TODAY IS FRIDAY NOVEMBER 9TH AND I SAID I WOULD TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A REALTIONSHIP WITH ONE PHARMACY AND ONE PHARMACIST WHO KNOWS YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY AND WHAT MEDICATIONS YOU TAKE AND ANY PROBLEMS YOU MAY HAVE HAD WITH THOSE MEDICATIONS.

JUST LIKE A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR DOCTOR A RELATIONSHIP WITH A GOOD PHARMACIST CAN REALY HELP YOU TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR HEALTH CARE. BY HAVING THAT RELATIONSHIP YOU CAN USE THAT PERSON AS A RESOURCE FOR WHAT DRUGS YOU TAKE, AND HOW OFTEN TO TAKE THEM, AND TO SAFELY STORE THOSE MEDICATIONS. YOU CAN USE THAT PHARMACIST TO CHECK WITH TO SEE IF YOU CAN OR CAN NOT TAKE SOME OTC DRUGS. IN ONE CASE I HAD A PATIENT WHO WAS GOING TO BUY SOME ASPIRIN WHO WAS ALREADY ON A BLOOD THINNING PRODUCT, I STOPPED THIS PATIENT FROMA FATAL OUTCOME BY STOPPING THE SALE.

REMEMBER THAT WE AS PHARMACISTS ARE YOUR SOURCE OF MEDICATION INFORMATION JUST AS WE ARE OFTEN THE SOURCE OF INFORMATION TO THE PHYSCIAN.

THE HOT NEWS TODAY IS THAT IF LOOKS LIKE MERCK AND CO. IS GOING TO SETTLE THE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF LEGAL ACTIONS WITH REGARDS TO VIOXX. ALTHOUGH MERCK HAD WON MORE THAN 70% OF THE CASES IN COURT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT THIS PART OF THEIR HISTORY BEHIND THEM AND MOVE ON.

ON MONDAY I WILL START TALKING ABOUT THE CONDITION THAT SOME 20 PLUS MILLION OF US HAVE, DIABETES!!! THE SIGNS, SYMPTOMS, HOW WE TREAT IT AND WHAT THE OUTCOMES COULD BE AND SHOULD BE. THIS IS A SUBJECT NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AS I HAVE BEEN DIABETIC FOR YEARS!!!