Two Evansville residents robbed a pharmacy Friday of medication that they intended to use to make methamphetamine, according to the Vanderburgh County Sheriffs Office. Jared Matthew Beard, 24, and Lakyra Shabree Johnson, 25, were arrested shortly after the heist at Nations Pharmacy, 4849 Pollack Ave. Sheriffs deputies were dispatched to the business at 5:21 p.m. in response to a holdup alarm. They were told a masked duo had demanded pseudoephedrine. One person displayed a knife. After being given a quantity of the medication, they left in a vehicle. A witness saw the vehicle arrive at the pharmacy and two people wearing masks enter. The witness, deputies said, noticed that the license plate had been deliberately obscured and cleared off the plate to obtain the license number. Shortly after the 5:21 p.m. dispatch, a K9 unit with the sheriffs office stopped the vehicle at Lynn Road and Pollack. Deputies said they recovered medication taken in the robbery, as well as a knife. Evansville Police Department officers assisted in the arrest. According to a sheriffs office news release, Johnson told investigators Beard had attempted to buy pseudoephedrine, which is used to make methamphetamine, at several stores during the day but was refused. … Continue reading →

A man held up a Kroger pharmacy Saturday using a method police say has been used several times recently by what appears to be the same man. By: Lauren Evans | NBC 4i Published: April 07, 2012 Updated: April 07, 2012 - 11:19 PM Columbus robbery detectives believe that a robbery at a Kroger pharmacy Saturday afternoon is the latest in a series of similar robberies at local pharmacies. The latest robbery took place at 2:55 p.m. Saturday at the Kroger at 3417 N. High St. The suspect, whose image was captured on surveillance cameras, is a white male who is between 25 to 35 years old. He is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 165 pounds. Just as in other incidents, the suspect went to the pharmacy counter, implying he had a weapon under his shirt. He gave the clerk a list that demanded specific prescription drugs. Once the clerk brought the drugs back, the robber left the store. The suspect is wearing an Ohio State sweatshirt; thick, black-framed glasses and a Yankees ball cap with a green emblem. He has a sparse beard and mustache. Anyone with information is asked to call the robbery squad at … Continue reading →

Qatar Universitys College of Pharmacy (QU CPH) has signed a clinical training agreement with the South Carolina College of Pharmacy (USC, US) to establish a bilateral doctor of pharmacy student exchange between the institutions respective programmes. The agreement complements the 2011 agreement of co-operation signed between QU CPH and USC College of Pharmacy, facilitating faculty and student exchange, continuing professional development and collaborative research. Under the new agreement, up to five selected QU CPH doctor of pharmacy students will participate annually in four-week elective clinical/academic internships in South Carolina in a teaching hospital setting, under the mentorship of academic pharmacy clinicians. QU CPH dean Dr Peter Jewesson said this activity will further strengthen the clinical knowledge and skills of graduates by giving them exposure to healthcare delivery in a progressive international environment. It also serves to strengthen our post-baccalaureate programme, he said while observing that this exchange programme is viewed favourably by the Canadian Council for Accreditation of Pharmacy Programmes which has accredited QU CPH and its programmes, and will review the PharmD programme in December this year. On a reciprocal basis, up to five selected USC doctor of pharmacy students will participate annually in pharmacy education and practice internships … Continue reading →

Q: My husband is suffering seizures after being forced to switch to generic levetiracetam (Keppra). I can buy the brand for $735 per month, but at 62 years of age we can't afford to spend this much every month. I am afraid that one day I will lose my husband because of the seizures. This is a matter of life and death. A: Other people with epilepsy have reported seizures after being switched from Keppra to generic levetiracetam. A recent review of 89 studies found that patients with epilepsy sometimes experience seizures when they are switched from brand name to generic or between different generic manufactured products (AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews, December 2011). It is sometimes possible to get brand-name medication free from the manufacturer if you and your husband qualify for patient assistance. You also might want to explore the possibility of purchasing the brand-name drug from a reliable Canadian pharmacy. You could save quite a bit. Ask your husband's epilepsy specialist whether a ketogenic diet would be beneficial. This alternative approach requires careful medical supervision, but it may lower the amount of medication needed for seizure control. Q: I am taking niacin (1,000 mg) to improve my good … Continue reading →