Are Compounding Pharmacies Safe?

Compounding pharmacies work to create pharmaceutical products which are specifically designed to fit the unique needs of each patient. They specialise in preparing and dispensing bespoke pharmaceutical products to patients who cannot or do not want to (for whatever reason) take standard, mass produced medication. Many consumers are turning to these pharmacies because they have previously had problems with standard prescription drugs.Because the compounded prescription medications that they sell are different from those that are already available on the rest of the market, some consumers may be worried about whether or not using a compounding pharmacy is safe. However, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have stated that compounding is perfectly legal and ethical so long as the pharmacy is fully licensed and the pharmacist who carried out the compounding is also fully trained and licensed.Because of the potential health implications associated with all medicinal drugs, compounding pharmaceuticals is a heavily regulated business, and the FDA and individual state boards of pharmacy have introduced strict guidelines to help ensure that customers and patients using these compounding pharmacies should remain safe. All bulk drug substances that are used in these types of pharmacies should be on an approved-list of substances that it is legal and safe to compound with. Any previously marketed substances which have been proven to be ineffective or unsafe do not make the approved-list of substances suitable for compounding. Pharmacists are not supposed to compound with any substance that is not on the approved-list. Although many states do not require practices to report any newly discovered side-effects associated with compounded drugs, ethical pharmacies will voluntarily report them.The compounding pharmacy itself is also subject to strict guidelines, as well as the substances that they compound with. The pharmacy must meet high quality control standards and each individual laboratory must meet strict facility guidelines, to ensure safety and consistency in each batch of drugs produced. Pharmacies in America are regulated by individual “state boards of pharmacy”, and therefore each state has slightly different sets of regulations. It is possible to check with the board of pharmacy in your state if you are still unsure. Inspectors from the state board will carry out regular checks on licensed pharmacies and random sampling checks may be carried out on batches of drugs that are being dispensed to check the safety and potency.Pharmacists who practice in compounding pharmacies are heavily regulated as well. They must be fully trained and licensed in order to dispense medicine that they have compounded, so that they are able to fully understand the drugs that they are making.If you still have doubts, you can contact your chosen pharmacy and they will be able to explain the standards, testing and quality control exercises that are used by their practice in order to ensure the safety of their customers. If you are in any doubt, you do not have to use that pharmacy. Remember that it is the interest of pharmacies to ensure that their products are safe, legal, ethical and effective.

What Are The Greatest Changes In Shopping In Your Lifetime

What are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime? So asked my 9 year old grandson.

As I thought of the question the local Green Grocer came to mind. Because that is what the greatest change in shopping in my lifetime is.

That was the first place to start with the question of what are the greatest changes in shopping in your lifetime.

Our local green grocer was the most important change in shopping in my lifetime. Beside him was our butcher, a hairdresser and a chemist.

Looking back, we were well catered for as we had quite a few in our suburb. And yes, the greatest changes in shopping in my lifetime were with the small family owned businesses.

Entertainment While Shopping Has Changed
Buying butter was an entertainment in itself.
My sister and I often had to go to a favourite family grocer close by. We were always polite as we asked for a pound or two of butter and other small items.

Out came a big block of wet butter wrapped in grease-proof paper. Brought from the back of the shop, placed on a huge counter top and included two grooved pates.

That was a big change in our shopping in my lifetime… you don’t come across butter bashing nowadays.

Our old friendly Mr. Mahon with the moustache, would cut a square of butter. Lift it to another piece of greaseproof paper with his pates. On it went to the weighing scales, a bit sliced off or added here and there.

Our old grocer would then bash it with gusto, turning it over and over. Upside down and sideways it went, so that it had grooves from the pates, splashes going everywhere, including our faces.

My sister and I thought this was great fun and it always cracked us up. We loved it, as we loved Mahon’s, on the corner, our very favourite grocery shop.

Grocery Shopping
Further afield, we often had to go to another of my mother’s favourite, not so local, green grocer’s. Mr. McKessie, ( spelt phonetically) would take our list, gather the groceries and put them all in a big cardboard box.

And because we were good customers he always delivered them to our house free of charge. But he wasn’t nearly as much fun as old Mr. Mahon. Even so, he was a nice man.

All Things Fresh
So there were very many common services such as home deliveries like:

• Farm eggs

• Fresh vegetables

• Cow’s milk

• Freshly baked bread

• Coal for our open fires

Delivery Services
A man used to come to our house a couple of times a week with farm fresh eggs.

Another used to come every day with fresh vegetables, although my father loved growing his own.

Our milk, topped with beautiful cream, was delivered to our doorstep every single morning.

Unbelievably, come think of it now, our bread came to us in a huge van driven by our “bread-man” named Jerry who became a family friend.

My parents always invited Jerry and his wife to their parties, and there were many during the summer months. Kids and adults all thoroughly enjoyed these times. Alcohol was never included, my parents were teetotallers. Lemonade was a treat, with home made sandwiches and cakes.

The coal-man was another who delivered bags of coal for our open fires. I can still see his sooty face under his tweed cap but I can’t remember his name. We knew them all by name but most of them escape me now.

