43 posts · 32,398 views
Sort by Latest Post, Most Popular
View by Condensed, Full
- February 17, 2011
- 08:00 AM
- 1,198 views
Are you sure you’re allergic to penicillin?
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
As a pharmacist, when I dispense medication, it’s my responsibility to ensure that the medication is safe and appropriate for the patient. There are numerous checks we go through including verifying the dose, ensuring there are no interactions with other drugs, and verifying the patient has no history of allergy to the product prescribed. Asking [...]... Read more »
Caubet JC, Kaiser L, Lemaître B, Fellay B, Gervaix A, & Eigenmann PA. (2011) The role of penicillin in benign skin rashes in childhood: a prospective study based on drug rechallenge. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 127(1), 218-22. PMID: 21035175
- August 6, 2009
- 10:14 PM
- 1,103 views
Is Red Yeast Rice a Good Alternative to Statin Drugs?
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
In the pharmacy, I’m often asked for “non-drug” solutions to various illnesses. In some cases, a desire to avoid medication can push people to make overdue and important diet or lifestyle changes. But in many cases, consumers simply want to avoid prescription drugs, asking if there’s something they can buy, preferably “natural”, that can help [...]... Read more »
Becker DJ, Gordon RY, Halbert SC, French B, Morris PB, & Rader DJ. (2009) Red yeast rice for dyslipidemia in statin-intolerant patients: a randomized trial. Annals of internal medicine, 150(12), 830-839. DOI: 19528562
- August 21, 2009
- 07:00 PM
- 1,098 views
World Health Organization Warns Against Use of Homeopathy
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
In response to an open letter from scientists and researchers, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a unequivocal statement that it does not support the use of homeopathy for HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, influenza and infant diarrhea.
Today, the Voice of Young Science Network, part of the group Sense About Science, issued an open letter to [...]... Read more »
Shang, A., Huwiler-Müntener, K., Nartey, L., Jüni, P., Dörig, S., Sterne, J., Pewsner, D., & Egger, M. (2005) Are the clinical effects of homoeopathy placebo effects? Comparative study of placebo-controlled trials of homoeopathy and allopathy. The Lancet, 366(9487), 726-732. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67177-2
- January 6, 2011
- 06:00 AM
- 1,078 views
Energy Drinks
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
My stimulant of choice is coffee. I started drinking it in first-year university, and never looked back. A tiny four-cup coffee maker became my reliable companion right through graduate school. But since I stopped needing to drink a pot at a time, an entirely new category of products has appeared — the energy drink. Targeting [...]... Read more »
Heckman, M., Sherry, K., & De Mejia, E. (2010) Energy Drinks: An Assessment of Their Market Size, Consumer Demographics, Ingredient Profile, Functionality, and Regulations in the United States. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 9(3), 303-317. DOI: 10.1111/j.1541-4337.2010.00111.x
Clauson, K., Shields, K., McQueen, C., & Persad, N. (2008) Safety issues associated with commercially available energy drinks. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 48(3). DOI: 10.1331/JAPhA.2008.07055
- February 27, 2009
- 11:55 PM
- 960 views
Cold-fX: More Hype than Hope for Colds and the Flu
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
Cold and flu season is in full swing here in Canada, and we’re all trying to avoid catching something, and recover faster if we’re already sick. Supported by endorsements from Canadian celebrities, and a recently announced tie-in with the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the biggest selling cold product in Canada is Cold-fX, manufactured by Edmonton-based CV [...]... Read more »
Janet E. Mcelhaney, Stefan Gravenstein, Sharon K. Cole, Edward Davidson, Dennis O'neill, Sharon Petitjean, Barry Rumble, & Jacqueline J. Shan. (2004) A Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Proprietary Extract of North American Ginseng (CVT-E002) to Prevent Acute Respiratory Illness in Institutionalized Older Adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 52(1), 13-19. DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2004.52004.x
Gerald N. Predy, Vinti Goel, Ray Lovlin, Allan Donner, Larry Stitt, & Tapan K. Basu. (2005) Efficacy of an extract of North American ginseng containing poly-furanosyl-pyranosyl-saccharides for preventing upper respiratory tract infections: a randomized controlled trial. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 173(9), 1043-1048. DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.1041470
Janet E. McElhaney, Vinti Goel, Benjamin Toane, Johnathan Hooten, & Jacqueline J. Shan. (2006) Efficacy of COLD-fX in the Prevention of Respiratory Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Adults: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo Controlled Trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 12(2), 153-157. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2006.12.153
