Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Mental Health Illness Medications - 3 Points to Raise With Your Doctor Before Taking a New Medicine
The right drug therapy program can really work wonders for you when other options have not fully taken care of the symptoms you feel from your mental health illness. There's no shame in turning to the many medicines out there to help regulate and even elevate the brain's chemistry and lead to a better, more consistent set of moods. For many people dealing with mental health issues, a good prescription can help them regain the pieces of life they've lost in the past. For example, if you're trying to handle depression, there are many anti-depressive medicines that can help you get back to the social activities you used to enjoy before the depression set in. There are a few key points to discuss with your doctor before starting any prescription regimen.
First, be sure to ask about the most common side effects that other patients have experienced on a specific drug being prescribed. While the overall side effects are listed on the side of the medicine bottle, those side effects may not all happen at once. By asking for the most common side effects, you know what to expect.
Next, you want to ask about any possible drug interactions that may arise between what you're being described and what you're already taking. Even if you aren't taking any prescription medicine at the moment, you don't want to overlook over the counter medicines you might be taking. Many prescription drugs do have interaction warnings against some over the counter drugs and leaving those out can cause serious health side effects.
At this point, it's important to be completely open and honest about your family history, current mood cycles, and anything else the doctor can use to accurately prescribe something to help with the symptoms you're feeling. Many people just starting out in the mental health arena have some feelings of embarrassment being this open and thorough, but there's no need to have these feelings at all.
Finally, make sure to ask about the proper schedule to take the medicine. There are drugs that affect the body to such a point where taking it an hour or two past schedule can affect the overall effectiveness of the drug. In addition, be sure to ask whether or not the medicine needs to be taken with food. Taking a medicine that requires food to go along with it on an empty stomach can create a serious case of nausea that can take a while to go away.
The key point to take away from this is that you don't have to go through the process of handling a mental health issue on your own. You should view your primary physician as a team player in fully taking on the road to better mental health and awareness head on and be willing to share everything you can. Don't forget to follow up with your doctor if anything changes or if your overall condition begins to worsen after the medicine routine has been set up. You deserve the best health possible so don't be afraid to do whatever you have to in order to get it!
Looking for more points to bring up to your doctor before taking a new medication? We have you covered on our mental health social network, where friends of mental health sufferers as well as people dealing directly with mental health problems exchange tips openly and freely in a highly supportive environment. Why not check it out today?
Integrative Medicine - The New Medicine For the 21st Century
Americans spend about 16% of GDP on healthcare, which is the highest rate throughout the world. However, Americans live shorter lives than many other industrial countries in the world. Large amounts of money (about 75%) were spent on heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, hypertension, stroke, and obesity. Although the top health killers (heart disease, cancer and stroke) have dropped in the past several decades, Americans are still at a high risk especially for those who do not have insurance or easy access to medical care. American health care is a 'disease care' with little focus on prevention. It is a cycle of more expense and less delivery, as end stage of diseases usually used most of the resources. Conventional medicine is focused on special part of human body. Prescription and procedure are straightforward and effective at the cost of side effects and a high expense. At some points, People are treated as 'statistics' or 'machines' instead of humans. The treatment based upon the data pool may not be applied to an individual.
Most of these diseases, such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, or obesity, are preventable if we watch our diet, stop smoking, manage stress appropriately, and exercise regularly. Life style change is more important especially when dealing with these preventable chronic diseases. Complementary alternative medicine (CAM) pays more attention to whole body, with the belief that each part of body is communicative and influences the others. As of today, American people are increasingly aware of the importance of CAM. Thirty-eight percent of American adults and 12% children use CAM including chiropractic, acupuncture, Yoga, Chinese herbal medicine, TaiChi, Qigong, meditation, massage, or food supplements to beat stress, relieve fatigue, kill pain, solve insomnia, and control body weight. CAM is easy, convenient, cost effective, and has little or no side effects. Ancient art and skills of healing, with a history of a thousand years, now have modern significance.
Keeping individuals healthy mentally and physically requires prevention, medication, and procedures. Integrative medicine, blending both conventional medicine and complementary alternative medicine equally, will be the future of medicine. Conventional medicine, supported by advanced scientific research and technique, is good at management of acute and severe diseases. CAM, a holistic medicine, handles chronic or preventable diseases very well. Integrative medicine system is the most appropriate model that can deliver high quality and affordable health care to American people.
The journal of the American Association of Integrative Medicine is a forum for anyone with the same beliefs about integrative medicine, which will be mainstream in the near future. We welcome articles, studies, letters/correspondence, advertisement, and news. Authors and readers can network and exchange opinions each other.
Article written by Dr. Zhaoming Chen, Board Chair for the American Association of Integrative Medicine. For more information, please visit http://www.aaimedicine.com.
Tips When Taking New Medicine
If you are starting to take new prescription medication, you should ask your pharmacist or doctor a few questions. You may want to write any questions down, in case you forget them while you're at the pharmacy or doctor's office. Begin with any questions you have personally.
Ask your doctor what time of day it is best to take your medication. Ask how often and how long you should be taking the medication. It's important to take your medication at the same time everyday, so you might want to sign up with an electronic medicine scheduler that will alert you when it is time to take your medication. If you're taking more than one medication, be sure to ask your doctor what kind of effects the medication will have in conjunction with one another. Sometimes the doctor will overlook current medications when prescribing new ones, so it's always a good idea to ask.
When you purchase you medications from the pharmacy, take a moment to read the literature that comes with the medicine. You might be tempted just to throw it away and take the medicine as prescribed on the bottle, but it's important to know what side effects to look for and what time of day your medicine will be most effective.
If your medicine needs to be taken with food, you should make your medication schedule so that you take it right after breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If medication that you take in the morning is making you drowsy, you should ask your doctor if it is okay to take the medication before you go to bed. If the medication lasts for twenty four hours, this should be okay.
When starting to take medicine for the first time, you should keep a brief journal for one or two weeks, to make sure you aren't suffering any adverse side effects from the medication. If you do experience any side effects you should write down the date and time and what kind of side effect you've experienced. Then, you can take this to your doctor and he or she can help you decide how to fix the problem.
Create a routine that works for you. If you plan on taking your medicine for some time, you'll need to take it at the same time each day for it to work properly. If you have to wake up a few minutes early to take medicine with breakfast that you wouldn't normally eat, it's important to start this routine as soon as possible. Medicine schedules online can help you get into a routine by sending reminders to your phone or e-mail.
Starting new medications can be confusing, and sometimes it can be difficult to adjust to taking multiple medications. There are plenty of resources at your pharmacy and online that can help educate you about medicine and remind you to take your medicine on time so that it can be the most effective. If you have any questions about the medication you're taking, talk to your doctor before taking any action yourself.
To find a free tool that reminds you to take your medicine via text and email go to pill reminder or daily medication planner.
The New Medicine: Integrative, Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) - Medical Intuition & Distan
In the Bravewell Collaborative's PBS special on the New Medicine Dana Reeves expressed that traditional medicine is now examining and addressing the entire mind body connection. One of the physicians interviewed stated "It is dumb" to not look at the entire person in order to determine the complete patient diagnosis.
PBS previews state:
"A burgeoning movement is taking place in hospitals and clinics across this country - integrating the best of high-tech medicine with a new attitude that recognizes that treating the patient as a whole person is essential to the healing process. As scientific findings reveal that the mind plays a critical role in the body's capacity to heal, the medical community is beginning to embrace a new range of treatment options, including many once considered fringe.
The National Institutes of Health has been funding rigorous scientific research to determine what alternative healing strategies are safe and effective so that there is solid evidence to broaden medical choices for patients. "Integrative medicine means being able to offer patients a full array of choices from conventional medicine, but to be able to add those complementary and alternative strategies where we have scientific evidence that they work and they're safe," says Dr. Margaret Chesney, Deputy Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a division of the NIH. "
Your body's energy system records and stores everything that has occurred since your physical being was born. Its energy blueprint provides a complete information source about what has and is occurring. Your energy divulges whether physical health issues were derived from an emotional connection or are an acquired physical manifestation from cellular deficiency or breakdown. Medical intuition is the science of tapping into this energy blueprint resource to locate the origin of your issues.