Mr. Higgins, a service man from the Hoover Company always came to our house to replace our old vacuum cleaner with an updated model.

Our insurance company even sent a man to collect the weekly premium.

People then only paid for their shopping with cash. This in itself has been a huge change in shopping in my lifetime.

In some department stores there was a system whereby the money from the cash registers was transported in a small cylinder on a moving wire track to the central office.

Some Of The Bigger Changes
Some of the bigger changes in shopping were the opening of supermarkets.

• Supermarkets replaced many individual smaller grocery shops. Cash and bank cheques have given way to credit and key cards.

• Internet shopping… the latest trend, but in many minds, doing more harm, to book shops.

• Not many written shopping lists, because mobile phones have taken over.

On a more optimistic note, I hear that book shops are popular again after a decline.

Personal Service Has Most Definitely Changed
So, no one really has to leave home, to purchase almost anything, technology makes it so easy to do online.
And we have a much bigger range of products now, to choose from, and credit cards have given us the greatest ease of payment.

We have longer shopping hours, and weekend shopping. But we have lost the personal service that we oldies had taken for granted and also appreciated.

Because of their frenetic lifestyles, I have heard people say they find shopping very stressful, that is grocery shopping. I’m sure it is when you have to dash home and cook dinner after a days work. I often think there has to be a better, less stressful way.

My mother had the best of both worlds, in the services she had at her disposal. With a full time job looking after 9 people, 7 children plus her and my dad, she was very lucky. Lucky too that she did not have 2 jobs.

An Anti Aging Skin Care Review Guide – 5 Highly Proven Ingredients and 3 Toxic Substances to Avoid

It is easier for people to gauge the effectiveness of any anti aging skin care review by simply reading the recommendations that evaluate products.  Like me, many of these people (and perhaps you) have struggled with lines and wrinkles, especially on the face and want a simple, yet effective system to remove these flaws.Many products, however, require frequent reapplication to make our skin look better and unfortunately, they do nothing to improve the state of our skin.  The “improvement” simply lasts until the skin lotion or cream fades or washes away.In this anti aging skin care review, we will look ways to use products that actually benefit and improve your skin, while avoiding those with chemical additives that irritate skin and could make you sick.Anti Aging Skin Care Review Tip #1 – Toxic SubstancesFirst in this anti aging skin care review, let’s consider the chemical additives.  Anything you apply to skin is literally ingested by it, which means that it is absorbed through the layers of the skin and makes its way to the blood stream. Parabens are preservatives designed to make skin products last longer.  Unfortunately, they are also linked to many cancers and are artificial substances you would never find naturally in the body.  Instead, look for natural preservatives such as natural Vitamin E, which also has some great health benefits.Mineral Oils are also known as petrolatum, liquid paraffin, and paraffin wax on the label.  These oils clog up the skin’s pores and disrupt the body’s ability to get rid of toxins, and can lead to serious acne problems.  It also leads to a faster aging and irritation of skin if used for a prolonged period of time.Fragrances are also another chemical added to most skin products to make them more appealable to consumers.  The problem is, these added chemicals irritate skin and detract from the benefits that the product provides.  When you really think about it, there is no reason you absolutely have to smell good on every square inch of your body.  And if you need to smell good, use a perfume or cologne, preferably on clothing.Anti Aging Skin Care Review Tip #2 – 5 Great Ingredients to Look ForWhen it comes to an anti aging skin care system, natural ingredients are what is most important.  Use ingredients such as Nano-lipobelle H-EQ10, which deeply penetrates all layers of skin, helping to replace the Coenzyme Q10 (an energy provider for cells) in skin as we age.  It also mentioned in an anti aging skin care review to be highly effective at preventing UV damage.Jojoba Oil is a highly effective oil that is extremely similar to human sebum, which is the oil produced by the skin.  With Jojoba Oil, your skin gets the right amount of oil regardless whether you have dry or oily skin.  It helps to moisturize and soften skin, while also helping to significantly reduce wrinkles and stretch marks.Natural Vitamin E is in this anti aging skin care review because it’s a well known antioxidant that helps protect skin from damaging free radicals which come from sun exposure and aging. As mentioned before, it is a natural preservative and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.Active Manuka Honey is a great skin healer and makes the elastin fibers within cells stronger.  It actively supports cell regrowth and regeneration.  Additionally, Active Manuka Honey nourishes and rejuvenates skin, making it look softer and younger, and is very effective at penetrating through all of the skin’s layers.Another key ingredient to look for in an anti aging skin care system is Cynergy TK.  It is highly effective at stimulating the body to naturally produce collagen and elastin, two crucial proteins when it comes to caring for your skin.  Cynergy TK promotes firmness and elasticity in skin while also stimulating new cell growth.  It is known for significantly reducing fine lines and wrinkles and making skin smoother and younger looking.That sums up this anti aging skin care review.  Keep these ingredients in mind when looking for your next skin care product.  Knowing what ingredients to look for and what to stay away from are equally important when it comes to caring for your skin.  Take care of your skin and your body, and you will see great results over time.