Archive for August, 2014

We want to wish our Ohio State College of Pharmacy students, Matthew, Colin, and Tayler a great first day of classes on August 27.

Sadly, with the start of the semester, you probably won’t be seeing our loyal and devoted students in the drugstore except on Saturdays. Matthew is starting his third year of pharmacy school. Colin is entering his second year. And Tayler, who we are very proud of, is beginning his very first day of pharmacy school at Ohio State on Wednesday!

Our fourth year student, Andy, is off doing his rotations with other pharmacies until his graduation next spring.

You might also see a new face in the pharmacy on Saturdays, as well. Jessica Palmer spent several days this past year and over the summer in the lab with Bob. Jessica is a senior at The University of Dayton. She also plans to apply to pharmacy school, so she wants to get a bit more experience in an independent drugstore. Say hello to Jessica when you see her at the cash register or behind the counter on Saturdays.

We hope all of our students will have a wonderful autumn semester and a super school year in 2014-2015. We are very proud of all of you!

For the complete list of important dates for the autumn semester at OSU, go HERE.

Chicken pox affected many of us when we were children resulting in a rash and sores covering the head, arms, and body. The varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is a highly contagious virus that causes the chicken pox infection. VZV typically infects children under 15 years of age. However, VZV can also affect adults.

Once you have been infected with the virus, it remains inactive in your body’s nervous system for life. After infection, it is unlikely you will develop chicken pox a second time. You are, however, at risk of developing shingles.

Shingles can be a very painful condition commonly resulting in a rash on the back that continues around to the stomach. The rash often appears in line patterns on one side of the body.

Other symptoms that potentially occur include:

• Burning
• Shooting pain
• Tingling
• Itching
• Blisters
• Fever/chills
• Headache
• Joint pain
• Swollen glands

The rash is not limited to the body but can occur on the arms, legs, and face, as well. When the face is affected multiple other symptoms can develop including:

• Difficulty moving muscles in the face
• Drooping eye lid
• Hearing loss
• Loss of eye motion
• Taste problems
• Vision problems

The pain associated with shingles can range from mild to severe and can last from weeks to years after the blisters have healed.

Shingles occurs due to re-activation of VZV from the nervous system. It is unknown why the virus becomes re-activated.

Certain people are at a greater risk of developing shingles including:

• People older than 50 years old.
• People who had chickenpox before 1 year of age.
• People who have weakened immune systems.
• People who take medications that weaken the immune system.

Shingles does not only occur in the elderly. Everyone is at risk of developing shingles. You are just at a greater risk of developing shingles as you get older.

Shingles cannot be passed from one person to another. The virus can, however, still be passed to someone who has not been exposed to the virus. Therefore, if you have shingles avoid contact with anyone who has not had chicken pox or the vaccine against chicken pox (young or old–adults can get chicken pox too!).

Unfortunately, there is no cure for shingles. We can, however, prevent shingles through vaccination. Zostavax (also known as the shingles vaccine) is our main line of defense against shingles. By receiving Zostavax, you are able to reduce your risk of developing shingles by up to 50%!

There are still some people who get shingles even after vaccination. Those that do get vaccinated, however, have much milder symptoms than those who don’t receive the vaccine.

Zostavax can be given starting at the age of 50 and is recommended in everyone 60 years and older. Zostavax is a one-time vaccine that can be administered by any pharmacist!

And did I mention that you no longer need a prescription to receive Zostavax?  That’s right! No prescription needed! So stop in anytime and see us. We would be glad to discuss any questions or concerns you may have and then get you vaccinated!

Remember, prevention is the best medicine!

With another school year upon us, keeping our children healthy throughout the year is very important. Good health not only saves on missed days from work, but also saves us money from going to the doctor.

There are many factors that affect a person’s health. One of the most important is maintaining a proper diet. We all know that we are supposed to eat a balanced diet, but what makes up a balanced diet?

The basic food groups in a balanced diet are fruits, vegetables, grains, proteins, and dairy. Oils are also part of a balanced diet, however, they are not considered a food group. Eating healthy amounts of foods from these groups are what compose a balanced diet.