Although modern medicine uses MRI's, x-rays, PET, CAT, Trilogy, and MUGA scans to determine physical issues, most emotionally caused physical issues go undetected.
Medical intuitives can provide insight into direct links between the emotions lodged in your energy memory bank, and how those emotions created health issues. Louise Hayes, in her book "You Can Heal Your Life" actually lists disorders, and the common emotional patterns that create health issues.
Medical intuition can also provide insight to physical issues that will be entering the human body. Energy disorders present themselves in the exterior energy field or aura of our body before it enters into the physical body. New Medicine is trying to stop destructive exterior patterns such as thoughts, behaviors, etc. from creating unhealthy energy patterns that eventually create disease in our physical body. Thus the term "mind over matter" has great relevance in today's medical treatment. Additionally, once the physical body is combating unhealthy energy, using your mind to generate healthy energy frequencies helps facilitate healing.
Some medical intuitives are able to see your body's actual cellular and organ structures and systems like an MRI. Those medical intuitives can provide immediate information as to the location, extent and severity of physical disease and disorders, and even provide information about possible future health problems. This viewing ability is an asset in emergency room medicine. It reduces stress and saves time in critical care, intensive care, trauma injury and pediatric care. Medical intuition complements modern techniques by providing a broader knowledge base for the patient to determine their total treatment, and integrates the best of all worlds to create their health care regime using the total mind and body connection.
Energy Healing is another technique. Although considered alternative and complementary health care and medicine, "energy medicine" is now being considered more and more as a valuable healing modality in mainstream medical facilities. Everything has energy. When you reestablish healthy energy patterns, you facilitate the body healing itself. Disease is altered energy that is not resonating at a healthy frequency. Everything has a frequency or it doesn't exist. There are many charts available on the internet that list the frequency of a healthy body (62-78 MHz) or the frequency of particular organs. A diseased organ will not have the same frequency as a healthy organ or an entire body. Energy healing addresses the frequency of your body and its energy centers (chakras), flow directions (meridians), and blockages or any changes in your systems or cells energy patterns.
Energy healing has been around for 2000 years or more, in the form of acupuncture. Acupuncture works by stimulating the patient's own chi or life-force energy to accelerate the healing process. There are numerous other forms of energy healing that complement and integrate with modern medicine that can be done while you are working with your physician. Quantum touch, Energy Medicine, Healing Hands, Healing Touch, Reiki, Huna, reflexology, Vibrational medicine, acupuncture, shiatsu, acupressure, Craniosacral work, Pranic Healing, Energy psychology, Chinese Medicine and a multitude of others aid the body's energy to facilitate health.
An added value of medical intuition and most forms of energy healing is that the intuitive diagnosis and energy healing services can be performed from a distance or remotely and immediately. This saves valuable time, dehabilitating travel for critically ill individuals, and offers another assessment and healing modality for any person in any location. Both are non-threatening, non invasive, and have no side effects, and are compatible with your current treatments and procedures.
The new medicine integrates alternative complementary medicine and techniques with traditional medicine to address the entire person in order to determine a complete mind body diagnosis and treatment program. The patient is the benefactor by having "all there is" available to them in their choices to facilitate their healing journey.
Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety.
Contact Information:
Brent Atwater, Alternative & Integrative Medical Specialist
Medical Intuitive, Distance Energy Healing
ATL, GA Phone: 404.242.9022 USA
NC Phone: 910.692.5206 USA
Website: www.brentatwater.com
Email: mailto:Brent@BrentAtwater.com
Disclaimer: Brent Atwater is not a medical doctor or associated with any branch of medicine. Brent works in Complementary Alternative Medicine. She offers her opinions based on her intuition, and her personal distant energy healing work, which is not a substitute for medical procedures or treatments. Always consult a physician or trained health care professional concerning any medical problem or condition before undertaking any diet, health related or lifestyle change programs. There are no guarantees with the Energy work.
Brent Atwater: Medical Intuitive, Distant Energy Healing: As an integrative medical & pediatric specialist (CAM), her international Medical Intuitive & Distant Energy Healing has been studied by & or documented at Duke, the ARE, & for pets by the NCSU's Vet school. She participates in evidence based research & clinical trials. ARTIST: An artist 30+yrs, Brent is a pioneer in healing art by scientifically documenting Paintings that Heal™. Her art was featured on "PBS". She founded Just Plain Love™ Charitable Trust to benefit children. AUTHOR: Just Plain Love™ Children's Healing Books. The books are translated into plays performed in children's healthcare facilities turning illness negatives into positives. "Cancer Kids, God's Special Children". "Positive Attitudes, Affirmations, & Actions for Overcoming Your Health Challenges", & "Positive Attitudes, Affirmations & Actions to Help Survive Your Cancer Experience". These books are holistic, alternative medicine & alternative healing for your mind. Brent attended Wake Forest Law School and is a minister.
You Can Heal Anything: You Are the New Medicine
The origin of healing systems
The division of medicine into traditional/conventional and alternative/complementary did not occur by accident. Mankind as a whole needed to experience both of them before it was ready for a system of medicine whose purpose would be of a higher nature than is currently available. The new medicine, although it is so unlike the conventional and alternative models, is being birthed by both of them
Other than the Lemurian and Atlantean approaches to healing, it is clear that the 'medicine of nature' has been the most influential in recorded history. Nobody created this form of medicine; it was simply there to be re-cognized or discovered by those who had direct access to the language of nature called Veda, which means knowledge or science. The first written records of nature's medicine appeared about 6,000 years ago. They were channeled messages written down by Vedic sages in direct response to the first occurrences of illness on the planet. This system, which kept illness and suffering at bay for hundreds of years, became known as Ayurveda, or the 'Science of Life'.
Although Ayurveda only survived the passage of time in India and some in areas of Brazil and China, it remains a universal form of medicine. Today it stands revived to some of its original form. It greatly contrasts with the western approach to modern medicine in that it seeks to address the underlying imbalance responsible for the symptoms of illness rather than trying to alleviate or remove the effects of the imbalance.
Outsmarting the violation of the laws of nature
Before Ayurveda became a textbook science of healing, people knew how to live in harmony with the laws of nature. As a result, sickness, pain and poverty weren't part of life. But as time progressed, we began to replace some of the laws of nature with our own laws; in other words, we violated natural law. To try to address the consequences of this transgression from natural living, a system of healing (Ayurveda) was developed to treat the physical and mental effects resulting from the deviations from natural law. A new set of natural laws needed to be employed to undo the damage that was caused by the violation of the original laws of nature. When you dam a stream of water and it flows over its banks, the flooding caused by this action requires a different approach than just letting the stream flow in its own course. We needed to employ new laws and insights to help us deal with the damage once done. The first violations of the laws of nature on Earth created the need for a natural system of healing, one that would give us access to those secondary laws that would reduce the damage caused by violation of the primary laws. This system would show us how to release the obstruction that hinders the flow of the stream in its natural direction. Without anyone violating the primary laws of nature, such healing systems would otherwise be unnecessary.
Hippocrates was perhaps the most enlightened father of nature's medicine in the more recent history of our species. He understood that the need for healing (applying secondary laws) resulted from the loss of alignment with one's inner wisdom and intuition. The more humans distanced themselves from their own inner wisdom and the rules of the natural world, the harsher were the corrective measures needed to be taken by the force of nature. So, killer diseases such as the plague began to decimate the population, which then generated the urge for a new kind of medicine, which would combat disease-causing germs and stop each new one dead before it became an epidemic. This approach is what has become known as the conventional system of modern medicine. Of course, all of this was part of the master plan - to throw much of humanity into the other end of the spectrum of duality for the purposes of greater learning and growth in consciousness.
