Monthly Archives: July 2012

Q: I am fed up with all the conflicting advice about how to stay healthy. One day vitamin D is great; the next, experts say it doesn't work for bones. I have also seen flip-flops about eggs, salt, calcium, fluoride and hormone replacement therapy. A: We understand your frustration. Americans have been told for decades to cut back on eggs even though recent research shows they do not raise cholesterol. There is a raging controversy about the wisdom of widespread salt restriction (American Journal of Hypertension, January 2012). Risks associated with calcium supplements (Heart, June 2012) and hormone replacement therapy (Annals of Internal Medicine online, May 28, 2012) just add to the confusion. You can't go wrong with Grandma's wisdom: exercise, vegetables and a good night's sleep. Q: I used to have ingrown toenails. I had them removed by surgery (not the whole nail). Now my nails have a really bad fungal infection. What can I do? A: Trauma can sometimes trigger fungal infections in the nails. Prescription pills to treat nail fungus can have serious side effects, including liver damage. There are a number of home remedies that you might try first, but you'll need to be patient. It … Continue reading →

Cumberland County Jail Gorham police made an arrest on Sunday in connection with a pharmacy robbery reported earlier in the day. The Community Pharmacy at 365 Main St. in Gorham reported an armed robbery in progress at 8:38 a.m., Lt. Chris Sanborn of Gorham Police said in a release. A man later identified as John J. Vernon Jr. demanded all the Oxycodone in the pharmacy. He fled the pharmacy with Oxycodone and was caught a short time later by Gorham police, Sanborn said. Pharmacy theft is an increasing problem fro Maine law enforcement Sanbord said "This is a huge of problem for the state of Maine," Sanborn said. "At this point in time in the state of Maine we've already exceeded the number of armed robberies in pharmacy's for prescription medications past what we had for robberies last year. It's a huge problem and its definitely that both the state and local law enforcement need to get together and try to address before we actually have some people that are hurt." Vernon, 28, of Saco, has been charged with three counts of armed robbery as well as theft, terrorizing, eluding an officer, reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, criminal speed … Continue reading →

St. John's pharmacist Paul Gill of Downtown Pharmacy has temporarily lost his licence. CBC (CBC) Downtown Pharmacy in St. John's reopened on Friday after being closed for two months following its licence being revoked. The Pharmacy Board of Newfoundland and Labrador said it cancelled the business licence of Downtown Pharmacy on the west end of Water Street after the pharmacist-in-charge stepped down in May. The closure forced 110 people who rely on the site for methadone to seek help elsewhere. The board issued a new licence to Downtown Pharmacy after the drugstore met a number of conditions, including having a second pharmacist on staff. Don Rowe, the secretary-registrar of the board, said the pharmacy is once again able to dispense methadone, but he doesn't known how many of its previous patients will return. The owner of the building, pharmacist Paul Gill is not allowed to work there. He was disciplined by the board in April for not properly supervising one of his staff, pharmacist Ann Marie Burke. See more here: Downtown Pharmacy in St. John's gets new licence, reopens … Continue reading →