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Archive for July, 2019

Dublin Irish Festival is August 2-4.

42615080_10155817310170835_7418430718113480704_nThe Dublin Irish Festival dances its way into the heat of August this weekend. The Festival runs from Friday, August 2 to Sunday, August 4. You can find a complete schedule of events online: Dublin Irish Festival

Tickets are $15 for adults at the gate. But if you purchase your tickets online until August 1, they are only $10. $10 discount tickets are also on sale now at select Giant Eagle locations and at the Dublin Community Recreation Center from July 22 – August 1. Children 12 and under are FREE.

To buy online tickets, go HERE.

The Festival gets underway unofficially on Thursday, August 1 with the IGS Energy/Dublin Irish Festival 5K and Kids Dash. You can resister and find out more about the race by going HERE.

New this year is the Dedication Walkway. If you would like to donate for a paver stone that you can have engraved, find out more HERE.

Additionally, if you enjoy traditional (and sometimes not so traditional) Irish music, there are always a ton of wonderful artists performing on various stages throughout the Festival. For a full list of groups that will be playing, please go HERE.

Looking for a kilt, Celtic artwork, or some lovely crystal? Now is the time to find it without crossing the pond. The Festival has a huge number of vendors selling anything and everything Irish. To see a complete list of marketplace vendors and what they sell, go HERE.

There will also be tons of food vendors, a Wee Folk Area, Celtic Canines, Celtic Sports, Beverage Tastings (of course!!), and even Sunday Mass Services (the Celts like to party, but they also give thanks for all God’s blessings).

May the sun shine warmly on your back this festive weekend (and it undoubtably will-so pick up some sun block at the pharmacy before you head to Dublin).

LIKE the Dublin Irish Festival on Facebook HERE.

For a festival map, go HERE.

For the complete information on the show, which is also downloadable to your phone, go HERE.

World Hepatitis Day is July 28. By Our July Student Pharmacist, Ray Chu.

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In observance of World Hepatitis Day, which is July 28 this year, I wanted to spread awareness by answering some common questions about hepatitis.

Some fast trivia: Did you know there are currently five different kinds of hepatitis recognized? Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. The most common ones in the US are A, B, and C.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis describes inflammation of the liver and most often is referring to viral hepatitis caused by one of the hepatitis viruses. Depending on which virus, a person’s hepatitis will be classified A through E. Due to inflammation, the liver will not work as well. Drugs and toxins will not be filtered out of the body as well as with a normally functioning liver. Also, any activity that would stress or damage a normally functioning liver (such as drinking alcohol or taking certain medications) will affect a liver with hepatitis even more, worsening the condition.

It is estimated that 4.4 million Americans are living with chronic hepatitis. 

Sounds dangerous, should I avoid people who have hepatitis?

Not at all. It is perfectly safe to be around someone with hepatitis. You cannot contract viral hepatitis by casual contact, so you can shake hands with, hug, or even kiss someone with hepatitis safely without danger of infecting yourself. 

How is hepatitis spread and what preventative measures can be taken?

Hepatitis is spread differently depending on which virus we are talking about.

  • Hepatitis A Virus (HAV)
    • HAV is spread person to person by the fecal-oral route, mainly by eating or drinking food or water that has been contaminated by the feces of an infected person.
    • Basic hand washing with soap and water following bowel movements and before handling food and drinks will reduce the incidence of Hepatitis A.
  • Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
    • HBV is a bloodborne viral infection that is mainly spread through sexual contact with an infected person, mother to child during childbirth, and by contact with the bodily fluids of an infected person.
    • Avoid sharing personal items such as toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers, and needles with an infected person.
  • Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
    • HCV is spread primarily though contact with an infected person’s blood.
    • To a lesser degree, it can also be spread though sexual contact and childbirth.
    • Much like HBV, avoid sharing personal items with an infected person that may come into contact with infected blood.
  • Hepatitis D Virus (HDV)
    • HDV is also spread through contact with infected blood, but only in people already infected with HBV.
    • If you do not have HBV, you will not contract HDV; therefore, all precautions for HBV will also help lessen the chance of HDV.
  • Hepatitis E Virus (HEV)
    • HEV is a relatively newly recognized disease.
    • It is spread though food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person.
    • Some data suggests that pigs can carry HEV and, therefore, eating infected pork may transmit the infection.
    • Consuming clean water only and avoiding contaminated foods will lower your chances in getting infected with HEV.

Are there any treatments available for hepatitis?

  • Hepatitis A
    • There is a vaccine available starting as young as 12 months old and is a regimen of three injections over one year. The immunity provided by the vaccine lasts at least 20 years.
    • Full recovery of all HAV infections is expected in 99% of all patients.
    • HAV usually resolves on its own over several weeks.
    • Chronic hepatitis usually does not result from an HAV infection.
  • Hepatitis B
    • There is a vaccine available for HBV starting as young as two months old and is a regimen of three injections over a year and a half. The immunity is expected to last at least 15 years.
    • If infected, 98% of acute HBV infected individuals clear the virus within 6 months without medication intervention.
    • For those that develop chronic hepatitis, antiviral medications are available to suppress the HBV, but will not cure HBV completely.
  • Hepatitis C
    • There are NO vaccines available to protect against HCV at this time.
    • Preventative measures are the first line of defense. Do not share personal hygiene items with an infected person.
    • Antiviral medications are available to suppress HCV proliferation for those who develop a chronic infection.
  • Hepatitis D
    • Protecting yourself against HBV will also protect you against HDV. Receiving the HBV vaccine will also protect you from getting HDV.
    • All of the same precautions for HBV will also protect you from getting HDV.
    • Treatments for HDV are available, but are only beneficial to a small portion of patients.
  • Hepatitis E
    • There are no available vaccines for HEV.
    • HEV usually resolves on its own over several weeks to months.
    • If it does not resolve, immunosuppressive therapies exist to reduce the amount of damage done to the liver.