Breeding illness
Just like Ayurvedic medicine, modern medicine, too, was unable to prevent the escalation of disease on the planet. Modern medicine was so concerned with the effects or symptoms of disease that it lost sight of the reasons why people fell sick, most of which weren't even physical causes. The discovery of the first antibiotic medicine (penicillin) caused euphoria among the medical circles and general population. Years later, the enthusiasm of developing an effective drug for almost every infectious disease became dampened by the fact that the side effects generated by the poisons contained in the drugs were so severe that they often outweighed their benefits. In fact, they actually contributed to the emergence of an entirely new class of diseases now known as chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and arthritis.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, only 10 percent of all diseases fell into this category. The rest were acute problems, including fractures, infections, burns, etc. By around 1980, over 90 percent of all diseases had reached a chronic stage, meaning they couldn't be cured by modern medicine. They also became known as the killer diseases of the modern era. Since our genes haven't changed a bit over the past hundreds or thousands of years, genetic errors cannot be held responsible for such a sudden and dramatic escalation of diseases, especially when most of them occur only in the modernized world. What's more, having defective genes doesn't mean an affected person is going to get ill. Research on the blood disease thalassaemia, for example, has shown that patients who have exactly the same defect in the gene may be extremely sick, mildly ill, or completely healthy. This applies to most other 'genetic' illnesses, too. There may be just as many people with healthy genes who suffer from diabetes or asthma as there are those who have defective genes.
The symptom-oriented approach of modern medicine became synonymous with the revival of the old epidemics that so scared and scarred humanity less than a hundred years ago. The wide use of antibiotics and steroids have forced the targeted microbes, blamed for causing infectious disease, to resist the drugs' action and mutate into what is termed 'antibiotic resistant organisms'. The germs, following their natural survival instincts, are now outsmarting one drug after another, which means that there are now very few effective 'treatments' left for diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria. Millions more people each year are dying from these 'new' infectious diseases than ever before and the current trends suggest it will get worse. Unless medicine takes a complete u-turn in its approach, or healing is practiced in a different fashion, mankind will be greatly decimated once again.
It is highly unlikely, though, that modern medicine is going to save humanity from self-destruction. The side-effects of drugs and treatments are breeding so many different diseases and causing so many deaths every minute of the day that it is virtually impossible to even remotely win the battle against disease as long as people believe they depend on any form of medicine, even an alternative one. Since the current medical system is primarily controlled by financiers who have a vested interest in keeping it going and even expanding it further, it is not in the investors' interest to find a real cure for the most common illnesses, for this would mean the end of medicine. Modern medicine is not designed to make people healthy; it is designed to make and keep people sick.
Many voices among doctors, patients and alternative practitioners denounce the exploitation of 'innocent' people. However, they have not yet realized that the same medical system that is misleading and enslaving mankind and robbing millions of people of their sense of sovereignty and self-empowerment is also instrumental in birthing a new medicine, one that will make everyone their own best healer. The government, health care agencies, medical associations, insurance carriers, and drug companies are unaware that they are key players in the cosmic game of transformation. They have helped a major portion of mankind to feel helpless and powerless against microbes and other disease-causing factors. The extreme denial of the infinite power of healing and rejuvenation that lies inherent in everyone is forcing the pendulum of time to swing back and allow the masses to gain complete and unrestricted access to this power within. Without the hazards of the old medicine, the new medicine could not come about.
The perfection of all this lies in the fact that no person can fall ill, regardless of whether it is through a microbe or a medical drug or treatment, without having (unconsciously) agreed to this. The Universal Law of Non-interference makes certain there are no victims and no victimizers. Each person's Higher Self knows exactly what lessons are needed to move on and evolve toward greater wisdom, love, compassion and self-empowerment, however hard and painful the learning process may appear to be. The final lesson of each individual is to discover and produce the New Medicine, the medicine of one's Higher Self.
The New Medicine
The return of old diseases and the emergence of chronic illness divided mankind into two camps: One that continues to uphold the trust and confidence in modern medicine, and one that takes recourse to natural methods of healing. Although alternative (complementary) medicine is still battling to make its approaches available to the masses, in some countries of the world such as Australia, Germany, England, New Zealand and now also in the United States, it is becoming more and more common sense to try the natural route, either along with or without conventional medicine. Now both approaches are well represented in the overall scheme of things and can be accessed by almost anyone. Medical doctors still risk prosecution and loss of their license to practice medicine if they dare speak out in favor of alternative health modalities or even apply these in their practice. But before long we will find that both approaches of medicine will intermix or merge together. Indications for merger are already subtly there; when it happens in a more obvious way, a New Medicine will be born, one that will be entirely different from that which existed before. It will work according to the principle, "The whole is more than the sum of its parts."
The New Medicine will be less concerned about what is wrong with the body or mind; it won't need to be. Instead, it will focus on unleashing the creative power of the individual as the principle source of health and youthfulness. The New Medicine will recognize that disease is ultimately the result of disconnection from our Source intelligence and Source energy. It will give health care back to the people. Miracles will take place as frequently as operations take place today. Reconnecting with our spirit Source will be the most important thing that can be done to improve one's health. It's like switching on the light that dispels darkness. Mankind as a whole will realize that trying to find out everything about the symptoms of disease is like trying to investigate all the possible problems that darkness could cause to a person who has no light to see the path along which he is walking. Although switching on the light is a very simple act, it can solve some of the most complex problems arising from being in the dark. Imagine if there was no light. What could you possibly do in your life except sit, think and worry? Fixing diseases is similar to fixing darkness; there is no end to the fixing.
Both the alternative/complementary and conventional systems of medicine are incapable of eliminating disease on this planet. Both of these systems are expressions of duality; therefore, their scope of influence remains very limited and incomplete. They each have their value in upholding their particular expression of duality; some of it is effective, and some of it is not. To find the eternal fountain of youth and healing, however, we must return to the origin of both these streams, that is, human consciousness. Now is the time to move collectively into the Divine moment where the consciousness of spirit and the physical matter of the body meet, and are recognized as one. It is in the gap of the moment where the two spirals of duality find their common origin. Of the two approaches neither is better or more important than the other. Both are capable of taking us to the desired place of wholeness. Here in this gap of simple existence we activate our creative intelligence, the intention of desire that becomes instant manifestation. The power surge emanating from the Divine moment of being within our own awareness creates the instant and automatic healing of that which is without.
In the gap of Non-Judgment
Healing does not need to take long. In fact, if it does it is likely to be incomplete. According to Japanese research studies, spontaneous remission and complete cure of cancer occurs when those afflicted with the disease move into the gap of non-judgment or non-duality, i.e., when they relinquish all needs or desires to have it one way or the other. This cannot be accomplished by will or by use of the rational mind. It may occur when someone faces death and, oddly, loses all hope for survival. Giving into death may take someone into the gap of their eternal spirit self, provided this is in the person's highest interest. Thus, consciously losing the fear of dying and stepping into one's essence may instantly stimulate the body's immune system into a powerful response that can dismantle egg-sized malignant tumors in the brain, bladder, intestines, etc., within less than 24 hours, in some instances within as little as 15 seconds. There are thousands of documented cases like these.
What is most interesting in these cases of spontaneous remission is that the healing merely (if that is not enough) consisted of gaining freedom from judgment, of accepting one's situation at that moment. Fighting for life doesn't get you to this magical place of the Divine moment, for effort and struggle are born out of fear. Giving up one's desire to live, on the other hand, is born out of resignation, frustration and merely represents the other end of duality awareness. However, accepting death without trying to avoid or enforce it moves you into the Divine moment where miracles take place.
Of course, we don't all have to face death, either our own or someone else's, in order to find the opening to slip into the Divine moment. Life provides us with plenty of other opportunities that can serve in the same way. All we need to do is to keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to receive and accept these opportunities, many of which may show up in the disguise of problems and misfortunes. In due time, our polarized duality consciousness becomes anchored in the singularity of Self. The body simply follows suit. Once we lose our polarity thinking, that is, our mode of reference to what we believe is right and wrong or good and bad, the DNA of our body begins to lose its polarity mode as well. As soon as we are able to accept whatever is, which means all our strong and weak sides, our successes and failures, fears, anger, and guilt, etc., our body will move, automatically and spontaneously, out of its polarity mode.
