Archive for May, 2012

Don’t Fry This Memorial Day- This summer be Sun Smart.

Posted by on May 28th, 2012

The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention designated the Friday before Memorial Day as Don’t Fry Day. For many around the U.S, the Memorial Day long weekend is the unofficial kick off to summer and with meteorologists predicting this summer to be the hottest on record around many region, it’s important to be reminded of proper skincare techniques to avoid the risks of over exposure from the sun.

Here are some quick facts and prevention notes from the National Council for Skin Cancer Prevention:

  • Skin cancer is the most common cancer
  • 20-30-year-olds get skin cancer more than any other cancer.
  • The incidence of many common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) continues to rise significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common cancers.
  • One American dies every hour from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
  • Approximately 76,000 new cases of melanoma will occur this year.

Do Not Burn or Tan

  • Avoid intentional tanning.
  • Avoid tanning beds.
  • Ultraviolet light from the sun and tanning beds causes skin cancer and wrinkling.

Seek Shade

  • When sun’s rays are the strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Wear Protective Clothing

  • Long-sleeved shirt and pants.
  • A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.

 Generously Apply Sunscreen

  • Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 or higher for protection from ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.
  • Apply 15 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours.

Use Extra Caution Near Water, Snow, and Sand

  • These surfaces reflect the damaging rays of the sun, which can increase your chance of sunburn.

Get Vitamin D Safely

  • Through a healthy diet.
  • Take vitamin supplements.

Early detection of melanoma can save your life.  Carefully examine all of your skin once a month.  A new or changing spot should be evaluated. And remember that CanadaDrugs.com, Canadian Pharmacy has a full line of popular sunscreen at discount prices to help you stock up.

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All Baby Boomers Need To Be Tested For Hepatitis C

Posted by on May 24th, 2012

U.S. health officials at the Centers for Disease Control are recommending that all baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965 get a one-time test to see if they may have contracted hepatitis C at some point earlier in their lives.

Baby boomers account for 2 million of the 3.2 million Americans infected with the blood-borne virus. The virus can take decades to cause liver damage, and many people don’t know they’re infected because just a single incident can lead to infection and in may cases the infection progresses slowly over decades causing no symptoms at all, but by the time one is older and starts to notice signs of the liver disease, it is advanced and cause serious and deadly health complications. CDC officials believe the new call for testing could lead to 800,000 more baby boomers to get treatment and could save more than 120,000 lives.

The announcement of the proposed change coincides with the first-ever National Hepatitis Testing Day which was held on May 19. After a public comment period, the new guidelines are expected to be finalized later this year. Boomers who want to comment on the plan will get a chance starting Tuesday at www.regulations.gov, docket number CDC-2012-0005. Comments will be accepted through June 8 and a decision about the proposal will be made later this year.

The reason the CDC is recommending such an expansive test program is because while many people understand hepatitis C is spread by contact with contaminated blood or organs and unsafe practices such as injection drug use, before 1992 and testing of the blood supply, people who revived transfusions are at risk. As well anyone who has had a tattoo or a piercing is at moderate risk. It’s also possible to pick it up through pedicures, manicures or medical procedures with improperly sterilized equipment, as well as sexual contact with someone that has been infected. Because the disease was not even identified until 1989, many older people might never have been aware that they were at risk, leading to the sudden surge of cases emerging in the Boomer age bracket.

Hepatitis C is the No. 1 reason for liver transplants and is fuelling the soaring demand. It is also the leading cause of cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. The CDC call for widespread testing would easily be accomplished by adding one more lab test to Boomer samples when they go for medical tests, something this aging demographic is already doing. There are some new anti-viral prescription medication coming to market to treat the disease, but for those that have had it for a while, even small lifestyle changes can have massive help benefits to slow damage to the liver.

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Prescription Medication and Alcohol: A Combo to be Careful of

Posted by on May 22nd, 2012

Many prescription and over-the-counter medications can interact with alcohol, leading to increased risk of illness, injury, or even death. For example, it is estimated that alcohol-medication interactions may be a factor in at least 25 percent of all emergency room admissions. Less serious interactions may go unrecognized or unrecorded, but may result in making prescription medication less effective.