The recommended daily amounts to consume are:

• Fruits – Children: 1 Cup; Adults: 1 and ½ Cups
  • Any fruit or 100% fruit juice
• Vegetables – Children: 1 and ½ Cups; Adults: 3 Cups
  • Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice
• Grains – Children: 4 Ounces; Adults: 7 Ounces (at least half as whole grains)
  • Any food made from wheat, rice, oats, corn meal, barley, or another cereal grain
• Protein – Children: 3 Ounces; Adults: 5.5 Ounces
  • All foods made from meat, poultry, seafood, beans and peas, eggs, processed soy products, nuts, and seeds
• Dairy – Children: 2 Cups; Adults: 3 Cups
  • All fluid milk products, milk products that retain their calcium, calcium fortified soy milk
• Oils – Children: 4 Teaspoons; Adults: 6 and ½ Teaspoons
  • Fats that are liquid at room temperature (come from plants and fish)

These estimates are great guides to follow. However, if you are like me, you are not carrying measuring cups around in your back pocket. There are several estimates that can be made just by using your hand! Click on the diagram to the right to enlarge it.

• 1 Teaspoon – Tip of your index finger to the nearest knuckle
• 1 Tablespoon – Tip of your thumb to the nearest knuckle
• 3 Ounces of meat – The size of your palm
• 1 Cup – Clenched fist
• ½ Cup – The front of a clenched fist

Following these recommendations will provide you with a well balanced diet leading to a healthy lifestyle.

Another excellent aid to help maintain a healthy balanced diet is “My Plate.” My Plate uses picture representations of what your plate should look like at meals to remind you how much of a particular food group you should be eating. Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables and the other half should be grains and protein with a small amount of dairy on the side. To avoid eating excessively, your plate should not exceed 9 inches in diameter. Oils are not accounted for in My Plate because they are not considered a food group–however, it is still important to track them to maintain healthy amounts and not consume them in excess.

By eating a balanced healthy diet, you greatly reduce your risk of developing serious health issues. Eating a balanced healthy diet not only benefits your life, but also teaches your children healthy eating habits, which can carry on throughout their lifetime.

A recent video posted by Strong4Life, a group affiliated with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, called “Meet Jim” provides some disturbing insight into the importance of proper nutrition in children and the impact we, as adults, have on them.

Watch the video: http://www.strong4life.com/pages/LearnAssess/RewindtheFuture/ArticleDetails.aspx?articleid=HaventMetJimYet&sectionid=Overview

Resources:

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/

http://www.strong4life.com/pages/LearnAssess/RewindtheFuture/ArticleDetails.aspx?articleid=HaventMetJimYet&sectionid=Overview

http://www.guardyourhealth.com/

This week, we wanted to make sure everyone saw the Lovejoy’s Labor Day weekend/End of Summer sale ad which runs from August 25 to 31.

For more information on Lovejoy’s IGA, visit their web site HERE.

Remember, we hope you will shop locally and support locally owned businesses here in our community!

Click on each of the pages of the ad to enlarge them. When they show up on a separate page, click again to make the pages even bigger. You can also print them out and take them with you when you go shopping!

It’s time once again for the Annual Plain City Classic Car Cruise-In. When the car show arrives, I always know that we are at the height of summer.

This year’s 12th Annual Cruise-In will take place in uptown Plain City on Main Street (Route 161) between Park Street and North Avenue on Saturday, August 23. The show is once again being sponsored by Bob Chapman Ford. Proceeds benefit the Uptown Plain City Organization (UPCO).

Registration is $13 the day of the show. Registration runs from 11 am to 2 pm at 204 West Main Street. A portion of each registration fee received will be donated to Friends of the Plain City Public Library.

There will be tons of awards, including motorcycle awards and specially made awards. The awards ceremony will begin after 4 pm. The show runs until 5 pm.

Stop by for lots of food, fun, and super cars!

To keep up on all the Car Show Events, Like the Facebook page HERE.