You can make your body do anything
When you are under the strong emotional influences of fear, anger, or even excessive joy, your body is out of balance, too. The stress of sudden joy can cause a heart attack just as easily as the stress of sudden rage. Being 'good' is no antidote to disease. We need to remember here that being or expressing one quality also means that its opposite is not far away; in fact, it lurks in the invisible shadow part of our consciousness known as the subconscious mind. True healing begins when we can be both qualities and have no judgment about which one is better or worse. Shadow and light serve each other well and co-exist all the time. The reason we have 'weak' spots in our attitudes and behavior is to bring out and develop their opposite, 'strong' counterparts. Accepting both creates oneness or balance, and balance is the key to healing. Preferring one quality to another generates discord in the body and mind. For example, even if we choose happiness over sadness, it counts as an imbalance. Consequently, the body has no other choice but to develop a physical imbalance, too.
Everything in life is valuable, and once we see that we then become graced with the perception of oneness. Since the body does nothing of its own accord but simply follows instructions, the new perception of oneness and acceptance of whatever is becomes the new blueprint reference for DNA. The genetic codes in your body's DNA adjust to the 'new you' and copy that information into a new RNA which subsequently alters the functioning of your body, making complete rejuvenation not just possible but unavoidable. When the adjustment is complete, the DNA structure will go off like a time bomb in order to accommodate the light of oneness. The time for genetic detonation is now.
Our body is nothing but soft clay, shaped and molded on a minute-by-minute and day-by-day basis. If you tell your body that something is good for you, it believes you. It has no other choice but to serve one master, you. If you tell your body it cannot heal itself and requires help from outside it will believe this too and you will find yourself in need of a doctor, a drug or surgery.
On the other hand, your body can walk on fire if you can convince it that it can. You can even pierce your body with knives and needles and suffer no injuries if you can make it believe that this won't hurt it. If you persuade your body that it can live without air for several days while being buried under the earth, then it can even do that for you. Levitating in mid air or walking on water are other so called 'impossible feats' the body can accomplish if it trusts its instructor enough. Sri Chin Moi, the well-known peacemaker and musician from India living in the United States, repeatedly lifts 1,000 pounds of weights in front of camera crews. He claims that the power is coming from his mind. Numerous 'miracle performers' have been scientifically studied and show that the above abilities have actually nothing to do with the body but come from the power of the mind. Likewise, your body can remove a tumor that has metastasized (spread) everywhere.
But for this to happen, you need to step outside the awareness of the body (duality) and move into the awareness of the spirit (oneness).
[This is an excerpt from the book LIFTING THE VEIL OF DUALITY by Andreas Moritz]
Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books ( http://www.ener-chi.com/book.htm ) on various subjects pertaining to holistic health and spirituality, including 'The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush', 'Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation', 'It's Time to Come Alive', and 'Cancer Is Not a Disease, It's a Survival Mechanism'.
His most recent book is titled 'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time'.
Moritz is also the creator of Ener-Chi Art and Sacred Santémony. Much of his life's work has been dedicated to understanding and treating the root causes of illness, and helping the body, mind, spirit and heart to heal naturally.
Connect with Andreas at: http://www.facebook.com/enerchi.wellness
Copyright © 2011 by Andreas Moritz
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Best Sterilizers On The Market Today
When it comes to your baby, many parents place having a clean living environment somewhere near the top of their priority list. No parent wants to see their child get sick, especially when it is a very young child who is perhaps still taking bottles to feed. That is where sterilizers have come into play and have been helping parents keep their children's bottles germ free.
There are a variety of sterilizers available on the market today, everything from sterilizers that you simply leave on the counter and forget about to bottle sterilizers that you pop in the microwave. Before you purchase a bottle sterilizer, it is important to understand that it is not for cleaning the bottles. Prior to use, you should always wash your baby's bottles before putting them through the process of sterilization.
As previously stated, many baby bottle sterilizers are available to fit practically every parent's needs as well as their budget. There are simple microwave sterilizers, that involve placing the bottles on a rack, filling the bottom tray with water, then allowing the microwave to create steam to sterilize the bottles. Still others may remind you of steaming vegetables, with a plastic bag setup, as opposed to a rack and tray, that you pop into the microwave as well. There are also electric counter-top sterilizers that might fit in on your counter right next to your toaster. These sterilizers have their own dedicated heating element that will create the steam necessary to sterilize the bottles. These electric sterilizers even come with cycle settings in order to repeat the sterilization process at predetermined intervals throughout the day.
Technology has certainly come a long way when it comes to keeping our babies, and their bottles, germ-free and healthy. Instead of boiling bottles and nipples on the stove, possibly forgetting about them and "overcooking" the bottle, we now have a wide array of convenient tools to make parenting that much easier. Is there one bottle sterilizer that fits everyone? Not necessarily. It all depends on what fits your budget, as well as your needs and preferences as a parent.
Here are the top rated Baby Bottle Sterilizer on Amazon.com:
1 - Microwave Steam Sterilizer by Dr. Brown's
2 - Philips Avent Express Microwave Sterilizer
3 - Germ Guardian Dry Heat Nursery Sanitizer
Learn more about the Top Rated Baby Bottle Sterilizer On Amazon.com at Baby Bottle Sterilizer
There are several reviews of the best baby Bottle Sterilizers from some of the top manufacturers like Philips Avent, Dr. Brown's and Germ Guardian.
Sterilizer Monitoring In the Dental Office
In 2003, the Centers for Disease Control issued Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings.The guidelines are intended to educate dental personnel regarding infection control and to prevent the transmission of bloodborne pathogens.
This comprehensive document covers: hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, contact dermatitis/latex allergy, disinfection/sterilization, environmental infection control, waterlines/biofilms and special dental considerations such as hand pieces, radiographs and laboratory procedures.
The CDC's Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Settings are evidenced based and well documented. One of the areas that must be emphasized in dental offices is sterilization of dental instruments. Along with the proper sterilization of instruments and materials, sterilizer monitoring is an essential part of the infection control program.
Many factors can cause sterilization to fail--from procedural errors that are easily remedied, like overloading, to mechanical problems that can take a sterilizer out of service until repairs can be made. Since this variety of factors can influence successful sterilization, the CDC and the American Dental Association encourage dentists to regularly assess the efficiency of their in-office sterilizers.
Sterilization should be monitored using both chemical and biological indicators. Chemical indicators, such as indicator tapes, are to be used with each instrument load. A color change of these indicators reveals exposure to the proper sterilization conditions.
Failure of the indicator to change color indicates that it was not exposed to the proper sterilization environment (e.g., proper pressure or temperature). In such cases, the instrument load should be re-sterilized. Indicator tapes are made specifically for certain types of sterilizers (i.e., tapes for steam sterilizers cannot be used to test chemical vapor sterilizers). Chemical indicators should not replace biological indicators, as only a biological indicator consisting of bacterial endospores can measure the microbial killing power of the sterilization process.
The CDC and ADA both recommend that sterilizers be monitored at least weekly with biological indicators. Each state dental board may actually have a requirement for biological monitoring.
Biological monitoring can be done in two ways. In-office incubator and spore monitoring strips can be purchased from dental supply houses. This method usually gives results in 24-48 hours. Mail-in spore monitoring programs are also available. This process usually takes a week. Although it takes longer to get results, mail-in monitoring programs may be more reliable and credible than in-house monitoring. A log of spore test results should be maintained in the dental office, usually in the sterilization area.
A positive test using chemical or biological indicators signifies that sterilization failed. If the chemical indicator does not change color or the spore test result is positive, the following steps are recommended. The sterilizer should be taken out of service. Instruments that were used after the last documented negative spore test should not be used. The sterilization process being followed in the office should be reviewed to rule out operator error as the cause of failure.
If procedural problems are identified, they should be corrected and the sterilizer retested with mechanical, chemical and biological indicators. If the repeat biological indicator test is negative and the other test results fall within normal limits, the sterilizer can be returned to service. If the biological indicator or the chemical tests indicate failure, sterilizers should be removed from use until the problem is identified and corrected. The dental repair company should be contacted for a service call and possible loan of an interim sterilizer.
Before the sterilizer can be returned to service, negative results should be returned for biological indicator tests conducted during three consecutive empty-chamber sterilization cycles to ensure that the problem has been corrected.
Steven J. Brazis DDS is a family and cosmetic dentist in Sacramento, CA. He has been practicing for 35 years and has written one book and many articles on dentistry. You can visit his web site at: Toothhaven.com
Forced Sterilization in America and Canada
We are lucky to have a choice about our birth control options. Some people, world-wide, have not been given that choice. Forced sterilizations have been performed in the United States and Canada as well as globally. Find out why these atrocities were committed, and learn about your contraceptive rights.
