might be
avoided or detected if the
medication where purchased
only after pharmacist con
sultation.
While I still think the deci
sion to keep Mevacor by pre
scription only is a good one;
I do think we should have a
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limited number of medica
tions available only from
pharmacists. Having this
third class of drugs could
enable the public to get even
more benefit from their best
medication information
resource, their family phar
macist.
If you have any questions
regarding medications or
pharmacy practice in gener
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2005 ♦
al, or comments, or sugges
tions for topics you d like to
read about in this column,
just write to me. I can receive
email via voltzrph@hot
mail.com or postal mail at
Pharmacy Q&A, c/o The
Houston Home Journal, P.O.
Box 1910, Perry, GA 31069.
All questions are confiden
tial, so you don’t have to give
your name.
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