Want more information?

Please stop into any of our locations to learn more about the vaccines available for hepatitis or even if you just have a couple questions for us regarding the disease.

Some websites where you may find more information are:

https://hepatitisfoundation.org

https://www.who.int/features/qa/76/en/

https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/index.htm

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Rock The Clock is Saturday, July 27 from 5 pm to Midnight Featuring the “Naked Karate Girls.”

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Rock the Clock will take place on Saturday, July 27 from 5 pm to midnight in uptown Plain City under the Clock tower.

The musical event will feature the Naked Karate Girls and Girl Pop.

To find out more, visit the Rock the Clock Facebook page HERE.

Pet Safety in the Summer Heat. By Our Student Pharmacist, Ray Chu.

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Summer is here in full force! A time for fun in the sun for our whole family, but it’s important that we keep in mind how to ensure that our four-legged family members stay safe in the heat, too.

As the heat rises, like it will this weekend, we know how to keep ourselves cool and we can tell when our children get too hot, but our pets respond differently to the heat and even differently to how they cool down. For example, did you know that a fan would be perfect for us but doesn’t work well to cool down dogs and cats?

This first point is mentioned over and over, but it’s so important that I feel like I have to mention it, as well. Please do not leave your pet in the car, even for a couple minutes. Tragically, pets die every year due to poor judgment by their owners. Cracking the window does not work to keep the car cool enough.

Take a look at the chart at the bottom of this posting to see how hot it can get in your car.

It doesn’t even need to be a hot day for a car to overheat. On a 70-degree day, within 10 minutes, the interior of a car will reach 89 degrees. These temperatures were all tested with the windows cracked.

Once a dog reaches over 107 degrees, they are in serious danger for irreversible organ damage and impending death – and that’s only approximately 10 minutes on an 85-degree day. It will be much hotter than that this weekend.

Many pets love to spend time outside, but on hot days make sure they have plenty of access to shade and cool water to drink. An enclosed doghouse can actually get really hot inside, so it’s best to have shade with lots of airflow like the shade of a large tree or a covered porch. Add ice to the cool water every so often.

We humans can sweat to cool off, but our furry friends cannot. The best way to help them cool themselves internally is to give them cool water to drink. If you like to exercise with your pet, do it in the cooler hours of the day like the early morning or late evening. Take frequent breaks and make sure to bring lots of water with you to let your pet have a drink.

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Speaking of having your pet outside, it is important to make sure that the ground is not too hot for them. Many of our pets will not make a fuss if the ground is too hot for them to walk on, even if it is burning them. Their paws may be tough, but they can still be burned. An easy way to check is to place your own hand on the ground for 10 seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your pet. On an 86 degree day, asphalt can easily reach 135 degrees. An egg would fry in five minutes in that temperature!

Many of us must leave our pets at home when we leave for work or other activities. When we leave our pets at home, again, we must make sure they have access to plenty of cool water. The house itself can get very hot, as well. Many owners will turn their air conditioning off when they leave the house. This can be very dangerous for our pets since the temperature can quickly rise to dangerous levels for our pets. The problem is compounded when we are not there to replenish their water bowls. If you do not want to have the air conditioning on as low as when you are in the house, consider setting it to a more conservative temperature like 75 degrees when you leave your pets at home.

So I’ve talked about how to keep your pets cool, but how do we recognize when our pets are overheating, or worse yet, having a heat stroke. Some signs to keep an eye out for are:

  • Heavy Panting
  • Glazed eyes
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Excessive thirst
  • Lethargy (or just really slow and tired acting)
  • Fever
  • Dizziness
  • Lack of coordination
  • Salivating a lot
  • Vomiting
  • A tongue that is deep red or purple in color
  • Seizures
  • Unconsciousness

What do we do if we find our pets in heat stroke?

We should immediately move them into the shade, or even better, into an air conditioned room. Apply ice packs or cold towels to their head, neck, and chest. We should also run cool (but not cold!) water over those same areas. Let the pet drink small amounts of cool water and, most importantly, take them directly to a veterinarian.

Here are links to some other good articles on the subject:

https://www.humanesociety.org/sites/default/files/docs/unattended-pets-hot-parked-car.pdf

https://www.free-press-release-center.info/viewrelease.php?rid=00000000000000046214

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Rendition will Perform at the Choctaw Lakes Summer Music Series on Saturday, July 20 at 7 pm.

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The band Rendition will host the Choctaw Lakes Summer Concert Series on Saturday, July 20 beginning at 7 pm. The concert will last until 10 pm and will take place on the lawn beside the Lake Choctaw Lodge.

Rendition is a fourteen member classic rock band with a brass and rhythm section and features our friend and fellow pharmacist, Ernie Sparks, on the drums. Ernie owns Ernie’s Pharmacy in London, Ohio. You can visit the pharmacy Facebook page HERE.

Ernie wants a big crowd for this event which the pharmacy is sponsoring. So bring chairs or a blanket and enjoy some nostalgic tunes by the Lake.

You don’t have to live at the Lake to attend this FREE concert. Everyone is invited and Ernie hopes lots of people will rock with him and the band.

To find out more about Rendition, visit their Facebook page HERE.

Worried about getting hungry during the concert? There is usually an ice cream truck and a barbecue truck in the parking lot next to the Lake Choctaw Lodge where the event takes place. Additionally, there is a pizza shop just down the street from the Lodge. People also bring coolers and picnics to eat on the grass.

Lake Choctaw is located just outside of London, Ohio off of I-70. To find out more about Lake Choctaw, visit their web site HERE.

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