Eugenics
Eugenics is the practice of trying to make the human species better. This is the bid to build a faster, smarter, and better human. Many sterilization programs, including the programs in numerous American states, were created to improve the gene pool. These forced sterilizations focused on mentally disabled people, or people with physical disabilities, such as being blind.
Timeline
In 1897, Michigan became the first state bring up forced sterilization legislature. This legislature did not pass; nor did Pennsylvania's attempts a few years later. The first state to introduce sterilization laws was Indiana, in 1907; Washington and California followed suit in 1907. In 1927 the famed sterilization case Buck v. Bell was heard in the supreme courts, which legalized forced sterilizations, and began the age of the most forced sterilizations. In 1942 the case Skinner v. Oklahoma ruled that you cannot sterilize someone as a punishment, which partially curtailed forced sterilizations. By 1963, most states had taken sterilization laws out of use, though many of them remained in the law books for longer: North Carolina did not rescind their laws until 1974. Roughly 70,000 Americans were sterilized against their will.
Buck v. Bell
In 1924 Virginia passed a law that stated that all mentally disabled individuals had to be sterilized for eugenic reasons. In 1927, Carrie Bell was ordered to be sterilized. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. explained that the sanctity of the gene pool outweighed one person's physical rights. The reason for sterilizing Carrie was that she was allegedly mentally slower and had a history of prostitution. Current scholarship has demonstrated that Carrie was probably sterilized because of her and her mother's promiscuous ways.
Sexism
As the case of Carrie Bell demonstrates, forced sterilizations were often performed on women for unjust reasons. Whereas men were allowed to be sexually promiscuous (and were often encouraged to be), women were meant to be chaste. Having children out of wedlock could lead to sterilization. Some women were sterilized without their knowledge of it. Many of the women who were forcibly sterilized were barely women at all, being often only 14, or even younger.
Racism
In many states and provinces, racism was a motivating factor in compulsory sterilizations. In North Carolina, for instance, many black women were sterilized when they went in to give birth to their babies. In Alberta, eugenics was allegedly being used to prevent further babies being born with mental or physical disabilities. However, an overly large proportion of Métis women were sterilized. The Métis people are an aboriginal people, who have a heritage of First Nations mixed with European settlers. It is possible that the government was concerned because they represented miscegenation, that is, the mixing of racial genes.
Poverty
Just as gender and race are factors in forced sterilizations, socioeconomic status is also a factor. Often, gender, race, and class were all combined. It was more often than not the black people who were poor, and it was often the black poor women who were sterilized against their wills. Some argued that sterilizing poor people was a blessing because it allowed a family to take care of the children they already had.
Your Rights
You have a right to not be sterilized without your consent. No matter of physical or mental disabilities, nobody in Canada or the United States is legally allowed to be sterilized without consent.
You can, however, choose to have a sterilization for your method of birth control. Birth control remains in your hands, and not the governments'. Learn more about your birth control options to prevent unwanted pregnancies and to use your power of choice.
Lilith Mill is the editor of The Guide to Birth Control [http://www.theguideto-birthcontrol.com/birth_control_myths/], a site dedicated to providing you the facts about many forms of contraception so that you can make the right choice for you.
How to Get the Best Results From a Microwave Sterilizer Bag
Sterilizer bags come with instructions printed on the side of each one, so you can't go wrong, and most of the manufacturers have directions available for their style of bag too. The instructions are there both for your safety and to help you get the best results from the sterilizing bags. For whatever reason if you find that you don't have any instructions on how to use them, then you can follow these simple steps.
First wash all the items well before sterilizing. The sterilizing process is designed to kill bacteria, not to remove dirt, grime or food deposits. Bacteria will be in any food residue so that is why it is important to clean it thoroughly first. Sterilizing a dirty baby bottle is ineffective because the bacteria are protected by any food or liquid residue.
I hear you asking "If I clean it thoroughly, won't that remove the germs? So why sterilize?" Washing does remove a significant amount of bacteria found in those food deposits, however as you are generally washing in warm-hot water, those bacteria are not killed and are still present in the water and remain even on clean surfaces after they dry. By cleaning the babies bottle first you remove all the bacterial 'hiding places' and now they are all out in the open ready to be killed off in the sterilization process.
Add the right amount of water. Place any items like feeding bottles into the sterilizer bags and add 100ml of water into the bottom. Adding water is a critical part of the sterilization process. Microwave bag sterilizers will not work with out water. The reason for this is that the sterilization is done by steam at greater than 100 degrees Celsius. As the bag is heated in the microwave, the water boils, creating steam which in turn kills the bacteria and sterilizes the bottle. The amount of water that you put into bag may very depending on its size and specifications of the manufacturer. Somewhere between 60 and 100 ml water is sufficient, but never use less than 60 ml. If you have insufficient water all the water may boil off and cause damage to the bag and the feeding equipment.
Sterilize the right items. You can put any item like baby bottles, nipples and teats, a breast pump or other feeding equipment into the bags. But do not over load it, as the bag must shut correctly. You can also sterilize other items to help your family's health. Toothbrushes for example are a common item that can be sterilized in a microwave bag. Many diabetics use syringes to inject themselves with insulin, and syringes can be sterilized with a microwave bag. Or if you are caring for sick or elderly family members then they too would benefit by sterilizing their catheters or any other medical equipment.
Remember - never place metal items into the microwave.
Seal the bag properly. This is an important step to ensure that the sterilization occurs correctly. The seal must be tight in order to keep the steam in the bag. If the bag is over filled the seal might pop open or if you have not sealed it properly then steam will unnecessarily escape out of the bag and the sterilization process compromised. If steam escapes in an uncontrolled manner out of the microwave bag then the temperature inside the bag is likely to be less than 100 degrees Celsius and you will not achieve the high temperatures for the length of time required to achieve good sterilization. And an open bag cannot sterilize anything, so before you press 'start' on the microwave make sure the bag is sealed properly.
Have the microwave on for the right amount of time. Each microwave has a different amount of power so it is important that the microwave is on the correct power setting for the right amount of time to achieve the best results. Read the manufacturers instructions as to how long to put the bag in the microwave for that particular type of bag.
For example microwave ovens over 1100W need may only be on high for 1.5 minutes (90 seconds), 800W - 1100W microwaves on high for 3 minutes, and 500W - 800W microwaves on high for 5 minutes. Read your bag carefully to make sure you know how long you need to sterilise for.
Sterilization is done by a combination of temperature and time. You don't achieve good sterilization by raising the temperature to 100 degrees Celsius for a moment and then letting it cool down. These high temperatures must be maintained for at least 60 seconds. The powerful microwaves boil the water faster and superheat the steam, and so require less time, whereas the less powerful microwaves take more time to bring the water in the bag to boiling point and do not superheat the steam significantly.
Let the bag cool down before opening. You are trying to do the right thing by your babies health, and you also need to do the right thing by your own health - so be smart and let the bag cool down in the microwave for 60 seconds before taking it out. Then take care opening the bag as there will still be hot water inside.
On some bags there is a small notch in the side to allow steam to escape in an orderly manner and also to pour out the remaining hot water. They may also have a safe grip tab on the other end so you can confidently grab the bag, take it out of the microwave, and put the bag in the sink to pour out the hot water.
Your items are sterilized and ready for use. Open the bag and use them immediately or keep them in the bag for use later on. Items will remain sterile inside the bag for a couple of days.
I hope this guide helps you get the best results for using microwave sterilizer bags and your baby stays healthy and happy.
Jess Embling runs Easy Bubs Baby Care. She promotes baby products that are healthy for baby and cost effective & convenient for parents, like BPA-free Microwave Sterilizer Bags. They are the easiest and fastest way for sterilizing baby bottles and are a great to sterilize a babies bottle when you travel.
Don't Touch the Sterile Site With That NOT-Sterile (Non-Sterile) Glove!
Gloves: there are two types of gloves in the health care field: sterile and non-sterile.
Sterile gloves - protect the patient from germs.
Non-sterile gloves - protect the worker from germs.
Did you catch that huge difference in mission and purpose?
