NEWS FROM PENN ELM - SEPTEMBER 2004

News you can use
Breast Feeding Still the Best Choice Over Formula

The American Academy of Family Practice position on breastfeeding states infants not breastfed have higher rates of illnesses, including ear infections, allergies, lung and urinary tract infections, andlater in lifediabetes, Lymph cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. Doctors will continue to stress to mothers who have no medical reason not to breastfeed that their breast milk is specifically designed to provide the best nutrition for their babies. For more information see The National Women's Health Information Center.

Speaking of Breast Milk
The FDA is warning women against using domperidone to increase their supply of breast milk. The FDA has not approved the drug for any use, but has received information that some women are purchasing the drug from compounding pharmacies and sources in foreign countries to increase milk production. According to the agency's June 7 press release "There have been several published reports and case studies of cardiac arrhythmias, cardiac arrest, and sudden death in patients receiving an intravenous form of domperidone that has been withdrawn from marketing in a number of countries." The oral form of domperidone still marketed in some countries to treat stomach disorders has product labeling warning breastfeeding women not to use the drug. The FDA has alerted its field personnel to be on the lookout for attempts to import the drug, and has sent warning letters to pharmacies that compound products containing domperidone and to firms that supply domperidone for use in compounding.

Help With the Cost of Medication
Uninsured Americans gained a financial edge on July 7, 2004, when pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. launched a program offering savings on its prescription drugs. "Pfizer Pfriends," scheduled to begin enrolling participants in August, will give uninsured American families earning less than $45,000 per year the ability to buy Pfizer medications at discounts of up to 37 percentthe same rates paid by large purchasers. Families without drug coverage earning more than $45,000 will be eligible for discounts of up to 15 percent. The company will also expand its existing free-medicine programs to families making less than $31,000 annually; they can receive free Pfizer medications from their physicians' offices or through qualifying community health centers and hospitals. See Pfizer's press release to learn more. The AAFP has commended Pfizer's actions, along with about 40 other health and patient advocacy organizations and numerous governmental leaders.

Eli Lilly and Company's "LillyAnswers" is a patient assistance program for low-income Medicare enrollees who do not have prescription drug coverage. The centerpiece of the program, the LillyAnswers card, allows seniors and people with disabilities under Medicare to pay a flat $12 fee for a 30-day supply of certain retail-distributed Lilly drugs. More than five million Americans are said to be eligible to receive the "LillyAnswers" card. To be eligible for the LillyAnswers program the applicant must be a Medicare-enrolled senior or a Medicare-enrolled person with disabilities who has no other prescription drug coverage, and individual annual income below $18,000 or household income below $24,000. Eligibility will be verified through copies of your most recent tax return and Medicare card. Please visit LillyAnswers for more information.

Link of the month
A new, animated Web site uses lay terms to describe the findings in " The Health Consequences of Smoking," released May 27, 2004 by the U.S. surgeon general. The 960-page report conclusively links smoking with leukemia; cataracts; pneumonia; and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach. Smoking, the report says, causes disease in nearly every organ of the body. "The toxins from cigarette smoke go everywhere the blood flows," said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, M.D. See "The Health Consequences of Smoking on The Body" for the interactive site that explains the effects of smoking on each organ system. This is an impressive display to convince you or someone you know you who smokes why it is essential to quit.

Important Announcements
Fall School Physicals
It's that time of year again ... Kids are back in school! Which means school physicals will be required for many students, especially athletes. To expedite this process please review your school's documentation. Most require the physical and a doctor to fill out specific information, but some also require lab work. Please fill out all of the medical information you can prior to your visit with your doctor. And allow at least 2 weeks between the time documentation is needed and when the student will begin to participate. If a problem is discovered, your doctor would like to have time to address the issue before authorizing participation.

What's New at Penn Elm?
Electronic Medical Records (coming soon)
Penn Elm is firmly entering the 21st century to improve our services for you. Many national medical organizations, including the Institute of Medicine, American Academy of Family Practice, American Medical Association, and numerous others, have discovered the power and improvement in quality that electronic medical records provide. Converting medical records, lab orders, radiology results, referrals to specialists, and communications with pharmacies and insurance companies to a paperless system will be one of the most important changes in medical care in 50 years ... comparable in impact to the invention of HMOs. In fact, this movement to the Electronic Health Record is on the White House agenda for improving the national medical system. Over the past year, Penn Elm has been in the process of choosing a system that will best serve the needs of our doctors, staff, and patients. We hope to finish the selection and institute the new system in full by next summer. If you have specific questions about this exciting change, please speak with our office supervisor, Judy Shaw.