Growing older also means that the body will react differently to alcohol consumption than it did in the past and this is something else to keep in mind even when having a few social drinks. To guard against potential problems with medicines, become knowledgeable about your medication and how it makes you feel and please feel free to contact one of our pharmacists at CanadaDrugs.com, Canadian pharmacy to ask if you should be aware of any issues with your drug effectiveness when combined with alcohol.

Researcher has proven that older Americans tended to have more adverse reactions to mixing medication and alcohol than younger people because of decreased kidney and liver function, and because they were more likely to take more than one medication at a time.

Almost any drug can react with alcohol, but some common emergency room visits are related to mixing Anti-diabetic medications, Anticoagulants, Cardiovascular medications and especially pain or sedative medication. Make sure you speak to your doctor and pharmacy team if you take any of these classes of medication and are even a social drinker. It doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a glass of wine with dinner, but your medical team should be aware and advise you of any warning signs to look out for in terms of adverse reactions to mixing prescription medication and alcohol.

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John McCain and Al Franken support drugs importation from Canada.

Posted by on May 14th, 2012

RxRights.org, a national coalition that raises awareness and speaks in favor of Americans ability to safely import prescription medication recently wrote to several American senators to thank them for supporting a reauthorization of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act which would have made it less difficult to order medication from countries like Canada.

Senator and former presidential candidate John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the amendment and in an example of bipartisan cooperation his fellow Senator Al Franken (D-MN) co-sponsored the bill.  Unfortunately the amendment only received 9 votes and was defeated by a 12-9 vote in the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions.  The amendment would have required the Secretary of Health and Human Services to publish a list of safe online Canadian pharmacies that are licensed and follow proper and ethical pharmacy practices. Such a list would allow American consumers to be more informed and be able to make educated decisions on the savings benefits of ordering safe medication from online Canadian pharmacies.

During the debate on the bill Sen. McCain held up a bottle of a popular heartburn medicine. It costs $5.71 in the United States, but Sen. McCain informed his fellow senators that in Canada, it costs only $1.34. Price differences like that are common, as many CanadaDrugs.com customers can attest.

The Minneapolis Star Triune wrote more in depth on this issue and quotes Sen. McCain questioning opposition to Canadian drugs as not being thought out, as Canada maintains a similar high level of pharmacy oversight as in the United States.

For over a decade, CanadaDrugs.com and other online pharmacies in Canada have been serving tens of millions of Americans and providing them safe, and affordable prescription medication that many would not be able to afford without importation. We join with http://www.RxRights.org and encourage you to contact your elected officials and tell them that you want more action taken on making it easier for Americans to import medication from safe countries like Canada.

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Retiring soon? Have $240,000 saved for health care costs?

Posted by on May 9th, 2012

Are you and your spouse looking at leaving the rat race and retiring in the next year or so? If so, you might want to have $240,000 saved up just to cover your health care expenses in retirement, according to a new estimate by Fidelity Investments. This represents a 4 percent increase from last year, when the estimate was $230,000, and it’s not expected to drop anytime soon with health care costs and prescription drug costs rising faster than the average rate of inflation. This years 4 percent increase is modest, since annual increases in the Fidelity estimates have averaged over 6 percent since they began their retirement health cost calculation in 2002.

The study is based on projections for a 65-year-old couple retiring this year with Medicare coverage. The estimate factors in the federal program’s premiums, co-payments and deductibles, as well as out-of-pocket prescription costs. The study assumes the couple does not have insurance from their former employers, and a life expectancy of 85 for women and 82 for men. The estimate doesn’t factor in most dental services, or long-term care, such as the cost of living in a nursing home, which would add hundreds of thousands of dollars more onto the expected costs.

These large numbers illustrate the tight balancing act that seniors need to factor in when doing retirement and budget planning.  Health care costs, are now a greater percentage of retirees expenses than any other budget item and as medical costs rise, many retires will be squeezed further by the reality that they often don’t have enough savings or income to cover medical and prescription drug costs.

Canada Drugs, online Canadian Pharmacy is committed to offering an affordable alternative and offering some price relief to out of control health care costs. Even with Medicare coverage, many seniors face large out-of-pocket prescription drug costs and we offer an opportunity to save significant amounts of money by taking advantage of lower priced international medication. It’s simply impossible for many people of fixed retirement incomes to afford their medical and prescription costs. With over a decade of delivering quality and service, CanadaDrugs.com offers some budget relief that can stretch budgets and allow fixed incomes some relief to sky rocketing prices.

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