In the vein access of 'phlebotomy', we wear non-sterile gloves. And there are some things that you need to know about the non-sterile glove - to prevent infections during that venipuncture.
Let's compare: Sterile vs. Non-sterile
1. What does non mean? Not! So, really we have - sterile vs. Not-sterile
2. In terms of germs, what do we have? - no germs vs. Has germs
3. Let's assign terms clean and dirty based on germs. No germs = clean has germs = dirty
i know, I know . . . These applications of the words clean and dirty are not how the health care industry defines them. Medically speaking, these words "sterile", "clean", "dirty", and "non-sterile" have their own definition.
Sterile = guaranteed no germs. Clean = not sterile, but coming out of a box or package that is not dirty, therefore, not soiled, not used. Dirty = implies soiled, and/or used, and/or visibly dirty. Non-sterile = not sterile, has some germs(?), but clean.....Until used....Then soiled!
I can see how confusing all of this can be. So, let's clarify it, re-define it, and globally agree on one understanding of it, because not-sterile gloves are touching the needle insertion site every day.
That's how I want to begin this chapter because there is a huge misconception out there about non-sterile gloves. Some health care workers and nearly all patients think that non-sterile gloves are without germs and/or that the patient's are protected from germs because gloves are worn, and this couldn't be further from the truth - this is only true if the gloves worn are sterile gloves!
We are wearing non-sterile gloves, not sterile gloves.
The little scientist who invented the glove meant it for one purpose with regards to the phlebotomy. That purpose is to protect the phlebotomist from the patient's blood. That is its only mission! The non-sterile glove wasn't meant to protect the patient from us. That's the role of the sterile glove.
The reason this is so important to emphasize is because you see health care providers touch the vein access site, right before they stick it, with that not sterile glove. Did you get that? The not sterile glove touches the sterile site!
Right before the phlebotomist inserts the needle into the vein, he/she reaches up with their other gloved index finger to feel the vein 'one more time', right before they stick, touching the very site that they intend to insert the needle through and into the blood stream!!! Was that a clean glove? No! It was a not-sterile glove. It was a glove that had touched non-sterile tools (i.E. The tourniquet, the bed side table, the needle package, the patient, etc.) potentially picking up whatever germs were lurking about. How dangerous is that? How often do you see that happen?
And we wonder how infections occur!
Don't touch the sterile site (with that dirty not-sterile glove) right before you stick it. If you have problems remembering where the vein is at, "landmark" it.
Everyone thinks they are safe just because a glove is worn - we have created a false sense of security and safety in one of the highest risk environments.
Not-sterile gloves have a purpose, but a limited one - gloves are to protect the 'phlebotomist' from the patient's blood. That's it! No other purpose! Not-sterile gloves do not protect the patient - in fact, they can kill the patient.
Don't touch the sterile site with the not-sterile glove.
M. Gail Stotler, Vein Access Technologist, B.S.N., R.N.
Reputation Risks For Pharma Companies on the Internet
"This company is not realizing the reputation damage with every development in the court", quipped a pharma journalist. What she was referring to was a court case filed by an MNC in an Indian court for patent on a cancer drug. The case was attracting high media coverage as an NGO and some Indian companies were opposing the move.
Reporting of a case proceeding harming the reputation of a global pharma giant? How? She further added, "The minute there is a word from the court on the case, some activist groups sitting in some other part of the world, immediately issues a note on patents and healthcare challenges in developing countries, which we in India also receive. I am sure these notes are received by journalists in other countries as well. Imagine a court case in an Indian city, opposing an MNC on a patent which will make the drug unaffordable to millions, reaching out to a global audience. This global company is tarnishing its reputation because of this case."
Long live the internet. No doubt, the paradigm of free flow of information has changed with the power of communication now in an individual's hand. The economically or politically powerful can no longer manage the news.
The power of globalised media has taken a new dimension. I have noticed a new trend recently. An activist group based in Europe or some other part of the world issues a report, which is picked by the Indian media and stories filed. What is astonishing is that the author of the report may be Mumbai based, while the report is issued from a group in a foreign country. The issue of action against pharmaceutical companies for industrial pollution around Hyderabad is a case in point. Some MNC's who have outsourced their clinical research work to India have also faced the music.
Unleashing the power of communication in people's hands - internet in true democratic style is also opening a Pandora's Box on newer and ethical challenges. Not long back, facing a rather peculiar situation was an Indian pharma company. An obscure website from the middle-east carried a negative write-up against the company (with some fictitious facts). The Indian media picked up the news (thanks to Google alerts) and started calling the company. Thankfully, I must exclaim! The PR team posed only one question to the journalist fraternity- "Would you trust the company or an obscure website?" The media displayed maturity and did not publish stories.
True, we live in a democracy where everyone has the freedom of speech and the internet is an open forum for everyone to express their views. However, apart from posing reputation challenges for large businesses and governments, there are a few other issues at stake- those of liberties, rights and honour. Accompanying every right is a corresponding responsibility. While I might have the freedom of expression in the country, I have no right to cause harm with my expression. An eve-teaser can not claim immunity under this right, because he is not only trampling the right of privacy but also impinging on the honour of a woman.
The recent incident involving a TV channel and a blogger is a case in point. While I don't support the tactics adopted by the channel, I do subscribe to their position that as a responsible media house they have checks and balances in place. The media organisation stands responsible for the news that it shows. Who controls the information on the internet? Any individual with an internet connection can put any information on the net, tarnish anybody's reputation and nobody can take any action.
The world today is debating the effects of greed, conspicuous consumption and non-regulated economic environment. Is it time for some discussion on the free market of communication on the net?
Pharma companies are constantly under the scanner, be it for product quality, environmental issues, ethical considerations in clinical research, overpricing, policy changes, trade partner protests, etc. Its time pharma companies devise strategies of managing reputation on the net.
Noumaan Qureshi, based in Mumbai (India) works in the Healthcare practice at one of India's leading PR consultancies.
Pharmaceutical Industry in India, Top Pharma Companies and Jobs
Pharmaceutical companies in India are growing at a very fast pace and this has made the Indian pharmaceutical industry as the second largest growing industry. Also the pharmaceutical industry in India is the third largest in the world, which will be of US$20 billion by 2015. Mergers and acquisitions are the part of this growth. The compounded annual growth rate of pharma in India is 12-15% and the global figures are 4-7% for the period of 2008-2013. With such a profound growth of pharmaceutical companies in India numerous pharmaceutical jobs can be seen. This in turn is helping biotechnology industry and booming the biotechnology jobs in India.
Angel Broking has done a research on the growth of pharmaceutical industry and found that by 2015 the pharmaceutical industry in India will be in the top 10 markets. Yet another finding of FICCI-Ernst & Young study reveals that the population of high income group in India is rising which will give rise to more influx of MNCs and expensive drugs.
Pharmaceutical companies along with native companies are also competing with the top MNCs. Such a profound growth is because of the heavy population figures and with the increasing number of middle class people and their income the access to drugs and medicines is also increasing. But still the low-priced generics are popular in Indian pharmaceutical industry.
From India in year 2007-08 total of US$ 8.25 billion were exported and there was seen 29% rise in this figure in 2009. MR Anand Sharma, Union Minister of Commerce said that pharmaceutical sector in India has grown and it is the major contributor to exports from India. In 1990 the amount was meager as compare to today's massive figures.
Initiatives by Government
- Tax breaks are offered to pharma industry
- New procedure for the development drugs
- Proper clinical procedures
- New Millennium Indian Technology Leadership Initiative and the Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research Programme - Two schemes launched by the government.
Some Vital Information on Pharmaceutical Companies in India
- In terms of volume - India's pharmaceutical industry is the third largest in the entire world.
- In terms of value - India's pharmaceutical industry ranks fourteenth
- By 2015 - It will be in the list of top 10 global pharmaceutical markets and it will touch US $ 20 billion.
- 2008-2009 - Saw 29% growth in exports of pharmaceutical drugs as compared to 2007
- 2013 - Indian formulation market is expected to touch US$ 13.7 billion
Top 10 Pharmaceutical Companies in India
- Ranbaxy
- Dr Reddy's Laboratories
- Cipla
- Sun Pharma Industries
- Lupin Labs
- Aurobindo Pharma
- GlaxoSmithKline Pharma
- Cadila Healthcare
- Aventis Pharma
- Ipca Laboratories
R Oberoi is associated with Manpower from India and recommends http://www.manpowerindia.net for searching and finding information on all kinds of jobs.
