The Blunt Truth...
January 1, 2014 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Katharine Cimmino, Editor-in-Chief – Marijuana, also known as “grass,” “pot,” “joint,” “weed,” “reefer,” “hashish,” and “Mary Jane,” is a very popular illicit drug.1 According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, “In 2012, 5.4 million persons aged 12 or older used marijuana on a daily or almost daily basis in the past 12… |
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Direct Association of HIV and Early Kidney Damage in Wo...
January 1, 2014 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Elizabeth Kopec, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014, South University School of Pharmacy at Columbia, SC – Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a global pandemic, with approximately 35.3 million people infected in 2012. The United States currently has 1.3 million people living with HIV, with 20,000 deaths occurring every year due to acquired immune deficiency syndrome… |
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Possible Inhaled Option for Diabetics...
December 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – Near the end of December, the pharmaceutical company, MannKind Corp, will submit their clinical data to the U.S Food and Drug Administration for the approval of an inhaled dosage form of insulin, Afrezza®.1 Administered with the Dreamboat inhaler, this inhaled dosage form delivers insulin packaged into single dose… |
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Ponatinib Taken Off the Market...
December 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Sherine Jaison, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – The leukemia chemotherapy drug ponatinib (Iclusig) has just been taken off the market. The drug was under investigation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following several reports of serious and life threatening blood clots and narrowing of the blood vessels.1 Ponatinib is a BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase… |
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Hospital Drug Shortages...
December 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Hamid Razaki, PharmD – Drug shortages seen across pharmacies in the United States continue to be an issue in patient care. A drug product shortage is defined as a supply issue that affects how the pharmacy prepares or dispenses a drug product, or that influences patient care when prescribers must use an alternative agent.1… |
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Still a Long Road Ahead for New Hepatitis C Treatment...
December 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Ramya Mathew, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – Vertex Pharmaceuticals, an American biotechnology company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been researching a new “nuke” for the treatment of Hepatitis C called VX-135. This nucleotide polymerase inhibitor is currently undergoing clinical trials, but the FDA has put the research on a partial hold due to findings… |
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Possible Mandatory Lung Cancer Screening...
December 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Jenny Park, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – Lung cancer takes away the lives of about 160,000 individuals annually, which is more than a quarter of all cancer deaths.1 The U.S Preventive Service Task Force is now recommending lung cancer screenings for heavy smokers which could save up to 20,000 lives a year (or about 13%… |
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Provider Status for Pharmacists: Call to Action or Dist...
December 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Samantha Schmidt, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014, Palm Beach Atlantic University – The role of pharmacists in healthcare has grown exponentially over the years. Pharmacists now provide advanced patient-centered care services including coordination of medications during transitions of care, comprehensive medication reviews with medication monitoring, chronic disease management, disease education, prevention and wellness services, and… |
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Advancements Towards a Malaria Vaccine...
November 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – A new experimental vaccine, PfsPZ, offers great promise as a cure for malaria. PfsPZ demonstrated 100% success in protecting subjects from this mosquito-borne tropical disease, which affects about 200 million people and causes 660,000 death annually.1,2 Historically, it has been known that sustained immunity for malaria could be… |
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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)...
November 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Uzma Toppa, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 – Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, also known as MERS, is a viral respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus called MERS-CoV. It was first reported in humans in Saudi Arabia in 2012. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from September 2012 to September 2013, there have been a… |
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“Cowcatcher” Enzyme Catching Medical Attention...
November 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Ansel Oommen, BS Toxicology Candidate c/o 2014 – DNA damage is the driving force behind aging, and, on a more serious note, the development of cancers.1 While the stresses of life can be taxing on cells, the human body possesses a remarkable repair mechanism to remedy them. Researchers from the University of Texas Medical… |
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Nature’s Remedy… in a More Palatable Dosage Form...
November 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Davidta Brown, Staff Editor – Pathogenic bacteria have been enemies to human health for centuries. As recently as last month, the Centers for Disease Control published an 80-page document informing the public about America’s biggest microbial threats. Most of the pathogens on the list exhibit antibacterial resistance. One particular bacterial species, ranked at threat… |
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Ketoconazole No More...
October 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Hayeon Na, Co-Copy Editor [Content-Focused] – The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on July 26th that oral dosage forms of ketoconazole (Nizoral®) should no longer be prescribed as first-line therapy for any fungal infections.1 The label and indication for oral ketoconazole were updated, and a new medication guide was added. Other dosage forms… |
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Hope For Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia...
