People’s Pharmacy: Doctors don’t talk about prescription prices. 2D
Today
T H U R S D A Y , J A N UA R Y 11, 2007
-TALK CHOCOLATE FOR HEALTH High blood pressure? Trouble
sleeping? Dark chocolate is just
what the doctor ordered.
According to researchers in the
SECTION D
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United Kingdom, dark chocolate
is filled with antioxidants called
flavanoids and cocoa phenols,
both of which can improve blood
circulation to reduce blood pres-
sure, reduce the risk of heart
disease, increase memory and
help overcome chronic fatigue. Flippinfudge.com is taking
advantage of these findings by
promoting its 1-inch square cubes
of hand-cut gourmet dark choco-
late fudge — less than 100 calo-
ries each — individually wrapped
in pink foil and nestled in colorful
paper shreds in an array of fla-
vors. The 16-piece variety box
sells for $22.50, with a 28-piece
box for $35. Four-piece samplers
are available for $9.50.
NUTTY NUTRITION Sure, nuts are rich in fats —
that’s how they make peanut
butter and peanut oil. But the
oils in nuts (monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated — the same
kind as in olive oil and canola
oil) are the “good fats” associ-
ated with reduced risk of heart
disease. They are low in saturat-
ed fat and contain no trans fats
and no cholesterol. Nuts, depending on variety,
contain all kinds of important STAFF GRAPHICS | ANTHONY BRATINA
nutrients, including B vitamins,
By Sarah Bruyn Jones
protein and fiber. Almonds are a
Staff Writer
particularly good source of vita-
min E, and peanuts are a good
source of folate. Cashews provide
copper and hazelnuts manganese,
both important micronutrients. The protein in nuts puts them
in the “meat” category of the
USDA My Pyramid diet guidelines.
According to the USDA, half an
ounce of nuts is equal to 1 ounce
E
xpired medications. Whether they’re a few extra pills from a prescription or a drug that just didn’t work properly, it doesn’t matter why your medicine cabinet is filled with unused medicine. What does matter is how it is disposed of.
of meat in meal planning.
FAT, WITH CHILDREN Adults living with children eat
more fat than grown-ups in kidfree homes, consuming as much saturated fat each week as found in an individual-size pizza, a study suggests. It may not exactly be the kids’ fault, but household cupboards are more likely to be stocked with high-fat convenience foods like cookies, cheese, peanuts and processed meats when children are around, the researchers said. Laroche and University of Michigan researchers examined data from the federal government’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The researchers scoured detailed food questionnaires given to 6,600 adults living with and without children older than 17. The survey reviewed what the adults ate during a 24-hour period.
Flushing unused prescribed or over-the-counter, medications down the toilet is bad for the environment. The same is true for pouring liquid meds down a drain. Tossing medicines in the trash may cause less ground and water pollution, but it’s considered unsafe. Incineration is the best method for destroying meds, but it’s not easily available. And it is not recommended that people do it on their own. According to the Alabama Board of Pharmacy, it is illegal for a pharmacist to take back unused medications. Additionally, there are federal laws that make returning pills to a drug store difficult. Some cities are beginning to sponsor household waste management programs that include the disposal of pills along with turpentine, oil and other products. Tuscaloosa, however, is not among them. Instead, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program and the Foster Grandparent Program at FOCUS on Senior Citizens have teamed up with the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Safe Kids and TRIAD to hold a one-day drug roundup on Tuesday. Nancy Rogers of FOCUS organized the roundup. She said it is open to everyone and that the organizers are interested in making it an annual event. The event was held once before — in 2005 — Rogers said. The drugs will be stored with evidence and destroyed at an incinerator. Twice a year, drugs collected by police are taken to be burned. The
roundup does not cost taxpayers any additional money, Snyder said. “We’ll take everything that they bring,” said Capt. Jeff Snyder, commander of the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force. While Snyder said he prefers people to drop off unwanted drugs at the annual roundup, residents can bring unused medicine by the Tuscaloosa Police Department if they are in a pinch. “If we can be assistance, we will,” Snyder said. “I just don’t want to be a dumping site for everything. But, if the public doesn’t know what [the drugs] are and needs assistance, we’ll be happy to take a look at it and help out.”
Environmental concerns Low concentrations of chemicals commonly found in prescription and over-the-counter medications were found in 80 percent of streams sampled in the United States, according to a study published by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2002. The study sampled 139 streams in 30 states, but the evidence was enough to force officials to reconsider disposing medications in sewer drains. That practice had been the recommendation of poison control centers for years. Researchers found that medicine in sewage drains increased the likelihood of environmental exposure to residues that cannot be removed by sewage treatment plants. In the fall, the Environmental Protection Agency and several other federal government agencies, solicited researchers to develop take-back pilot programs. At the time, the EPA intended to award three grants of about $300,000 each. Washington has proposed a
statewide program that could net more than 45 tons of unused drugs, according to the EPA.
To toss or not to toss The issue of pitching unused medicine into the trash doesn’t appear to have the same environmental concerns as flushing drugs. In fact, a spokesman for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management said its landfill linings protect unwanted toxins from discarded meds from seeping into groundwater. While environmental concerns may not be an issue once drugs reach a landfill, safety concerns do arise before the trash ever gets to the landfill. In the age of identity theft, labels from prescriptions can end up in the wrong hands. Even if that doesn’t happen, a trash can filled with pills could allow people or animals to get to the drugs. Poisoning of animals, both domestic and wild, is serious. But officials also are concerned about accidental poisoning of curious children who could sift through a household trash bin. Law enforcement also has an interest in the issue. Prescription drugs, especially controlled narcotics, tossed into a Dumpster could end up in the hands of addicts r ummaging for a fix. Additionally, many control substance prescriptions, such as the painkiller OxyContin, have monetary street value. If you do decide to throw drugs into the garbage, experts with the Therapeutic Research Center recommend taking the following steps: ■ Keep drugs in their original
childproof container. ■ Remove or obliterate the patient’s name and other identifying information from the container. ■ Place liquids in a plastic sealable bag. ■ Make the drugs as unpalatable as possible by adding a nontoxic spice, water or kitty litter to the container. ■ Place the drugs in durable packaging like an unmarked brown paper bag. ■ Put in the garbage as close to pickup time as possible.
DRUG ROUNDUP Where: FOCUS on Senior Citizens, 1920 Sixth St. and Northport Fire Station 1, near the Northport Civic Center When: 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday What: Any medications that are unused, outdated or unwanted can be dropped off. Why: To limit the environmental and societal impact of disposing medications, especially with increasing prescription drug use. Details: Volunteers will be on hand to mark out personal identification information on pill bottles. All the drugs will then be taken by the West Alabama Narcotics Task Force to be burned.