Pharma Companies Taking a Second Look at Startups in 2012
Pharma companies are taking a second look at startups in 2012. These companies are known to be a driving force in the research and development of new medications. This is currently a lucrative area, and many of these startups provide a lot of innovation in this field. These new companies are able to work in a number of ways that are not available to many of the largest firms. They often have a greater freedom to develop their products.
Many of the innovations that occur in the pharmaceutical industry are brought about by small startup companies. A pharma company often has to struggle to get the capital that is essential to their work. There are a number of ways that they can do this, and many rely on investments from venture capitalists. This capital provides a number of things to these startup companies.
A pharma company needs resources to continue its work in the innovation and testing of new medications. They often have incredibly high bills, and most of these startups require independent capital to help them meet their needs. Venture capitalists often provide the resources that these small startups need. This is also a great area for investors to realize an excellent return on their capital.
2012 is sure to bring about many new things to pharma companies. Most analysts are aware of the earning potentials that are available in this field. Startups are an important player in this game, and their work is essential to the development of new medications.
Many chemists often have a great idea, and they decide to pursue this idea with the startup of their own pharma company. This can lead to many innovations. These startups often focus on the kernel of an idea. They can then put all of their resources behind the product they're developing. Many of the larger companies don't have the economic ability to commit themselves in this way. They're often more focused on other issues.
Pharma companies are taking a second look at startups in 2012. These small firms are known for bringing innovation to the development of new medications. Many of the people who work at these startups are inextricably linked to the success of their products. They often rely on the investments that can be provided by venture capitalists. Since they often have limited resources, it is essential for them to solicit capital from a number of sources. This capital plays a huge role in the success of these startups.
Pharma companies are taking a second look at biotech startups this year; learn about opportunities in this exciting space on our website.
Pharma Indexes on the Web - Databases and Directories of Pharma Companies
A Pharma index is essentially a database or a collection of pharmaceutical companies - and they are developing in new ways which may pose some interesting questions for companies whose operations must incoporate pharmacovigilance services. These directories categorise by parameters such as different countries or different areas of the pharmaceutical industry. The categorisation is commonly based on the type of results which will be searchable. On the whole, a Pharma list will be an all-encompassing directory of pharmaceutical operations.
Commonly, the entries will be ordered alphabetically and contain the company details, their site links, address and other contact information. While certain directories contain a catalogue of global pharmaceutical companies, there are many simply containing Pharma info for a particular country. You will find the Net platform is a superb source of such online all-inclusive databases or business directories listing firms that are operational within Pharma products production.
In an interesting new marketing development, recently two very large, very well known firms decided to launch their own pages on social networking site Twitter within weeks of each other. Nova Nordisk and Pfizer appeared to value Twitter for disseminating information on new products, new drug treatments, and building on their customer relations. Previous, many pharmaceutical firms had not used social media at the forefront of any campaigns, which may be influenced by a lack of fiscal measurement available to track how successful this type of publicity really is. Pharmaceutical companies were also notable by absence from blogs, presumably due to legal and regulatory issues. As previously noted, companies marketing pharmaceutical products are going to automatically need to provide for pharmacovigilance services somewhere within their budgets to ensure they are always compliant with a veritable raft of legislation. Nonetheless, the adoption of Twitter by these two pharma giants may indicate a new willingness to engage with social media within the industry as a whole. Drug companies are beginning to explore the possibilities of blogs and online notice boards using external companies to create the relevant online presence, whilst staying one step removed.
The web platform works so well as a resource for comprehensive databases or business directories of pharma companies. One end user who benefits is the consumer, who can literally browse online catalogues placed by various sundry producers within the Pharma industry. Typically, a product catalogue will list names and details of exporters, importers and wholesalers.
However, the nature of pharma products is the chief purchases are going to be those who buy in bulk quantities - drug store owners, labs and sales delegates. Many directories are keen to promote the fact they only enrol companies which sell products at market costs.
There is one aspect of the new online presence for the pharma industry which could be of concern if it were not to be properly managed (and that is not to say those companies already experimenting with social media are not managing their affairs correctly). Naturally, pharmaceuticals bring subject to strict pharmacovigilance responsibilities to companies, and there is the question of whether any online activity (such as social media) would have any impact on such responsibilities. An example might be the possibility of details of serious adverse events somehow reaching the shores of the likes of Twitter - when of course, any such adverse event details must be properly expedited to comply with regulation. The difficulty imagined here might be missing expediting deadlines. However, in this imaginary scenario, or for any other concern about online activity impacting on pharmacovigilance practice, consulting experienced pharmacovigilance services experts should be able to provide you with vital information to help you asses your best course of action.
Jon Barton is a member of the pharmacovigilance service sector and produces articles to make more aspects of pharmacovigilance services better understood.
Will Pharma Companies Win Against Economic Recession?
Hit by the tsunami of recessionary economy causing sales to dip and growth rates forecasted to fall below historic levels, pharma drug companies have hit the panic button and are trying out different ways in their quest to survive.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Pfizer's acquisition of Wyeth for US$68 Billion is a striking example. The company has acted to safeguard itself, owing to the plummeting revenues from it's popular drug "Lipitor" and several other products, which would soon be faced with expired patent protection.
But this is being seen as just the beginning of a whole wave of mergers to come by. Some other expected acquisitions are being speculated such as Roche buying out the remaining share of Genentech, Merck merging with Schering-Plough, a merger between Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb, and more pharma industry mergers.
In fact the general expectation the big pharma companies are all set to taking over smaller player raised the hopes among small biotechnology companies worrying about their own survival soon a bigger firm would approach them with a buy out offer. However, recently panelists attending the BioPartnering North America conference, warned of harboring such an unrealistic expectation that all biotech companies in distress will be rescued. At present pharma firms have their eyes set on other pharma firms rather than biotech product companies.
Job Cuts
Pharma companies are fast reducing their workforce. The Pfizer-Wyeth deal itself if expected lead to a 15 percent reduction of staff for both the firms combined, which translates in to about 130,000 job cuts.
Other recent layoffs include King Pharmaceuticals (KG), (22%, or 760 jobs), KV Pharmaceutical Co (700 job cuts expected), GlaxoSmithKline (10,000 job cuts predicted), and more.
Skepticism
At the same time analysts are skeptical about some aspects of these deals. For example there's apparently no solution to declining sales outlook, as projections about Pfizer-Wyeth will have a combined 2013 total company sales below the 2008 figure of $70 billion. Some suggest that while large-scale mergers between will create cost savings and give these companies time, that won't be sufficient to reinvent pharma.
Fred is a journalist with 7 years of experience. Though, as a professional He's reported on myriad topics, his favorite is the medical industry. Off late he's been working on different web portals including Themedica.com. Themedica is a comprehensive business-to-business (b2b) information portal and directory, featuring useful information for medical and health care industry professionals and businesses. It showcases resources such as trade shows, industry overviews, trade associations, global business listings, industry news, tenders, medical publications, informative articles and more that help professionals/businesses stay abreast with the latest and grow. He now blogs at Smiling Health
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Computer Graphics - Vertex Processing
Cartesian Coordinate System
In a Cartesian coordinate system there are three axes which are at right angles with each other. The three axes intersect at their origin. The three axes are generally defined as:
- X - axis to indicate a displacement in a positive direction to the right and a displacement in a negative direction to the left;
- Y - axis where a positive displacement is up and a displacement in a negative direction is down;
- Z - axis for a displacement in a positive direction is forward and a displacement in a negative direction is backwards.
We can represent a point in in 3 D space with the aid of a Cartesian coordinate system. This is done by writing the displacement of the point along each of the three axes in the following format (x, y, z). The x is the displacement along the x - axis, also known as the x coordinate, y along the y - axis, also known as the y coordinate and z along the z - axis, also known as the z coordinate. So if we want to describe a point located one unit to the right, two units up and three units forward it is written as (1, 2, 3). I started by mentioning a point, but it is also possible to represent a vector as well as a vertex on a Cartesian coordinate system using the (x, y, z) format. A vector is something that has quantity as well as direction. A vertex contains positional as well as directional values or quantities.
