FRAMINGHAM, Mass. FRAMINGHAM, Mass. The pharmacy that distributed a steroid linked to an outbreak of fungal meningitis has issued a voluntary recall of all of its products, calling the move a precautionary measure. The New England Compounding Center announced the recall Saturday. The company said in a news release that the move was taken out of an abundance of caution because of the risk of contamination. Inspectors found at least one sealed vial that was contaminated, but its not yet clear how the fungus got into the steroid. The company says there is no indication that any other products have been contaminated. Two more meningitis cases were reported in Florida over the weekend, bringing the total number in the state to four. All the cases were reported in Marion County in North Florida and come from the same source the Marion Pain Management Center in Ocala said Hue Reynolds, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health. The first two reported cases were an 87-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman. The additional cases were both men, one 83 years old and the other 81. TheyBoth men of these most recent casesBoth men of these most recent cases are still being treated … Continue reading →

ATLANTA (AP) The pharmacy that distributed a steroid linked to an outbreak of fungal meningitis has issued a voluntary recall of all of its products, calling the move a precautionary measure. The New England Compounding Center announced the recall Saturday. The company said in a news release that the move was taken out of an abundance of caution because of the risk of contamination. It says there is no indication that any other products have been contaminated. The Food and Drug Administration had previously told health professionals not to use any products distributed by the center. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted updated figures to its website Sunday showing there are 91 confirmed cases of the rare form of fungal meningitis. The outbreak spans nine states and has killed at least seven people. The states with reported cases are: Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. The steroid linked to the outbreak had already been recalled, and health officials have been scrambling to notify anyone who may have received an injection of it. The Massachusetts pharmacy that made it has said it is cooperating with investigators. It is not yet known exactly how many … Continue reading →

When Deborah Bowers worked as a retail pharmacist, I was miserable. The pace at which she was required to work meant she didnt have the time to know the patrons. Now, her patrons, know the 35-year-old Bowers, as well as they know her children, six-year-old Jordan and three and one-half-year-old Brooklyn Grace. The difference? Bowers went for working for someone to being the boss. She operates Yorkville Pharmacy on Liberty Street in York. The pharmacy is celebrating its 10th year in business, recently offering breakfast, hotdogs and popcorn and other free gifts to mark its anniversary. This is more than a just a business, she said. Hopefully we are building a legacy. Yorkville Pharmacy employs five staff in addition to Bowers. Bowers said computers will check to see if prescribed drugs will interact with each other. That helps the pharmacist, she said, but there is no computer that replace the one-on-one conversations with patients. The pharmacy works with doctors and insurance companies to make sure patients get the drugs they need, she said. I happy to help people find the cheaper alternatives, for drugs, such as using generics rather than more expensive name brands. Here is the original post: Yorkville … Continue reading →

Q: Mirapex is a medicine prescribed for Parkinson's disease and restless leg syndrome. I read online that this medication can promote compulsive behaviors such as shopping, porn, sex, gambling and eating. Some of these compulsions have resulted in divorce or bankruptcy. I myself developed a compulsion for buying trinkets on eBay, to the tune of $10,000 on my credit card. Warn people that if a new compulsion crops up, they should check with the pharmacist or doctor to find out if it could be caused by medication. A: Most people can't imagine that a drug could cause someone to go on a shopping binge or engage in behavior such as compulsive eating or sex. Nevertheless, this has been documented as a side effect of medicines such as Mirapex and Requip. The official prescribing information for such drugs notes that patients and their families should be warned about the possibility of intense, uncontrollable urges. Q: Ambien frightens me. I have seen two people very close to me do crazy things while on the drug and then go back to sleep and not remember what they did. My mother found herself in her nightgown, standing in a line at Subway, ordering a … Continue reading →