- April 10, 2009
- 11:40 PM
- 946 views
Vivimind: Forget About It
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
You’ve seen the billboards for Vivimind across Canada. Remember them? Targeting an aging population of boomers, Vivimind is touted as a “scientifically proven” natural health product that “protects memory function”. The website goes to great lengths to promote that Vivimind is both “scientific” and “evidence based”. So let’s take a look at what sort of [...]... Read more »
Aisen, P., Saumier, D., Briand, R., Laurin, J., Gervais, F., Tremblay, P., & Garceau, D. (2006) A Phase II study targeting amyloid- with 3APS in mild-to-moderate Alzheimer disease. Neurology, 67(10), 1757-1763. DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000244346.08950.64
GERVAIS, F., PAQUETTE, J., MORISSETTE, C., KRZYWKOWSKI, P., YU, M., AZZI, M., LACOMBE, D., KONG, X., AMAN, A., & LAURIN, J. (2007) Targeting soluble Aβ peptide with Tramiprosate for the treatment of brain amyloidosis. Neurobiology of Aging, 28(4), 537-547. DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.02.015
- March 3, 2011
- 07:30 AM
- 939 views
Topical NSAIDs
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
I have a mental basket of drugs that I suspect may be placebos. In that basket were the topical versions of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). When the first products were commercially marketed over a decade ago, I found the clinical evidence unconvincing, and I suspected that the modestly positive effects were probably due to simply [...]... Read more »
Massey T, Derry S, Moore RA, & McQuay HJ. (2010) Topical NSAIDs for acute pain in adults. Cochrane database of systematic reviews (Online). PMID: 20556778
Trelle, S., Reichenbach, S., Wandel, S., Hildebrand, P., Tschannen, B., Villiger, P., Egger, M., & Juni, P. (2011) Cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: network meta-analysis. BMJ, 342(jan11 1). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.c7086
Haroutiunian, S., Drennan, D., & Lipman, A. (2010) Topical NSAID Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain. Pain Medicine, 11(4), 535-549. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00809.x
- December 23, 2010
- 06:00 AM
- 920 views
Vaccines are a pain: What to do about it
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
As much as I support vaccines, I see the short term consequences. Vaccines can be painful. Kids don’t like them, and parents don’t like seeing their children suffer. That this transient pain is the most common consequence of gaining protection from fatal illnesses seems like a fair trade-off to me. But that’s not the case [...]... Read more »
Taddio A, Appleton M, Bortolussi R, Chambers C, Dubey V, Halperin S, Hanrahan A, Ipp M, Lockett D, Macdonald N.... (2010) Reducing the pain of childhood vaccination: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (summary). CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal , 182(18), 1989-95. PMID: 21098067
- July 8, 2010
- 09:15 AM
- 903 views
Sunscreen in a Pill?
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
I’ve previously described the consequences of acute and chronic sun exposure, and the rationale for topical sunscreen products. But wouldn’t it be easier to just take a pill that can boost our skin’s resistance to to the harmful effects of the sun? Is it possible to get all the benefits of sunscreen without the bother [...]... Read more »
Villa, A., Viera, M., Amini, S., Huo, R., Perez, O., Ruiz, P., Amador, A., Elgart, G., & Berman, B. (2010) Decrease of ultraviolet A light–induced “common deletion” in healthy volunteers after oral Polypodium leucotomos extract supplement in a randomized clinical trial. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 62(3), 511-513. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2009.05.045
Middelkamp-Hup MA, Pathak MA, Parrado C, Goukassian D, Rius-Díaz F, Mihm MC, Fitzpatrick TB, & González S. (2004) Oral Polypodium leucotomos extract decreases ultraviolet-induced damage of human skin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 51(6), 910-8. PMID: 15583582
Middelkamp-Hup MA, Pathak MA, Parrado C, Garcia-Caballero T, Rius-Díaz F, Fitzpatrick TB, & González S. (2004) Orally administered Polypodium leucotomos extract decreases psoralen-UVA-induced phototoxicity, pigmentation, and damage of human skin. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 50(1), 41-9. PMID: 14699363
González S, Pathak MA, Cuevas J, Villarrubia VG, & Fitzpatrick TB. (1997) Topical or oral administration with an extract of Polypodium leucotomos prevents acute sunburn and psoralen-induced phototoxic reactions as well as depletion of Langerhans cells in human skin. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology , 13(1-2), 50-60. PMID: 9361129
- April 28, 2011
- 08:00 AM
- 890 views
Do calcium supplements cause heart attacks?