October 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Ada Seldin, Staff Editor – Emily Whitehead, a 7-year-old girl who fought off relapsing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), has captured the hearts and prayers of the masses. Her story is an inspiration to those battling any disease with a poor prognosis and particularly holds promise for the 15% of children with ALL resistant to… |
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BRAIN Initiative: Mapping the Human Brain...
October 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor – If you were in charge of government spending, how would you allocate our funds? Would you put more money into public schools? Restructure the healthcare system? How about a multi-billion dollar project to remap the brain? A few months ago, President Obama announced his plans to invest in… |
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FDA’s New Warning: Acetaminophen Associated with Seri...
September 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Andy Zhang, PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – On August 1st, 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a new warning of serious acetaminophen associated skin reactions, including Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) and acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP).1 Acetaminophen is one of the most widely used over-the-counter (OTC) medication, and… |
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Olmesartan Medoxomil Label Revision...
September 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: David Ong, PharmD Candidate c/o 2014 – Manipulating the renin-angiotensin system is one of the many ways drugs are used to treat hypertension. By blocking key steps in the renin-angiotensin cascade, blood pressure decrease may be achieved. Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) represent one of the drug classes that utilize the aforementioned mechanism. ARBs… |
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HIV Test: Making a Difference...
September 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – On June 27, 2013, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AIDS.gov, and other national and local entities organized the 19th annual National HIV Testing Day. On this day, the theme of “Take the Test, Take Control” was employed to spread awareness of testing and prevention methods… |
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Novel Virus, Standard Vigilance...
September 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Davidta Brown, Staff Editor – When the seasons transition from winter into spring every year, healthcare providers brace for a shift into a time of increased sneezes, requests for cough medication, and vaccinations, otherwise known as flu season. The rounds of illness that pass each year are usually more of an annoyance than a… |
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iPod, iPad, iPhone… iLimb...
August 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Sang Hyo Kim, Staff Editor – There is a new invention called “i-limb ultra revolution,” which allows amputees to control their prosthetic hands with an Apple® app called “Bioism.” Designed by Touch Bionics in the United Kingdom, the new prosthetic hand has five individually powered fingers, including a powered rotating thumb and an auto-grasp… |
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Organ Creation Attempts to Answer Shortage Crisis...
August 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Efime Popovitz, BS/MD Candidate, Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education – When Sarah Murnaghan received the long awaited adult lung after years of battling cystic fibrosis, she not only narrowly escaped her death sentence, but also brought to light a plight that thousands of individuals face each day- a struggle for the opportunity to… |
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Superbug Makes Super Waves in Hospitals Across America...
July 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Beatrisa Popovitz, Staff Editor – For the past decade, antibiotic resistant bacteria have been a growing concern in healthcare. Over the last few months, there has been a great deal of media attention surrounding strains of drug resistant bacteria in hospitals across the United States. Most recently, there has been an increased effort to… |
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Compounding at a Crossroads: New Boundaries in the Afte...
July 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics Davidta Brown, PharmD Candidate c/o 2017 – The debate on the nature of compounding practice and the extent to which it ought to be regulated has come to the forefront of public attention. Those who regularly follow American news and politics are familiar with the series of events that have led to the present… |
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Lower Vaccine Costs for Developing Nations...
July 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Steve Soman, PharmD – India has become a powerhouse in pharmaceutical manufacturing, often supplying generic alternatives at a fraction of the brand name cost to the developing world. Cheaper alternatives make costly drugs more affordable for poorer nations and NGOs.1 Indian manufacturer Biological E. Limited, a biotech firm based in Hyderabad India, signed a… |
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FDA Takes Major Strides Towards Opioid Abuse Prevention...
June 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Ada Seldin PharmD Candidate c/o 2015 – On April 16th, 2013, the FDA approved the labeling change for the reformulated OxyContin® (oxycodone hydrochloride controlled-release) tablets, made by Pharma L.P. This change reflects the abuse-deterrent properties of the reformulated OxyContin®, which were not present in the original formulation approved by the FDA in 1995. OxyContin®… |
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Helping Solve the Cruel Mystery...
June 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Erica Dimitropoulos, Senior Staff Editor – Lupus is highly unpredictable and occurs without warning; there is no known cause and no known cure. It affects over 1.5 million Americans, 90% of whom are women between the ages of 15 – 44.1 No two cases of lupus are alike, making it a very difficult disease… |
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Pilltalk: Innovation to Simplify Patient Counseling...