Objects in 3D Space
An Object in computer graphics and especially video games is something like a car, a person or a weapon. It is generally something that plays an active part in a scene. Any object in 3D space can be broken down into triangles. Each triangle can be represented by three vertices (vertices is the plural of vertex). As mentioned before vertex is a point in space that has positional as well as directional information. If we change the vertices that represents a triangle we also change that triangle. If we change all the triangles which comprises an object we also change the object in 3D space. It can therefore be said that a change in the vertices cause a change in the object in 3D space. Vertex processing is the process whereby each vertex of an object is transformed from 3D in virtual space to an image on a 2D coordinate system. This 2D image can be displayed on a computer screen or printed by a printer. Vertex processing is done in a vertex shader. The modern trend is to have vertex shaders that are programmable. This allows for greater flexibility in the rendering and display of the objects by a computer. Vertex processing does provide for the following steps:
- transformation
- lighting
Transformation
Transformation can be done by translation, scaling and rotation.
Translation
Let's take the vertex (1, 2, 3) in 3D space described by a Cartesian coordinate system. If we move this vertex one unit to the right it will end up at (2, 2, 3). We have done this mathematically by adding the one unit of movement to the x coordinate. Translation is thus addition. Another method of achieving this mathematically is to make use of a matrix and homogeneous coordinates. This particular matrix is called a translation matrix. The translation is then achieved by multiplying the vertex (1, 2, 3) with the translation matrix.This will work for any vertex (x, y, z). If we do the same for all three the vertices representing the triangle the whole triangle can be moved one unit to the right along the x -axis. By using the correct matrix we can translate a vertex to anywhere we want. This also means we can translate any triangle where we want. By translating all the triangles of an object we can translate the object itself.
Scaling
Scaling is achieved by multiplying the vertex. Consider vertex (1, 2, 3) again and multiply the x coordinate with three. The result would be (3, 2, 3). This means we have moved vertex (1, 2, 3) three units to the right or in a positive direction along the x - axis. Once again the same effect could be achieved with a scaling matrix. By doing the same with all three vertices of the triangle the whole triangle can be scaled three units to the right. Similarly by scaling all the triangles of an object three units to the right the object itself can be scaled three units to the right.
Rotation
The rotation of a vertex is achieved by using the cosine and sine mathematical functions. This could also be achieved with a rotational matrix. Generally the vertex is rotated around one axis at a time. For instance the vertex may be rotated by 10 degrees around the x - axis then another 20 degrees around the y - axis and lastly 30 degrees around the z - axis. By rotating subsequently around the x, y and z - axis any required rotation of a vertex in 3D space can be achieved. Just as before if all the vertices of the triangle is rotated in the same manner the triangle as a whole can be rotated. Further by rotating the all the triangles that an object is composed of the object itself can be rotated through any angle in 3D space (1).
Resources
- Samyn, K. (not dated). Matrices for 3D applications - Translation & Rotation. Retrieved November 12, 2009, from knol.google.com website: http://knol.google.com/k/matrices-for-3d-applications-translation-rotation
For more on vertex processing and in particular the matrices: http://review-technology-blog.blogspot.com/2009/12/vertex-processing.html
Pfizer Sued For False Lipitor Claims
The pharmaceutical company Pfizer is being sued. Health-care advocates Community Catalyst say that Pfizer lied to women and seniors when they claimed that Lipitor would reduce their risk of having a heart attack.
Community Catalyst argued that the drug not only didn't work, but that it might even be putting those who used it in danger.
The case used a recent study of 2,000 women as evidence. The study found that women who took Lipitor ran a 10 percent higher risk of heart attacks than those who took a placebo.
Pfizer sold almost $11 billion worth of Lipitor last year. The company's stock value has recently gone up following the announcement that Lipitor had been approved for reducing stroke and heart attack risks among diabetics.
Community Catalyst.org Boston Herald September 29, 2005USA Today September 28, 2005
Dr. Mercola's Comment:Last month, Lipitor was found to be no better than other cholesterol drug on the market, and it may have actually worse side effects to boot.
Lipitor is one of the best drugs on the market -- from Pfizer's perspective, not yours. Marketed brilliantly by Pfizer, you'll pay thousands of dollars a year for the rest of your life for useless drugs like Lipitor until you die prematurely from their side effects.But not quickly enough to ruin their annuity on collecting monthly refill bills from you and/or your insurance company.
All the while,Pfizer is earning $11 billion a year from the drug, despite a lack of proof it actually helps patients. So you can understand why Pfizer will fight tooth-and-nail to protect its major cash cow.
And meanwhile, what's the FDA's reaction to the growing evidence that Lipitor is useless and dangerous? They approved Lipitor for wider use to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack for diabetics. This is unbelievable in light of the fact that Lipitor could double the risk of a deadly stroke for diabetics!
If you're taking astatin drug and want to learn more about safer alternatives, I urge you to review the articles I've collected on my statins resource page.
This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world's #1 most visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a limited time only, you can take the FREE "Metabolic Type Test" to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this quick test!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Biotechnology - What it is and What it Can Do For Mankind
Whether you live in San Diego, Orange County, in the farming areas of the Coachella Valley and Central California, or in high tech areas such as La Jolla and Irvine, biotechnology and patent law is vital to business.
I've been asked, "What is biotechnology really about and does it mean the end of civilization as we know it."
It is often referred to as genetic engineering, which will cause the average person to go into a sweat fearing that he may have just eaten some genetically altered food for breakfast.
But biotechnology is so much more, and in this writer's opinion, it is the hope of mankind if it is developed with an abiding respect for nature and a doctor's creed of ensuring no harm is done.
Today, biotechnology is broken down into four main areas: red biotechnology is applied to the medical field, green biotechnology is applied to agriculture, white biotechnology is in the industrial field and blue refers to the aquatic field.
In the medical field, biotechnology helps develop new medicines, new therapies, and can be used to use normal genes to target or replace defective genes or boost immunity.
In agriculture, biotechnology can be used to boost the yield from crops, reduce the vulnerability of crops to disease or weather, and to increase the nutritional values of foods. It can even be used to improve the taste or texture of foods. A benefit of biotechnology in agricultural applications is to reduce the need for pesticides or other harmful chemicals on crops that go into the nation's water supply.
A new area in which biotechnology is developing rapidly is in biological engineering such as in the development of bio processes from the laboratory to the manufacturing or industrial scale.
Biotechnology is not without criticisms and raises moral dilemmas. What biotechnology can solve, sometimes produces unwanted results such as residues and super resistant foods that may contaminate other non-genetically modified crops. Cloning has also stirred much controversy each time it is in the news.
But biotechnology in the future may also lead to new ways to clean up contaminated environments and the pollutants and wastes mankind produces. And as the world does harm to its environment, much must also be done to reverse these effects before it is too late.
Call Attorney R. Sebastian Gibson at (800) 589-3202. Or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com to learn more about patents, trademarks, copyrights, intellectual property and biotechnology.
If you have an intellectual property issue, want to apply for a patent, trademark, copyright or biotechnology patent, or need legal defense for an infringement matter, our experienced attorneys can serve as your Palm Springs Patent Lawyer or your intellectual property attorney anywhere in Southern California. We have nearly thirty years of experience and have represented clients from San Diego to Orange County, from Newport Beach and Laguna Beach to San Luis Obispo, from Anaheim and Irvine to Carlsbad and La Jolla, from Ontario to Victorville, and from Temecula and Yorba Linda to Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells and throughout the Coachella Valley.
Sebastian Gibson graduated cum laude at UCLA in 1972 and later received two law degrees in the U.S. and the U.K., graduating with an LL.B. magna cum laude from University College, Cardiff in Wales and a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law in Southern California.
The Sebastian Gibson Law Firm serves all of San Diego, Orange County, Palm Springs and Palm Desert, the Coastal Cities from La Jolla and Del Mar to Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Irvine, Santa Ana and Irvine and up to Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Temecula, Riverside and San Bernardino and all the cities in the Coachella Valley.