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
Calcium is good for us, right? Milk products are great sources of calcium, and we’re told to emphasize milk products in our diets. Don’t (or can’t) eat enough dairy? Calcium supplements are very popular, especially among women seeking to minimize their risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis prevention and treatment guidelines recommend calcium and vitamin D as [...]... Read more »
Bolland MJ, Avenell A, Baron JA, Grey A, MacLennan GS, Gamble GD, & Reid IR. (2010) Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). PMID: 20671013
Bolland, M., Grey, A., Avenell, A., Gamble, G., & Reid, I. (2011) Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ, 342(apr19 1). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.d2040
- June 23, 2011
- 07:30 AM
- 852 views
Et tu, Biomarkers?
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
Everything you know may be wrong. Well, not really, but reading the research of John Ioannidis does make you wonder. His work, concentrated on research about research, is a popular topic here at SBM. And that’s because he’s focused on improving the way evidence is brought to bear on decision-making. His most famous papers get [...]... Read more »
Ioannidis JP, & Panagiotou OA. (2011) Comparison of effect sizes associated with biomarkers reported in highly cited individual articles and in subsequent meta-analyses. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association, 305(21), 2200-10. PMID: 21632484
- February 17, 2011
- 09:00 AM
- 845 views
Are you sure you’re allergic to penicillin?
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
As a pharmacist, when I dispense medication, it’s my responsibility to ensure that the medication is safe and appropriate for the patient. There are numerous checks we go through including verifying the dose, ensuring there are no interactions with other drugs, and verifying the patient has no history of allergy to the product prescribed. Asking [...]... Read more »
Caubet JC, Kaiser L, Lemaître B, Fellay B, Gervaix A, & Eigenmann PA. (2011) The role of penicillin in benign skin rashes in childhood: a prospective study based on drug rechallenge. The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 127(1), 218-22. PMID: 21035175
- December 9, 2010
- 07:00 AM
- 841 views
Good Idea, Bad Execution: Dosing Errors, A Preventable Harm
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
We spend a lot time at SBM discussing different elements of the art and science of medicine, and how we believe that practice can be improve. Yet our science-based intentions can be thwarted at the last possible moment – in the form of dosing errors. The workup may have been comprehensive, the diagnosis could be [...]... Read more »
Yin HS, Mendelsohn AL, Wolf MS, Parker RM, Fierman A, van Schaick L, Bazan IS, Kline MD, & Dreyer BP. (2010) Parents' medication administration errors: role of dosing instruments and health literacy. Archives of pediatrics , 164(2), 181-6. PMID: 20124148
Yin HS, Wolf MS, Dreyer BP, Sanders LM, & Parker RM. (2010) Evaluation of Consistency in Dosing Directions and Measuring Devices for Pediatric Nonprescription Liquid Medications. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. PMID: 21119074
- April 25, 2009
- 10:49 PM
- 825 views
Supplements for Hot Flashes - The Power of Placebo
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
As a follow-up to a previous post on bioidentical hormone replacement, I thought it would be helpful to quickly review the major herbal and alternative medicine products available to treat menopausal symptoms. The market is large, and the treatments are ubiquitous in pharmacies, so they’re worth of some science-based scrutiny.
What is menopause?
Menopause is formally [...]... Read more »
Author not specified. (2009) Herbal medicines for menopausal symptoms. Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin, 47(1), 2-6. DOI: 10.1136/dtb.2008.12.0031
Reed, S., Newton, K., LaCroix, A., Grothaus, L., Grieco, V., & Ehrlich, K. (2007) Vaginal, endometrial, and reproductive hormone findings: randomized, placebo-controlled trial of black cohosh, multibotanical herbs, and dietary soy for vasomotor symptoms. Menopause. DOI: 10.1097/gme.0b013e318057787f
- April 8, 2010
- 09:10 PM
- 802 views
Chili Burn: Can Green Tea and Chili Pepper Burn Fat?