May 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Mitesh Patel, PharmD Candidate 2014 – $1.2 trillion- This is what the United States spends on healthcare. At 17% of GDP, this sector accounts for more spending in the U.S. than education, defense, welfare, and pension.1 By 2016, our expenditure on healthcare will rise to $1.6 trillion.1 As our health care spending increases, Americans… |
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AUVI-Q™: The Newest Epinephrine Device to Hit the Mar...
May 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Diana Gritsenko, Pharm D. Candidate c/o 2015 – Most of us who work in a community pharmacy setting will usually get a few scripts a month for an Epi-pen™. An Epi-pen™ is a device that autoinjects epinephrine (also known as adrenaline) into a patient who is experiencing anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a severe, whole-body allergic… |
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Plan B® Pill Now Available Without Prescription to Wom...
May 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Bansri Patel – As of May 1st 2013, Plan B®, the brand name emergency contraception pill will now be available to women aged fifteen and older. It will also be sold in the drug store aisles, as opposed to its current location behind the pharmacy counter. When levonorgestrel (Plan B®) first entered the market,… |
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Three-Person In Vitro Fertilization: Combating Mitochon...
April 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Bharat Kirthivasan – The UK government might soon become the platform for an explosive debate on the utility and ethics of three-person in vitro fertilization (three-person IVF). According to the Human Fertilization & Embryology Authority, there is no evidence to suggest that any form of IVF is unsafe for the mother or the fetus.… |
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Merck Settles Lawsuits Over Vytorin...
April 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Tasnima Nabi, Staff Editor – Merck & Co. will pay $688 million to settle two lawsuits filed in December 2008 over their patent-protected statin, Vytorin®. The suits state that Merck and Schering-Plough delayed releasing the results of their ENHANCE study to avoid a decrease in revenue.1 Vytorin® is a combination drug of simvastatin and… |
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Increased Costs of Treatment due to the DSM-V: Implicat...
April 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: James W. Schurr and David Gao, PharmD Candidates 2014 – A recent Op-ed in Newsday by Allen Frances, MD (of Duke University School of Medicine and chairman of the task force that produced the DSM-IV, the current guidelines for psychiatric disease diagnosis) criticizes the American Psychiatric Association for being “extravagantly indifferent to all matters… |
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U.S. v Caronia: Misdemeanor or Constitutional Right?...
March 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Tamara Yunusova, Staff Editor – On December 3, 2012, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals became the first court in the nation to authorize off-label drug promotion under the First Amendment. The heavily-disputed ruling, which is headed for further appeal, will have far-reaching implications for pharmaceutical companies and drug regulation policy. In a… |
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Extending the Standing Order for Tdap...
February 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Christina Tarantola, PharmD, PGY-1 Resident at Kings Pharmacy – The New York State Department of Health issued a health advisory on November 8, 2012 in response to Hurricane Sandy. The document outlined guidelines on recommended immunizations and disaster relief efforts for volunteers and the general public. Due to an increased risk of exposure to… |
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College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Collaborates...
February 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Tasnima Nabi, Associate Student Editor – St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has collaborated with the Union Square Academy of Health Sciences (U. S. A.) to prepare high school students for the pharmacy profession. This partnership is one of the many projects of the “Urban Pharmaceutical Care, Research and Education Institute,”… |
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A Look at Primary Medication NonAdherence and How it ca...
February 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Erica Dimitropoulos, Assistant Student Editor – Although clinical trials can affirm the efficacy and advantages of all marketed medications, it is obvious that patients cannot benefit from a drug that they choose not to take. Therefore, promoting medication adherence is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to improve treatment outcomes. In order… |
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Varizig® for Chickenpox Symptoms...
January 1, 2013 - In the News / Politics By: Steve Soman, Co-Editor-in-Chief – Varicella Zoster Immune Globulin (Varizig®) was approved by the FDA on December 21st of 2012. The Canadian pharmaceutical company Cangene Corporation, which is owned in-part by Apotex Inc., markets the new product. The drug was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reduce “the severity of chicken pox… |
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The Opioid Debate: PROP and PROMPT Battle Away...
January 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Tamara Yunusova – On Wednesday, July 25th a petition signed by the reform group Physicians for Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) called on the FDA to implement opioid label changes that would restrict Chronic Non-Cancer (CNCP) opioid treatment for patients with severe pain only. It wasn’t too long before another petition signed by PROP’s adversary,… |
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New Healthcare Law Concerning Birth Control Causes Deba...
