Understanding medication-induced hair loss
With new medications arriving on the market all the time that patients may be unfamiliar with, prescription requests are often accompanied by a flurry of questions. Understandably, the prescribing doctor does not always have the time to go through all the side effects of the medications. Part of our function as dispensers is to provide […]
Medicare now approves weight-loss drugs for people with heart problems
There has been much attention in the media to an announcement from Medicare in mid-March 2024. In essence, it said that it has now agreed to start paying for one of the leading weight-loss drugs for people with heart problems when it is prescribed to treat overweight or obese patients if they are at risk […]
Fielding questions relating to menopause
One of the subjects that draws frequent questions from our customers and that land on my desk as the senior pharmacist here at IsraelPharm is how best to manage the onset of menopause and how to live with it forever more. It’s understandable that lots of questions relating to menopause crop up because, after all, […]
Why do doctors prescribe a brand-name drug when there are cheaper generics?
I have worked for nearly 30 years in retail pharmacy and have been asked many questions by customers. One of the most frequent themes of these queries relates to choosing between brand-name drugs and their generics. Most queries concern the substantial price differences between buying brand-name drugs and generics. People often ask me, “Why do […]
Can Metformin be used for more than just diabetes?
Metformin has a long history as a substance with some medical value. It dates back even before its official recognition in 1918 for its ability to reduce blood sugar levels. Before any medical knowledge about diabetes, herbalists utilized a plant called Galega officinalis (also known as goat’s rue or French Lilac) to treat people who […]
World Obesity Week 2024
As we have highlighted previously, World Obesity Week used to be scheduled in November each year. This year, by consensus of the many governmental and international bodies engaged in public health promotion, it has been moved to March, with the start of Obesity Care Week, which runs from the 4th to the 8th of March. […]
Beyond hot flashes: Creating a supportive workplace for all women
I’ve lived long enough to be a first-hand witness to the unfair portrayal of women in society, which was sadly accepted as the norm until recently. The shared beliefs held ‘way back when’ often marginalized women, placing ultimate value on their reproductive abilities. Aging was primarily discussed in the terminology of myths and legends across cultures, […]
Shine a Light on Glaucoma: A Week of Awareness in March 2024
World Glaucoma Week 2024 this year falls in the first full week of March, between the 3rd and 9th of the month. This year will be the 14th observance of the week since its launch in 2010 by the World Glaucoma Patient Association, which aims to better the lives of patients living with glaucoma. Also […]
5 Things to Know About Clinical Depression
Google recently introduced an Artificial Intelligence platform, Gemini, to take over from its BARD system. Curious about its capabilities, I asked, “What health-related queries do people commonly search for on the web?” Gemini highlighted that inquiries about clinical depression rank among the most common health topics searched on the internet, closely following diet (specifically weight loss) […]
Food Fight: Can Legislation Tackle Obesity?
At the end of October 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom of California signed a trailblazing law set to take effect in 2027. The new law is aimed at forcing food producers to incorporate new levels of safety into their recipes for their products manufactured in the state and sold in California and elsewhere around the country. […]