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
Diet products are common in most pharmacies. Consumer demand is one factor, with obesity proliferating to the point where the majority of Canadian adults are now overweight or obese. Compounded with the reality that there are no easy solutions when it comes to weight loss, the weight loss industry is working overtime developing new products. [...]... Read more »
Phung, O., Baker, W., Matthews, L., Lanosa, M., Thorne, A., & Coleman, C. (2009) Effect of green tea catechins with or without caffeine on anthropometric measures: a systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91(1), 73-81. DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.2009.28157
- March 3, 2011
- 08:00 AM
- 773 views
Topical NSAIDs
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
I have a mental basket of drugs that I suspect may be placebos. In that basket were the topical versions of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). When the first products were commercially marketed over a decade ago, I found the clinical evidence unconvincing, and I suspected that the modestly positive effects were probably due to simply [...]... Read more »
Haroutiunian, S., Drennan, D., & Lipman, A. (2010) Topical NSAID Therapy for Musculoskeletal Pain. Pain Medicine, 11(4), 535-549. DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-4637.2010.00809.x
Trelle S, Reichenbach S, Wandel S, Hildebrand P, Tschannen B, Villiger PM, Egger M, & Jüni P. (2011) Cardiovascular safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: network meta-analysis. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). PMID: 21224324
- July 14, 2009
- 09:00 AM
- 762 views
Preventing and Treating Macular Degeneration: Is TOZAL the Answer?
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
Nobody wants to lose their vision. Once you hit age 65, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of vision impairment/loss, affecting about 1 in 5 people. [1] [2] There is some evidence that vitamin supplements can help protect your eyes. But can a new supplement actually improve your vision? If you have [...]... Read more »
Cangemi, F. (2007) TOZAL Study: An open case control study of an oral antioxidant and omega-3 supplement for dry AMD. BMC Ophthalmology, 7(1), 3. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2415-7-3
Evans, J. (2008) Antioxidant supplements to prevent or slow down the progression of AMD: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eye, 22(6), 751-760. DOI: 10.1038/eye.2008.100
- March 22, 2010
- 08:30 AM
- 759 views
Responding to Anti-vaccine Misinformation: Understanding the Issues
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
Pharmacists pride themselves as being the most accessible health professionals. In community pharmacy settings, pharmacists speak with hundred of patients per day, and are available (free, and without an appointment) for quick consultations. Building good relationships is a rewarding part of being a pharmacist, and the level of trust that can develop supports open dialogue [...]... Read more »
Kata, A. (2010) A postmodern Pandora's box: Anti-vaccination misinformation on the Internet. Vaccine, 28(7), 1709-1716. DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.12.022
- January 20, 2011
- 07:45 AM
- 747 views
The risks of CAM: How much do we know?
by Scott Gavura in Science-Based Medicine
Working in pharmacies where supplements are sold alongside traditional (over-the-counter) medications, I’m regularly astonished at the different perceptions consumers can have about the relative efficacy and safety of different types of products. Once, speaking with a customer about a medical condition she wanted to treat, I indicated that there were no effective non-prescription therapies — [...]... Read more »
Lim A, Cranswick N, & South M. (2010) Adverse events associated with the use of complementary and alternative medicine in children. Archives of disease in childhood. PMID: 21178176
Walji, R., Boon, H., Barnes, J., Austin, Z., Welsh, S., & Baker, G. (2010) Consumers of natural health products: natural-born pharmacovigilantes?. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 10(1), 8. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-10-8
- April 28, 2011
- 10:00 PM
- 746 views
Do Calcium Supplements Cause Heart Attacks?
by Scott in Science-Based Pharmacy
Calcium is good for us, right? Milk products are great sources of calcium, and we’re told to emphasize milk products in our diets. Don’t (or can’t) eat enough dairy? Calcium supplements are very popular, especially among women seeking to minimize their risk of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis prevention and treatment guidelines recommend calcium and vitamin D as [...]... Read more »
Bolland MJ, Avenell A, Baron JA, Grey A, MacLennan GS, Gamble GD, & Reid IR. (2010) Effect of calcium supplements on risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular events: meta-analysis. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). PMID: 20671013
Bolland, M., Grey, A., Avenell, A., Gamble, G., & Reid, I. (2011) Calcium supplements with or without vitamin D and risk of cardiovascular events: reanalysis of the Women's Health Initiative limited access dataset and meta-analysis. BMJ, 342(apr19 1). DOI: 10.1136/bmj.d2040
topics
join us!
Do you write about peer-reviewed research in your blog? Use ResearchBlogging.org to make it easy for your readers — and others from around the world — to find your serious posts about academic research.
If you don't have a blog, you can still use our site to learn about fascinating developments in cutting-edge research from around the world.