January 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Katie Cimmino, Pharm D. Candidate c/o 2015 – With the start of the New Year the French government is enacting a new law concerning contraceptives. Now girls between the ages of 15 to 18 will be able to obtain free birth control. Not only will they have access to it, but the French government… |
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FDA Approves Apixaban For Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillati...
January 1, 2013 - Clinical , Featured , In the News / Politics By: Alexandra Alleva, PharmD candidate c/o 2013 – As of December 28th, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Pfizer’s brand name oral anticoagulant, Eliquis® (apixaban), attained FDA approval.1 This occurred one month after its approval in Europe and Canada, following longer than expected waits in the US due to further investigation requests by the FDA.2 The much-anticipated anticoagulant is… |
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White House Petition Seeks to Recognize Pharmacists as ...
January 1, 2013 - Featured , In the News / Politics By: Mohamed Dungersi, Associate Student Editor – A recent We the People petition on the White House official website has reached the 25,000 signature threshold needed to trigger an official response. The petition tilted “Recognize pharmacists as health care providers”, was initiated by the current editor in chief of the Rho Chi Post, Steve Soman.1 … |
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Tackling America’s Drug Shortage Crisis...
December 1, 2012 - Featured , In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: John S Lim, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 – America’s focus on healthcare, as well as its position as one of the wealthiest nations of the industrialized world, is incongruous with the consequences of drug shortages suffered by its population. Shortages in pharmaceutical supply compromise quality of life while increasing health care costs. The pharmaceutical… |
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Adverse Events from Ingestion of OTC Eye Drops and Nasa...
December 1, 2012 - Featured , In the News / Politics By Tasnima Nabi, PharmD Candidate c/o 2016 – The FDA has issued warnings on accidental ingestion of over-the-counter eye drops and nasal sprays because they can cause serious harm in children at and under the age of five. Ingestion of as little as 0.6 ml of OTC nasal decongestants and redness-relief eye drops has been… |
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Giving a Second Chance: The Prescription Drug Abuse Epi...
December 1, 2012 - Featured , In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Maria Sorbera, PharmD Candidate c/o 2013 at AMSCOP (LIU) – Author William S. Burroughs states in his novel, “The question is frequently asked: Why does a man become a drug addict? The answer is that he usually does not intend to become an addict. You don’t wake up one morning and decide to be… |
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Fungal Meningitis Outbreak: A Sobering Tragedy...
November 1, 2012 - In the News / Politics By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, Associate Student Editor – For the past few weeks, we have heard about the terrible breakout of fungal meningitis from contaminated methylprednisolone acetate vials manufactured by the New England Compounding Center (NECC). Approximately 14,000 patients received medication from the contaminated lots. So far, over 400 cases have been reported and over… |
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Are You Prepared for RSV Season?...
November 1, 2012 - Clinical , In the News / Politics By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi, Associate Student Editor – Many of us have prepared for influenza season by receiving the flu vaccine. (If you have not, please speak to your doctor or pharmacist soon! Remember: even if you do not need it for your protection, get it for your patients’ well-being). However, for the youngest members… |
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NYS Legislature to Ban Selling Tobacco Products in Phar...
October 1, 2012 - Featured , In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Mahdieh Danesh Yazdi – The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of the Rho Chi Post, Rho Chi Beta Delta Chapter, or St. John’s University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. For the past few months, I have been on rotation at… |
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College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences – Name Ch...
September 1, 2012 - Events , Featured , In the News / Politics The College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions has officially changed its name to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. This is the college’s second name change since it was established in 1929. In order to truly encompass the current and future educational goals of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, the… |
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Meet the new Beta 3 Agonist: Mirabegron (Myrbetriq®)...
August 1, 2012 - Clinical , Featured , In the News / Politics By: Steve P. Soman – Mirabegron (Mybetriq®), known also by the brand name Betanis®in Japan, is a new once daily oral drug. First in its class, it is a selective β(3)-adrenoceptor agonist that improves symptoms associated with over active bladder (OAB) such as urinary incontinence, urgency, and urinary frequency by enhancing storage function and relaxing… |
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Dr. Oz and Raspberry Ketones...
June 1, 2012 - Clinical , In the News / Politics , Professional Advice / Opinions By: Lila Ahmed, Pharm.D. Candidate c/o 2013 – Whether you wish to admit it or not, all of us have watched or at least heard of the Dr. Oz Show. I am sure that many of us encounter patients in the pharmacy who say, “I saw this on Dr. Oz; where could I find it?”… |